That $3 iOS app or $6 web service may or may not be entirely useless to you; it's quite difficult to know.
I mean, it's easy to make sarcastic quips about the mentality. But there are good, clear reasons why it exists. And if you understand them, maybe you can do something about it - make it very clear exactly what your app does, include informative screenshots, offer a demo version, make payment easy, etc.
Step #2: Deliver a technology product into that market.
Step #3: Charge money for the product.
You can skip Step #1 (like 37signals did), but why cause yourself undue stress? All the customer money is outside the echo chamber.
The same is actually true with app purchase, unfortunately much of it negative (people charging real money for buggy crapware and fart apps, apps being poorly designed or full of distracting advertising, the list goes on.)
What chance do you have to bring to bear that same firehose of positive experience as the coffee shop to request $6 from your customer?
Web/app pricing usually doesn't take into consideration the 3rd world (plus, the lack of availability of international credit cards or other easy purchase options, coupled with the attractiveness of piracy and low wages, makes selling stuff here a tricky proposition).
My father bought a Samsung Galaxy last week, and it's carrier subsidized so he pays 20 dollars/month for a year.
My own Nokia N86 was also carrier subsidized at U$ 30/month for a year (and that included 300 minutes' worth of calls).
Even the iPhone is carrier subsidized at about U$ 50/month for 2 years.
In those cases, paying an extra U$ 15 would make a difference, but U$ 0.99.. you're absolutely right.