A guide to understanding the real cost of equipping distributed talent in the region and the criteria for comparing providers. Designed for those about to make the purchasing decision: founders, COOs, HR, and IT managers.
When a company starts hiring and equipping people in multiple countries, the first thing thought of regarding expenses is the price of the laptop. And this is normal since it is the most visible number, but along with it come other associated expenses that are worth keeping in mind.
What usually happens in companies that manage this in-house is that they surprisingly find themselves with different prices for the same equipment, import taxes, delayed customs clearance, a configuration that no one anticipated, or equipment whose location is unknown after a year. The real cost is never just that of the laptop.
This article attempts to organize that. What makes up the real cost, how much it varies by country, which acquisition model is best, and, above all, what criteria to use to compare the providers currently offering to solve it.
What is the "landed cost" and why the price of the laptop is the small part
The landed cost is what it costs a company for an employee to have their equipment working on day one, not what appears in the catalog. It adds up the price of the equipment, import taxes and tariffs, logistics to the person's door, pre-configuration, support during its useful life, and recovery when that person leaves. The equipment itself is usually the most predictable portion; the rest is where the variation is hidden.
The difference matters because each of those components behaves differently depending on where the person is located. The same laptop model can have a very different landed cost in Bogotá, São Paulo, or Buenos Aires, even if the manufacturer's list price is identical. Anyone putting together a budget based only on the list price is systematically underestimating the expense, and almost always in the wrong direction.
Why equipping in Brazil, Mexico, Colombia, or Argentina does not cost the same
The country where the collaborator lives changes the cost more than the equipment model you choose. It is determined by three variables: import taxes, the complexity of customs clearance, and logistical times. In LATAM, these three variables move within very different ranges from one market to another, and none of them appear in the catalog price.
Argentina is the clearest example of how trade policy changes costs from one day to the next. The tariff on laptops had been at 0% since 2017, and in 2023 it went to a range of between 8% and 16% depending on the weight and characteristics of the equipment; the effect on the consumer price was immediate. We cover this in detail in our guide on how to equip in Argentina. Mexico, on the other hand, usually has laptops exempt from tariffs thanks to the trade agreements to which it is a party, making customs clearance more predictable. Brazil and Colombia have their own tax burdens and documentation requirements that are best estimated on a case-by-case basis.
That is where the problem stops being the price and becomes how hardware and logistics are resolved in each territory. A company that manages this in-house finds that what it learned from one country does not apply to the next: each market has its own tariffs, times, and documentation, and that learning curve is paid for operation by operation. The extreme case is that of a company from outside the region that wants to import without having a local entity or local suppliers: many times, they simply cannot. The alternative is to rely on someone who already operates within each country and absorbs that complexity, so that customs, tariffs, and clearances stop being a company issue and are resolved beforehand.
Buy, rent or lease: which model is best for your case
There is no single best model in the abstract; the key is choosing the model that fits how your company manages its cash and inventory. Outright purchase turns the equipment into an owned asset from day one. Renting or leasing turns it into a monthly expense without ownership. The right decision depends on whether you prefer to capitalize the hardware or keep it off the balance sheet, and how much you value recovering the equipment at the end.
Model | How it impacts cash | Equipment ownership | When it makes the most sense |
|---|---|---|---|
Outright purchase | Upfront outlay, no monthly fee | Owned by the company from day 1 | Long-use equipment; you want the asset and its recovery |
Rent / lease | Monthly fee, lower upfront outlay | Owned by the provider; returned at the end | You do not want to capitalize hardware; frequent renewal |
Leasing makes sense when the company prefers not to tie up capital in equipment or rotates hardware very frequently. Outright purchase wins when the equipment is used for years and when recovering and reallocating that asset has value, something that (well managed) lowers the total cost more than it seems. We develop this decision in more detail in the guide on renting or buying hardware and in the factors to look at before buying.
How providers charge: subscription, platform fee, or cost per service
Hardware management providers do not all charge the same, and the pricing model says a lot about what you are actually paying for. There are three main ways: monthly subscription per device (equipment-as-a-service), a fee for using a management platform, and a cost per service on a direct purchase. Understanding which one each provider uses is the first step to comparing apples to apples.
Provider | Predominant charging model | Equipment ownership | Coverage note |
|---|---|---|---|
Firstbase | Equipment-as-a-service: monthly fee per device | Owned by the provider; returned upon termination | Global |
Deel IT | Lifecycle subscription (DLM) + equipment purchase or leasing | Depending on the chosen option | Deel's IT module, coverage in 130+ countries |
GroWrk | Platform + equipment management | Depending on the option | Founded in 2019, headquartered in Los Angeles; strong presence in Mexico/Central America |
Workwize / Allwhere | Platform + management executed via regional vendors | Depending on the option | They operate relying on third parties in each country |
First Plug | Cost per equipment + services, on direct purchase | Owned by the company from day 1 | Own operation in LATAM. Reaches +170 countries. |
The foundation, headquarters, and model data are taken from each company's public information; specific prices are not included because they vary by volume, country, and configuration. What is comparable and stable is the model: who ends up owning the equipment, and whether the operation in each country is in-house or outsourced. Those two questions shape almost the entire decision.
How to compare providers with explicit criteria
The honest way to compare is not to ask which is "the best", but to ask each provider the same concrete questions. Most of the available comparisons are written by a provider who, conveniently, comes out on top. A neutral framework is built the other way around: with criteria that anyone can verify, regardless of who answers. These are the ones that matter.
Criterion | The exact question you should ask |
|---|---|
Own operation vs. third parties | Do you operate directly in each country or do you rely on local vendors? |
Real coverage in LATAM | In which countries in the region do you deliver directly and in which via an intermediary? |
Transparency of landed cost | Do you break down equipment + taxes + logistics + configuration, or offer a flat price? |
Equipment ownership | At the end of the relationship, is the equipment mine or do I return it? |
Recovery and offboarding | Do you handle retrieval, secure erasing, and reallocation when someone leaves? |
Pre-configuration (MDM) | Do you deliver the equipment enrolled in ABM/Intune, ready for day one? |
Support and lead times by country | What delivery time do you guarantee in each market, and what happens if there is an incident? |
The distinction between own operation and execution via third parties is what changes the outcome the most, because it determines who takes responsibility when something gets complicated in a specific country. A provider that outsources depends on their local vendor delivering; one that operates on their own responds directly. Recovery is the other criterion that is often ignored and costs the most money in the long run: equipment that does not return is lost money, and a well-structured repurchase or BuyBack process recovers part of that investment.
How First Plug Solves It
First Plug works with direct purchase and our own operation in LATAM: the company owns the equipment from day one and we manage the complete cycle (acquisition, configuration, delivery, support, inventory, and recovery) with our own infrastructure within the region's countries, without outsourcing execution. This is what allows us to provide a detailed landed cost and respond directly when things get complicated in a specific market.
Our model performs best when the equipment is used for years, when the actual cost per country weighs in the decision, and when recovering and reassigning assets is part of the plan.
We quote equipment plus logistics within 24 hours and, when context requires it, we reach more than 170 countries worldwide; but what sustains traceability and lead times in LATAM is our own operation.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does it cost to equip a remote employee in LATAM?
The cost depends on the country more than the equipment model. Taxes, import duties, logistics, configuration, support, and recovery (what is known as landed cost) must be added to the price of the laptop. The exact same equipment can have a very different final cost in Argentina, Mexico, Brazil, or Colombia.
Is it better to buy or rent equipment?
Buying is better when the equipment will be used for years and you want to own the asset and recover it. Renting or leasing is better when you prefer not to tie up capital or if you upgrade hardware frequently. There is no single best model in the abstract: it depends on how your company manages its cash flow and inventory.
What is the alternative to GroWrk, Firstbase, or Deel IT in LATAM?
These solutions have different models: Firstbase works with equipment-as-a-service, Deel IT integrates equipment management into its HR platform, and GroWrk offers a platform and management with a strong presence in Mexico and Central America. First Plug stands out by operating with its own infrastructure across the entire region and working with direct purchase. The most useful criterion to compare is whether the operation in each country is in-house or outsourced.
What does the landed cost include?
It includes the equipment, import taxes and duties, logistics to the employee's doorstep, pre-configuration (MDM enrollment), support during its lifespan, and recovery management at the end. It is the real cost of having a person up and running with their device on day one, not the retail price.
The number that matters is not the one on the price tag
The cost of equipping distributed talent in LATAM is not defined by the price of the laptops; it becomes unpredictable because of everything surrounding that price, which changes from country to country. A company that plans only with the retail price always gets a surprise on the final invoice.
The good news is that once you look at the complete landed cost and compare providers with explicit criteria, the decision is no longer a gamble. The right questions put almost everything in order.
If you are building that budget right now, you can request a quote including equipment and logistics and use it as a realistic baseline for comparison.
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