Across the world, people are paying dramatically different prices for their mobile plans. Varying levels of competition, operational fees, taxation and other factors mean the cost of staying connected can range from dirt-cheap to extortionate depending on where you are on the planet.
Read on to discover how much customers in 35 selected nations pay for a typical monthly plan with calls and 10GB+ data, based on price info collated by cost of living database Numbeo.
All dollar amounts in US dollars and prices correct as of 13 January 2025.
Typical monthly plans are astonishingly cheap in India. This phenomenon stems from 2016 when telecommunications company Reliance Jio entered the market and unleashed a wave of hyper-competition by offering incredibly low-cost deals.
In a nation where broadband coverage can be patchy and unreliable, mobile data has become the primary way people access the internet, creating huge demand. This demand, coupled with the fierce competition among providers, has driven prices right down. In fact, mobile data is so inexpensive in India that it's often given away as a promotion, bundled with everyday items, including packets of crisps.
As is the case in India incomes are relatively modest in Russia, meaning mobile plan providers are restricted in terms of how much they can charge customers. Plus, lower incomes translate to lower operational costs. The country's market is highly competitive, which also contributes to the lower prices.
However, prices have risen significantly since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022. The combination of Western sanctions and rampant inflation have markedly impacted costs, translating to bigger bills for the average Russian.
Indonesia also wows with remarkably affordable mobile plans. Intense competition among major providers such as Telkomsel, Indosat and 3 (Tri) keeps prices exceedingly low.
Again, this affordability is partly driven by the country's high mobile penetration rate and an increasing reliance on smartphones for day-to-day activities, from social networking and entertainment to online shopping and banking. As a result, Indonesia has emerged as a mobile-first nation, where economical data is pretty much a given.
Mobile plans in Ukraine are surprisingly affordable thanks to a range of factors, from strong competition among providers to a lower-income workforce. This affordability is all the more surprising given the ongoing war with Russia, which has led to considerable damage to the nation's mobile infrastructure.
Local operators like Vodafone Ukraine, Kyivstar and Lifecell-Datagroup-Voila have been working tirelessly to maintain services. The latter is benefiting from a $435 million (£356m) investment enabled by the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, together with other international entities, while Kyvistar recently cut a deal with Elon Musk's Starlink to ensure uninterrupted mobile services.
Like other countries in Eastern Europe, Poland has affordable mobile plans courtesy of comparatively low operational costs and very healthy levels of competition.
The four major providers – Orange Poland, Play, Plus and T-Mobile Poland – fight it out for market share with aggressive promotions and refreshingly cheap data plans, making Poland a haven for mobile users seeking excellent value for money.
Competition is also fierce in Colombia. This, together with other factors such as inexpensive operational costs, keeps prices extremely affordable by international standards.
Colombians really are spoilt for choice when it comes to mobile carriers. Among the multitude of operators are Claro, Movistar, Virgin Mobile, Tigo, WOM and ETB, with WOM and ETB tending to offer the cheapest plans.
With a typical monthly plan with calls and 10GB+ data priced at $9.58 (£7.88) in Türkiye, running a mobile in the country is very affordable from a global point of view.
Nevertheless, prices have reportedly surged by almost 500% over the past couple of years, and customers are railing against inconsistent pricing policies, according to Türkiye Today, the nation's leading English-language news site.
Malaysia's markedly affordable mobile plans are a result of competition between providers like Celcom, Digi and U Mobile, coupled with government initiatives to boost internet accessibility.
For instance, the Jaringan Prihatin initiative, which was launched in 2021, has provided heavily subsidised mobile packages to low-income citizens. Malaysia is also a mobile-first country, and high demand for mobile data keeps costs down due to economies of scale.
China has more mobile phone users than any other country and its penetration rate is among the highest globally. While the Great Firewall limits the number of websites citizens can access, smartphone use is ubiquitous and essential for everything from paying utility bills to shopping.
This high take-up keeps prices for mobile packages low. Moreover, China is extremely affordable for smartphones themselves. Manufacturers such as Huawei and Xiaomi benefit from lavish government subsidies, tax breaks and low production costs, driving down prices for the consumer.
The cost of a typical plan that includes calls and 10GB+ data is $11.34 (£9.33) a month in Peru, according to Numbeo. Competition has translated to lower prices all round, but according to relocation website EXPAT.cl, mobile provider Claro now tends to offer the cheapest contracts in South America (though network quality isn't the best reportedly).
Other budget-friendly providers include Movistar and mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) such as VTR.
The cost of a typical plan that includes calls and 10GB+ data is almost identical in neighbouring Chile, where the mobile market was shaken up in 2015 when the aforementioned WOM debuted with aggressive price cutting.
Again, this relative affordability is largely due to heated competition in the sector. And many of the same companies that battle it out for business in Peru are present in Chile, including Claro and Movistar.
Italy has the cheapest mobile costs in Western Europe. An average 10GB+ plan with calls comes in at an affordable $11.97 (£9.85), according to Numbeo.
Italy has an especially competitive market, with a wealth of major network operators and MVNOs to choose from. With bargains a-plenty, Italians pay peanuts. Currently, the cheapest tariffs include a deal from CoopVoce offering unlimited calls, 1,000 texts and 20GB of data for just €4.90 ($5.02/£4.11) a month.
Running a mobile phone in Brazil is cheap by international standards, though as we've seen, Colombia has the cheapest mobile plans in South America.
The major issue in Brazil from an affordability point of view is the relative expense of acquiring a handset in the first place. The Brazilian government imposes punishing import taxes, which pushes up the cost of dumb and smartphones. This makes higher-end iPhones or Samsung devices luxuries for many people.
Thailand is a mobile-first country, so mobile data is considered a necessity, contributing to lower costs for monthly packages.
Plus, robust competition exists between the four main operators – AIS, True, DTAC, and Tot Mobile – while the number of MVNOs is increasing, thanks to efforts by the telecoms regulator to encourage their growth and further enhance market competitiveness.
The UK is the second-cheapest Western European country for a basic mobile plan, with a typical tariff including calls and 10GB+ data priced at a reasonable $15.44 (£12.70) per month, according to Numbeo.
Decent competition among providers is key to these low prices. Regulator Ofcom also plays a part in lowering costs. Last year, for example, it banned mid-contract price rises linked to inflation, which providers were increasingly imposing on customers, much to their annoyance.
The price of running a phone has dropped significantly in Singapore over the past eight years. MVNO Circles.Life got the ball rolling in 2017 when it introduced a no-contract plan offering 20GB for S$20 ($14.60/£11.94) a month, massively undercutting the three existing providers, Singtel, StarHub and M1.
Then, in 2020, TPG joined the fray with an even juicier deal: 50GB for S$10 ($7.30/£5.97) per month. This has forced the traditional Big Three providers to cut their prices, and the city-state now has some of the cheapest contracts in the world relative to average earnings.
Argentina's economic woes enormously impact its mobile plans, making them expensive relative to typical incomes. Limited competition and a focus on affordability over data result in basic tariffs with few frills.
Adding to the misery, customers pay through the nose for imported smartphones, even more than their Brazilian counterparts.
Customers in Spain pay some of the lowest prices in Western Europe for their mobile packages and drive an especially hard bargain.
When the leading operators such as Movistar, Vodafone and Yoigo/MásMóvil hiked prices in line with and above inflation in 2023, customers ditched them en masse for DIGI, an upstart MVNO that offers cut-price plans. In a hyper-competitive market, providers hike tariffs at their peril.
Like the Spanish, Austrians are especially price-conscious when it comes to mobile plans. Last April, the traditional providers hiked prices by 7.8% in line with inflation. But relative newcomers such as HoT and Spusu made a point of not raising prices. HoT even went so far as to increase data allowances for all customers by 7.8% as a symbolic gesture of goodwill.
Needless to say, this has boosted its popularity and market share in the country.
Mexicans pay over the odds for their mobile plans compared to other countries in Latin America. A study from 2022 found that typical prices for data are as much as 10 times higher than those in Uruguay.
These high costs stem from comparatively low data consumption, which makes each gigabyte relatively expensive. This is compounded by infrastructure limitations and a historically less competitive market. The good news is that MVNOs are on the rise in the country, which should lead to lower prices in the future.
Competition among providers is healthy in Ireland, where the three major network providers, Three, Vodafone and eir, fight it out with seven MVNOS for customers.
Yet many Irish mobile users pay too much for their plans due to inflation-linked price rises, outdated contracts and unnecessary phone upgrades. Research from newcomer Sky Mobile revealed last year that as many as 300,000 customers are overpaying for bills based on phone subsidies that are already paid off.
There are three network providers in Belgium, Proximus, Orange and Telenet/BASE, as well as a number of MVNOs.
Prices for mobile packages in Belgium don't tend to be the cheapest but the arrival of DIGI, which launched in the country in December 2024, has put the cat among the pigeons. The industry disruptor is offering unlimited calls and texts, along with 15GB data for a bargain €5 ($5.13/£4.20) per month.
Plans from the traditional network providers can be rather pricey in the Netherlands. Fortunately, Dutch customers can choose from plenty of MVNOs, which compete aggressively to offer the cheapest deals.
For instance, 50+ mobiel is currently offering a SIM-only deal that includes unlimited calls and texts plus 11GB data for only €8 ($8.20/£6.71) a month.
The typical price for a monthly package including calls and 10GB+ data may be $24.28 (£19.95) in France, as per Numbeo, but the country is awash with budget-friendly MVNOs that offer customers impressive savings.
Orange's Sosh has offered the lowest prices for quite some time, but Lebara currently has the most affordable packages. Its cheapest deal, which includes unlimited calls and texts and a generous 60GB of data, comes in at a mere €5.99 ($6.14/£5.03) per month.
Similarly, mobile packages from Japan's leading carriers Docomo, AU and Softbank can be quite expensive, according to Japan Living Guide.
MVNOs undercut the major network operators in price, but the service they offer can be inferior and coverage can be an issue in the more rural parts of the country.
The Aussie Big Three network providers Telstra, Optus and Vodafone aren't renowned for offering cheap deals, but they justify higher prices by ostensibly offering a superior service.
MVNOs are the way to go in the country if affordability is the primary concern. By way of example, iinet and TPG are currently offering plans that include 25GB data, which start at A$12.50 ($7.68/£6.29) per month for six months, then increase to A$25 ($15.37/£12.58) a month for the remainder of the 24-month contract.
Germany has over 100 mobile plan providers but competition is relatively weak in the country. According to research from comparison site Verivox, the three major players, Telekom, Vodafone and O2, dominate the market and many of the smaller providers simply offer 'clone' tariffs.
This keeps prices high compared to other European countries with more dynamic mobile markets. Other factors include higher operational costs and increased red tape.
South Africans continue to pay a premium for their mobile plans by global standards, though operators claim to have reduced costs in recent years. Several issues, from high spectrum costs to inflation and theft of telecoms infrastructure make mobile services costly in the Rainbow Nation.
The excessive costs have prompted mass demonstrations and calls from government officials for greater affordability and increased competition in the telecoms market.
A lack of competition is also behind the generally high cost of mobile plans in the Philippines. In relation to other countries in the region, costs are exorbitant.
For years, the market was dominated by just two providers, Globe and Smart. They were recently joined by Dito Telecommunity, breaking the duopoly to some extent. But while this upstart has the lowest prices, its coverage is reportedly poor.
New Zealanders pay bumper prices for their mobile plans. The country is sparsely populated and infrastructure investment is expensive compared to Europe, where population densities are much higher. There's also less competition among the country's mobile providers.
Additionally, New Zealanders consume a lot less mobile data in comparison, relying more on fixed broadband connections to access the internet.
The South Korean market is dominated by three major players, KT, LG U+ and SK Telecom. This limited competition has resulted in higher prices for customers, though the country's government has been making moves of late to open up the market in a bid to lower prices.
Another factor pushing up mobile data costs in the country is South Korea's internet traffic tax aka SPNP, which has inflated retail prices since it was introduced in 2016.
Competition is also severely lacking in the Canadian market, which is hogged by the Big Three network providers, Bell, Rogers and Telus. This keeps prices high, together with other factors.
As is the case in New Zealand, Canada's sparse population makes infrastructure exceptionally expensive to build and maintain. Government regulation is relatively weak too. With little oversight, the Big Three are free to charge what they like. It's hardly surprising then that the typical monthly mobile plan is so costly in the country.
With the average cost of a tariff coming in at a hefty $48.42 (£39.80) per month for calls and 10GB+ data, Switzerland is an outlier in Europe, where mobile costs are generally reasonable.
Factors such as the country's high wages bump up operational costs for providers. Compounding the issue is the fact that competition is very weak in the affluent nation, with the market dominated by just one company, Swisscom.
Americans get an especially raw deal compared to other countries. Mobile plans are eye-wateringly expensive in the country and according to a survey by comparison site WhistleOut, 86% of US customers say they believe they pay too much.
Competition is muted in the nation. The Big Three, AT&T, Verizon and T-Mobile, have a stranglehold on the market. Other reasons include steep infrastructure costs, punishing state and federal taxes and other sometimes hidden surcharges, costly spectrum licences and weaker regulation.
Running a mobile phone is super-pricey in the UAE. The typical tariff will set you back a whopping $59.88 (£49.21) per month for calls and 10GB+ data. Yet again, a lack of competition is to blame.
The country has just two providers, Etisalat/e& and Du, which are owned by the state. This tightly controlled duopoly stifles competition and allows these carriers to maintain high prices with little incentive to offer more affordable options.
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