Cost of mobile data per country

[SC Maintenance]

The reason the Americans pay the most is because they are among the highest wage journeys in the world
It’s also why we pay the most for automobiles or any other product

That is not true. A Rav4 in Germany is much more expensive than one here. Starting at around $43K for a hybrid - you can only buy hybrid there. Here they start at around $10K less. I know lots of Germans and when they come here they all seem to want to buy an iphone / ipad here and take it back because there much cheaper. Might be due to VAT's and things, but as a general rule stuff isn't significantly cheaper in Germany. But cell service is 1/4 ?

Same in UK and Australia.

Even in India, there a bit cheaper, but not much. You can buy a cheap cars in India, but it literally has a stick, manual windows, and no AC.

 

[alarmguy]

My two cents- coverage, quality of the data (speed), lack of competition, barriers to entry, and restraint of trade is why U.S. citizens pay the second highest mobile data rates in the world:
View attachment 251306

This is incorrect.
I pay $2.75 IN the USA for 12 Gb of data per month and not only that but that price includes unlimited text and phone calls.
These internet posts and stories are laughable.

If anyone in the USA pays much more, well, than I would say to them, like, HELLO!?!?!"? *LOL*
Thing is people read this and because it is on the internet they believe it because it must be true, yet they do not compare their own cost and that of others.

Hey if you (not you directly) want to live in a free country, suck it up and take responsibility for what you pay.
Free markets are based on what the public will pay. Gosh, I find comments on subjects like this scary, people want some "superior" to make their life better as they see fit.

 

[brandon9715]

My belief is that the US has expensive infrastructure for one inherent reason in particular. Population density. Much of the US is rural, and it’s tough to make money in rural markets with lack of customers. That goes for mobile, home broadband, electricity, etc.

 

[Nukeman7]

This is incorrect.
I pay $3.30 IN the USA for 24 Gb of data per month and not only that but that price includes unlimited text and phone calls.
These internet posts and stories are laughable.

If anyone in the USA pays much more, well, than I would say to them, like, HELLO!?!?!"? *LOL*

US Mobile we pay $66 less a month, $33 (actual payment) for two lines and 12 GB shared data.
Granted taking into account the Netflex credit you get we pay $59 less a month.

All good what we buy and consider worth it is an individual choice. This a significant difference though.
T Mobile offers more data at that price and it should. But you can opt for more data in the US Mobile plan and still pay 30% less.
(Ugh, I see @14Accent replied much the same already!)

Help me figure out this new math. How does $33 per month for 12 GB of data (shared between two lines) work out to $3.30 per month for 24 Gb of data? What am I missing here?

 

[alarmguy]

Help me figure out this new math. How does $33 per month for 12 GB of data (shared between two lines) work out to $3.30 per month for 24 Gb of data? What am I missing here?

your missing nothing! It’s actually a messed up post! You don’t need help, I do!

$33 a month for 2 lines, a total of 12 gigs of data and includes unlimited voice voice and iunlimited text for two lines.

So that works out to $2.75 per GB and we can pretend the unlimited text and voice free

You gotta love these Internet stories, comparing the USA to other countries.
So misleading it’s not even funny. Also, that chart does not point out in many of those countries all you are getting is data no voice and no text.
They use a separate app such as Viber to make calls and text, send photos which uses your data to do so.

My prices also include all taxes and fees

 

[Nukeman7]

^^^^ US Mobile's plans are too good of a value to pass up. I will be switching over to their Warp service next month when my Mint Mobile plan expires.

 

[Rand]

meh this subject is too complicated to be dumbed down to that graph.

you can get unlimited (40GB/so at full speed) for 25$ so less than $1/GB
this $6 dollar per GB is gross oversimplification.

Last month we paid 90 for 3 phones even counting the 3rd phone that doesn't use data..
we are under $3/GB

My MIL used .03GB and paid 100 so she was at $3333/GB I suppose...

 

[Pablo]

meh this subject is too complicated to be dumbed down to that graph.

you can get unlimited (40GB/so at full speed) for 25$ so less than $1/GB
this $6 dollar per GB is gross oversimplification.

Last month we paid 90 for 3 phones even counting the 3rd phone that doesn't use data..
we are under $3/GB

Kinda mah point

Service is a reasonable $35 or whatever and you burn a few gigs on an unlimited plan?

 

[GON]

your missing nothing! It’s actually a messed up post! You don’t need help, I do!

$33 a month for 2 lines, a total of 12 gigs of data and includes unlimited voice voice and iunlimited text for two lines.

So that works out to $2.75 per GB and we can pretend the unlimited text and voice free

You gotta love these Internet stories, comparing the USA to other countries.
So misleading it’s not even funny. Also, that chart does not point out in many of those countries all you are getting is data no voice and no text.
They use a separate app such as Viber to make calls and text, send photos which uses your data to do so.

My prices also include all taxes and fees

AG,

If everyone was able to get and maintain the deals you do, the cost of living would collapse overnight in the U.S. The time, effort, and smarts you invest to get deals from credit cards to cell phone service in an anomaly.

If everyone operated like you- there would be no "cash back" on credit cards. The cash back is a gimmick, and only a very few credit card holders are able to come out ahead with cash back credit cards. Banks offer these gimmicks like cash back knowing the vast majority of their card holders will carry over a balance and pay a crazy high interest rate, many of their card holders will be late on a payment and pay an exploitative late fee and then get their credit card interest rate raised.

I don't have your savviness, or time to accomplish your cell phone rates. I have three cell phones; I own all the phones and brought my own device. If everyone paid for cell service what you paid-- your rate would be going up substantially. Below is what I pay:

Verizon phone #1-- $110 per month
Verizon phone #2-- $74 per month
Google Fi phone #3-- $68 per month

 

[CKN]

Verizon is the most expensive cell phone provider-I "thought" that's pretty common knowledge.

 

[alarmguy]

^^^^ US Mobile's plans are too good of a value to pass up. I will be switching over to their Warp service next month when my Mint Mobile plan expires.

You know, Mint Mobile advertising is a bit sketchy. It's still a very good deal. I do not like the way they advertise one to three month special rates that are dirt cheap only to significantly go up after that period. They also leave out, if I am correct those price do not include additional fees and taxes. Mint Mobile is still a good service though, the only negative I see is T-Mobile bought them recently which is fine as long as they hold the line. I dont follow it closely but maybe have seen a shift in the way they advertise. I had T-Mobile for 2 years, dumped them when the "uncommon carrier" started doing evil things, like raised my rate.

BTW- *LOL* I see even in my corrected post that I had some typo's, oe thing I hate about using an iPhone is Siri text to speech and I still struggle with their text app at times. Not sure why, I have been texting before some people in this forum were born! Some stuff I post on the fly or maybe I am going senile

 

[alarmguy]

AG,

If everyone was able to get and maintain the deals you do, the cost of living would collapse overnight in the U.S. The time, effort, and smarts you invest to get deals from credit cards to cell phone service in an anomaly.

If everyone operated like you- there would be no "cash back" on credit cards. The cash back is a gimmick, and only a very few credit card holders are able to come out ahead with cash back credit cards. Banks offer these gimmicks like cash back knowing the vast majority of their card holders will carry over a balance and pay a crazy high interest rate, many of their card holders will be late on a payment and pay an exploitative late fee and then get their credit card interest rate raised.

I don't have your savviness, or time to accomplish your cell phone rates. I have three cell phones; I own all the phones and brought my own device. If everyone paid for cell service what you paid-- your rate would be going up substantially. Below is what I pay:

Verizon phone #1-- $110 per month
Verizon phone #2-- $74 per month
Google Fi phone #3-- $68 per month

I always got great deals regarding cell service and many things in life such as insurance. Im sure you saw my post last week, I carry max insurance on our cars regarding all liabilities uninsured/under insured 250/500 or 300/500 etc. Our 2025 Chevy Equinox I pay $298 for 6 month policy.

As long as we draw the line of being labeled cheap, vs people like me who cut down the huge profit margins of major corporations. I actually enjoy it like a hobby! REALLY I play their game like they play their game against the public for maximum shareholder profit.

But cheap in the sense of personal interaction with normal people I am not at all. Whether is is tipping or working with small business. I buy value. BUT I DO NOT short change my fellow man/woman. Example, in the Philippines last month. It was almost a joke from the people I knew that lived there on how much I was tipping the Grub Drivers which we used for 14 days straight.

These poor guys work and drive for living while also paying for their vehicles. The rates compared to the USA Uber are stupid cheap. Im talking like USD $2.50 to $5 fares, so it was common for me to tip them doubling the fare depending on how nice they were 85% were very nice. So $2.50 and $5 fares were more like $8 and $10 after a tip and the driver in many cases would look at me like are you sure? and very grateful. That actually brings me a sense of satisfaction of helping people and I try to do this in here too.

This is the way I roll, but to turn my money over to corporations and wealthy share holders who invest in them? No, its a passion of mine *LOL*

Anyway, cell service is an easy one and YES YOU ARE RIGHT! If the general public didnt roll over and pay whatever price the cell and insurance companies threw at them I would be screwed and paying much higher rates!. It's been now well over a decade of always dirt cheap rates with NO COMPROMISE in service from the 2nd tier providers who buy bandwidth and service from the primaries. If you think about it, I am supporting the small guy/small business. Red Pocket is another great service. Insurance is another big one, why anyone cares who supplies their insurance is beyond me.

I suspect the small secondary suppliers have been squeezed a little by the big 3 however the big 3 have also raised their rates so the savings are still significant.

For the recent recommendations of US Mobile I can NOT take credit for. Another poster (whose name I forgot somehow) had a thread on it in the electronics section of BITOG. I was grateful and mentioned it many times as I was about to switch out of T-Mobile this past spring now that I was done with my 2 years and got 2 free iPhone 13's (which also involved turning in our old iPhones from T-Mobile) Before him, I did not know of US Mobile

Anyway, YES! that you Joe Public, keep paying high rates for all services including insurance so I can still be the small minority that companies will bend over backwards to get me onboard and boost their bottom line just a bit more.

 

[andrew_j]

I am sure those cheaper countries for cell service squawk when they see our honestly unreal cheap price per gallon of gasoline……

 

[John105]

Cost in dollars means little as paychecks in countries with lower costs are also much lower in dollars.

There you go.

Is $55/mo discounted to the $40's, the 2nd highest in the world? Do they get 200-700 mbps down, and a lousy 30-40 up (do we really need it, yes, we do)?

Can they make hundreds of thousands of dollars working from home, 1-3 hours per day, and do personal errands the rest of the time? Our whole society in the USA is geared around people doing what used to be considered errands, in the middle of the day.

 

[Vil_Riker]

There you go.

Is $55/mo discounted to the $40's, the 2nd highest in the world? Do they get 200-700 mbps down, and a lousy 30-40 up (do we really need it, yes, we do)?

Can they make hundreds of thousands of dollars working from home, 1-3 hours per day, and do personal errands the rest of the time? Our whole society in the USA is geared around people doing what used to be considered errands, in the middle of the day.

Who's making hundreds of thousands of dollars working from home 1-3 hours per day?

 

[javacontour]

You know, Mint Mobile advertising is a bit sketchy. It's still a very good deal. I do not like the way they advertise one to three month special rates that are dirt cheap only to significantly go up after that period. They also leave out, if I am correct those price do not include additional fees and taxes. Mint Mobile is still a good service though, the only negative I see is T-Mobile bought them recently which is fine as long as they hold the line. I dont follow it closely but maybe have seen a shift in the way they advertise. I had T-Mobile for 2 years, dumped them when the "uncommon carrier" started doing evil things, like raised my rate.

BTW- *LOL* I see even in my corrected post that I had some typo's, oe thing I hate about using an iPhone is Siri text to speech and I still struggle with their text app at times. Not sure why, I have been texting before some people in this forum were born! Some stuff I post on the fly or maybe I am going senile

I had Mint for a year.

It was obvious that the price for unlimited would be $30/month after the three month trial.

With that said, they don't push you into that plan. They look at your usage during that three month period and recommend a plan. For me, it was the 15GB/month which was $20/month. Since I had one referral, I ended up paying $150 instead of $240, plus thirty some odd dollars for taxes and fees. Ended up with 15 months of service for less than the $240 when the referral and taxes and fees were considered.

The only negative I had with Mint was the service wasn't good when I was up in Alaska.

oilBabe had Boost Infinite (finally rolled into Boost as one brand) and it found ATT towers as there were no native Dish towers AFAIK in Alaska.

Just have to pay attention to what you are getting with the MVNOs.

Not really any different from the MNOs. Bundling Streaming Services, special Tuesday Deals, AAA memberships and what not is just a complex and may not fit the typical users needs.

If they do, great. Otherwise, an MVNO may be the way to go.

When you are getting lines for a whole family, the costs may be lower with ATT, TMO or VZN. If it's for one or two people, it's hard to beat the MVNO providers.

Oh, the other caveat is customer service. One needs to be confident they can set up their phone as you are not walking into a B&M store for most MVNO providers.

 

[Trav]

I use a Aldi card in Germany, it is about $16/mo includes talk text and 20 GB, I put a decent satellite dish on the house for about $200 including the receiver, receiving is free other than the TV license which is about $22 a month. No contract with some flim flam company, put the dish up connect it to the receiver and tv and that's it.
In the US it is a rape show, for what I get there for under $50 it cost $350 in the USA. Friggin outright robbery and a disgrace they can shove it up peoples backside like this and no the average German is not working for poverty wages, my son and daughter both have degrees and make fantastic money.

https://www.alditalk.de/

https://www.conrad.com/en/o/sat-dis...fZxV_XAQ3twMwF819bYKndfnlyfv7O2Wesy_PvVDPeeJ1

https://www.conrad.com/en/f/sat-hd-...UJ3JjVM6TRAPkPZrgtct9DjO94Lyoepbx55tdXdninFIp

 

[alarmguy]

...

When you are getting lines for a whole family, the costs may be lower with ATT, TMO or VZN. If it's for one or two people, it's hard to beat the MVNO providers.

Oh, the other caveat is customer service. One needs to be confident they can set up their phone as you are not walking into a B&M store for most MVNO providers.

Yeah, if someone is not capable of configuring a phone (or computer) then they might be better off where they can walk in a store.
The big three will almost always be much more expensive though you will find deals for time to time. More so with their "off market" line of service some of which is also MVNO Verizon Visible is one of them and you can have 4 lines for $100 including all taxes, actual payment, right now a two year special 4 lines $80 unlimited everything..
ATT Cricket service, Verizon Visable and Mint Mobile that T-Mobile just bought.

I have never needed to walk in a store for help with a cell phone. I do realize some do and they will pay extra for that company who provides that service. But almost anyone can get it done without help. I mean it's not rocket science for most people.

 

[John105]

Yeah, if someone is not capable of configuring a phone (or computer) then they might be better off where they can walk in a store.
The big three will almost always be much more expensive though you will find deals for time to time. More so with their "off market" line of service some of which is also MVNO Verizon Visible is one of them and you can have 4 lines for $100 including all taxes, actual payment, right now a two year special 4 lines $80 unlimited everything..
ATT Cricket service, Verizon Visable and Mint Mobile that T-Mobile just bought.

I have never needed to walk in a store for help with a cell phone. I do realize some do and they will pay extra for that company who provides that service. But almost anyone can get it done without help. I mean it's not rocket science for most people.

I’ve heard that if a phone is ordered online, sales tax is calculated on the full retail value.

Example my phone was $1099, and I paid $309, no trade.

So when ordered and delivered to a store in say DE or NH, there’s no sales tax.

If my wife and I were getting new phones that’s around $70 avoided.

Might try it someday, it’s what I heard in the office.

 

[Oldwolf]

I have four phoneson Verizon unlimited data plan. Currently paying $30 per phone per month.