Landed Cost Index
A $1,000 container house does not arrive for $1,000. This index separates the factory price from freight, duty and destination tax for nine markets, so you can budget the delivered number instead of the FOB number.
How to read this table
- Two kinds of row: ranges copied from our published country guides (linked), and quote-based rows marked “Forwarder quote” with the basis and date stated.
- Landed figures are for one 20ft flat pack unit unless another model or quantity is named.
- They include ocean freight, port handling, customs clearance and the destination tax named in the Taxes column — where a row says duty is excluded, it is excluded.
- They exclude foundation, crane or forklift hire, on-site assembly labour, permits and electrical/plumbing hook-up.
- Freight moves with season, carrier and fuel surcharge. Treat these as planning ranges, not quotations.
- Duty is assessed on the HS code declared at import (typically HS 9406.90 for prefabricated buildings); the final rate is the destination customs authority’s decision.
- LCL is charged per CBM or per tonne, whichever is greater, plus a fixed per-shipment fee (warehouse entry, inland trucking to port). The fixed part is shared across units in the same shipment.
| Destination | Port | FOB (20ft) | Landed | Taxes | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Australia | Sydney / Brisbane (Melbourne and Perth run higher) | US$1,000 | US$2,800–4,800 (Sydney/Brisbane); US$3,000–5,200 (Melbourne/Perth) | 10% GST | Container house Australia guide |
| New Zealand | Auckland | US$1,000 | NZ$3,000–5,500 | 15% GST | Container homes NZ guide |
| Singapore | Singapore | US$1,000 | SGD 3,000–4,500 | 9% GST (most container structures enter duty-free) | Singapore container office guide |
| Philippines | Manila / Cebu / Davao | US$1,000–2,500 | US$2,500–4,200 | 12% VAT | Philippines container house guide |
| Malaysia | Port Klang | US$1,000 | US$1,800–9,000 (range across models) | 10% sales tax (5% for some categories) | Malaysia container house guide |
| United Arab Emirates | Jebel Ali | US$1,000 | US$2,500–12,000 (range across models) | 5% import duty; free zones (JAFZA, Dubai South) exempt | UAE container house guide |
| Spain | Valencia / Barcelona | US$1,000 | US$3,000–12,000 (range across models) | EU duty ~7% of CIF plus 21% Spanish IVA | Spain container house guide |
| Romania | Constanta | US$1,000 | US$3,500–11,000 (range across models) | EU duty plus 19% Romanian VAT | Romania container house guide |
| South Africa | Durban | US$1,000 | Not published as a single range — see guide table | 15% VAT, roughly US$500–800 on a 20ft flat pack | South Africa container house guide |
| Tanzania | Dar es Salaam | US$1,000 | US$1,916 CIF per unit for 1 unit; US$1,636 per unit at 5 units | Duty and VAT not included — confirm the HS 9406.90 rate with a clearing agent | Forwarder quote LCL: US$95/CBM (W/M) + US$150 warehouse entry + US$200 factory-to-port, per shipment; 5 units per 20GP (5.96 CBM/unit) |
| Thailand | Laem Chabang | US$1,000 (20ft white flat pack) | US$1,241 CIF per unit at 12 units per 40HQ, to Laem Chabang only | Duty and VAT not included — confirm with a clearing agent | Forwarder quote CIF Laem Chabang: US$1,690 ocean + US$1,200 factory-to-Shanghai road per 40HQ; 12 x 20ft flat pack per 40HQ; transit about 8 days; onward delivery from port not included |
| United States — West Coast | Los Angeles | US$1,000 (20ft white flat pack) | US$1,600 CIF per unit at 12 units per 40HQ (US$1,642 if ocean is US$6,500) | US Section 301 tariffs, MPF and HMF not included — confirm with a customs broker | Forwarder quote CIF Los Angeles: US$6,000+ ocean + US$1,200 factory-to-Shanghai road per 40HQ; 12 x 20ft flat pack per 40HQ; onward delivery and US import charges not included |
| United States — East Coast | New York | US$1,000 (20ft white flat pack) | US$1,725 CIF per unit at 12 units per 40HQ | US Section 301 tariffs, MPF and HMF not included — confirm with a customs broker | Forwarder quote CIF New York: US$7,500 ocean + US$1,200 factory-to-Shanghai road per 40HQ; 12 x 20ft flat pack per 40HQ; onward delivery and US import charges not included |
Guide-based rows trace to a country page we had already published. The Tanzania row is different: it is built on a forwarder quote received on 2026-11-03 (ocean per CBM, warehouse entry, inland trucking to Shanghai), priced for the quantity stated. Neither kind is a quotation — when a shipment is quoted, we price against a forwarder rate valid on the day, and the quotation states the Incoterm, the port and the validity window.
Five 20ft flat pack units fill one 20GP (about 30 CBM of cargo). At US$95/CBM the LCL ocean freight for that shipment runs near US$2,850, and LCL also attracts destination groupage and handling charges that FCL avoids. Ask us for a 20GP FCL rate on the same lane before you commit — on a full container it is often the cheaper path.
Adjust unit type, quantity and port to see how the total moves.
Factory prices for flat pack, folding, expandable and capsule units.
Ports, lead times, duties, assembly and certification questions.
Questions this index answers
Why is the landed price of a $1,000 container house $2,800 in Australia?
Because the factory price is only the first line. Ocean freight, port handling, customs clearance, inland transport and 10% GST are added at destination. For a 20ft flat pack to Sydney or Brisbane we publish a landed range of US$2,800–4,800.
Does this index quote freight rates?
No. Every range here is copied from a country guide we had already published, and freight moves with season, carrier and fuel surcharge. Treat the numbers as planning ranges. For a firm number we quote per shipment against a forwarder rate on the day.
What is excluded from these landed costs?
Foundation or ground works, crane or forklift hire, on-site assembly labour, building permits, and electrical or plumbing hook-up. Those are quoted separately per project and can add a meaningful share on small orders.
Why do some countries list a wide range instead of one number?
Because we publish a range across the model line (flat pack, expandable, 40ft). Where our guide only gives a range across models, the table reproduces that range rather than inventing a single 20ft figure.