UK Ranks 59th in the World for the Price of 1GB Mobile Data
New research has analysed 5,292 mobile data (mobile broadband) plans from across 233 countries in order to compare the cost of a 1GB (GigaByte) data allowance, which found that the United Kingdom has improved its rank from 78th in 2021 to 59th in 2022, with an average price of USD $0.79 per GB (down from $1.42).
By comparison, the United States (USA) once again came out of Cable.co.uk‘s annual study as “one of the most expensive nations on the planet for purchasing mobile data“, ranking it just 202nd in the world – reflecting an average 1GB cost of $5.62 (up from $3.33 last year). Meanwhile, the cheapest country continues to be Israel ($0.04 per GB) and the most expensive came out as Saint Helena ($41.06 per GB).
The results for the UK look good, but it should be noted that increasingly high data limits – particularly on 5G based mobile plans – are pushing the most expensive tariffs into the “unlimited data” category, whose price cannot be measured in a study such as this, which aims to compare the cost of 1GB.
As usual there is a significant catch to this study because, so far as we can tell, the average prices have not been weighted in order to reflect the often huge differences in Purchasing Power Parity (PPP) between countries. In other words, take these results with a big pinch of salt, although they may still be useful for understanding different markets.
The application of PPP is vitally important because there can be major differences between countries in terms of things like taxation, infrastructure standards or deployment costs and salaries etc. Put another way, you might well pay significantly less for 1GB of data in some countries, but that’s not always a balanced comparison as local people may not earn as much as those in the UK etc.
We should add that several countries are missing from this report due to either a lack of publicly available data or a lack of comparable data types.
The 2022 Average Cost per 1GB (Mobile Data) by Country
| Country | Avg. Price of 1GB (2022) | Avg. Price of 1GB (2021) |
| Israel | $0.04 | $0.05 |
| Italy | $0.12 | $0.27 |
| San Marino | $0.14 | $0.43 |
| Fiji | $0.15 | $0.19 |
| India | $0.17 | $0.68 |
| Kyrgyzstan | $0.17 | $0.15 |
| France | $0.23 | $0.41 |
| Moldova | $0.26 | $0.32 |
| Uruguay | $0.27 | $1.51 |
| Nepal | $0.27 | $0.61 |
| Sri Lanka | $0.27 | $0.38 |
| Bangladesh | $0.32 | $0.34 |
| Pakistan | $0.36 | $0.59 |
| Haiti | $0.37 | $0.85 |
| Uzbekistan | $0.37 | $0.60 |
| Kazakhstan | $0.37 | $0.59 |
| Thailand | $0.38 | $1.06 |
| Turkey | $0.39 | $0.63 |
| Bhutan | $0.39 | $0.83 |
| Monaco | $0.40 | $1.08 |
| Poland | $0.41 | $0.64 |
| China | $0.41 | $0.52 |
| Cambodia | $0.42 | $0.83 |
| Ukraine | $0.43 | $0.75 |
| Denmark | $0.43 | $0.79 |
| Romania | $0.45 | $1.18 |
| Malaysia | $0.45 | $0.89 |
| Indonesia | $0.46 | $0.42 |
| Algeria | $0.48 | $0.51 |
| Russian Federation | $0.48 | $0.29 |
| Colombia | $0.49 | $2.80 |
| Chile | $0.51 | $0.39 |
| Philippines | $0.52 | $1.77 |
| Australia | $0.57 | $0.70 |
| Spain | $0.60 | $1.24 |
| Montenegro | $0.60 | $2.12 |
| Vietnam | $0.61 | $0.49 |
| Singapore | $0.61 | $1.09 |
| Libya | $0.61 | $0.74 |
| Ghana | $0.61 | $0.66 |
| Jordan | $0.63 | $1.41 |
| Somalia | $0.63 | $0.60 |
| Mongolia | $0.67 | $0.60 |
| Iraq | $0.68 | $1.14 |
| Morocco | $0.69 | $0.88 |
| Réunion | $0.70 | $0.76 |
| Nicaragua | $0.70 | $0.94 |
| Nigeria | $0.71 | $0.88 |
| Kuwait | $0.71 | $0.81 |
| Tanzania | $0.71 | $0.75 |
| Western Sahara | $0.72 | $0.88 |
| French Polynesia | $0.74 | $4.20 |
| Taiwan | $0.74 | $5.67 |
| Brazil | $0.74 | $0.92 |
| Sudan | $0.75 | $0.27 |
| Serbia | $0.76 | $1.30 |
| Honduras | $0.76 | $1.56 |
| Belarus | $0.79 | $0.43 |
| United Kingdom | $0.79 | $1.42 |
| Eswatini | $0.84 | $2.24 |
| Kenya | $0.84 | $2.25 |
| Mauritius | $0.87 | $0.75 |
| Bulgaria | $0.90 | $2.26 |
| Afghanistan | $0.90 | $1.02 |
| Armenia | $0.91 | $0.76 |
| Macedonia | $0.92 | $0.96 |
| Egypt | $0.93 | $1.04 |
| Samoa | $0.94 | $0.56 |
| Dominican Republic | $0.94 | $1.51 |
| Austria | $0.94 | $1.17 |
| Trinidad and Tobago | $0.98 | $1.90 |
| Lao People’s Democratic Republic | $0.99 | $3.19 |
| Ethiopia | $1.00 | $1.71 |
| Ecuador | $1.00 | $1.06 |
| Iceland | $1.01 | $1.23 |
| Peru | $1.01 | $1.15 |
| Georgia | $1.03 | $1.80 |
| Congo | $1.03 | $2.88 |
| Comoros | $1.08 | $3.21 |
| Paraguay | $1.08 | $2.53 |
| Rwanda | $1.10 | $1.25 |
| Guadeloupe | $1.10 | $0.89 |
| Myanmar | $1.11 | $0.78 |
| Djibouti | $1.12 | $1.12 |
| Macau | $1.13 | $1.93 |
| Dominica | $1.14 | $1.76 |
| Bahrain | $1.17 | $2.12 |
| Lithuania | $1.17 | $1.38 |
| Jersey | $1.18 | $1.32 |
| Tonga | $1.19 | $1.28 |
| Kosovo | $1.20 | NO PACKAGES |
| Estonia | $1.20 | $1.39 |
| Tunisia | $1.21 | $1.09 |
| Jamaica | $1.21 | $2.74 |
| Mayotte | $1.23 | $0.82 |
| Hong Kong | $1.25 | $2.30 |
| Gibraltar | $1.26 | $2.78 |
| Sierra Leone | $1.26 | $3.26 |
| El Salvador | $1.27 | $1.33 |
| Hungary | $1.27 | $1.70 |
| Guatemala | $1.28 | $1.94 |
| Iran | $1.31 | $1.52 |
| Uganda | $1.32 | $1.56 |
| Martinique | $1.33 | $3.46 |
| Mozambique | $1.33 | $2.79 |
| Zambia | $1.36 | $1.13 |
| Guernsey | $1.43 | $1.46 |
| Argentina | $1.48 | $2.38 |
| French Guiana | $1.50 | $1.58 |
| Madagascar | $1.52 | $5.14 |
| Saudi Arabia | $1.52 | $1.47 |
| Senegal | $1.53 | $0.94 |
| Guinea-Bissau | $1.53 | $4.41 |
| Cameroon | $1.53 | $0.90 |
| Saint Barthélemy (St. Barts) | $1.55 | $2.36 |
| Ireland | $1.58 | $1.42 |
| Slovenia | $1.62 | $1.72 |
| Palau | $1.67 | $1.67 |
| Vanuatu | $1.70 | $6.06 |
| Brunei Darussalam | $1.70 | $2.23 |
| Guinea | $1.74 | $1.99 |
| Azerbaijan | $1.76 | $1.82 |
| Suriname | $1.78 | $1.94 |
| Croatia | $1.84 | $2.35 |
| Niger | $1.85 | $1.28 |
| Saint Kitts and Nevis | $1.85 | $3.70 |
| Burundi | $1.86 | $2.10 |
| Sweden | $1.88 | $1.45 |
| The Netherlands | $1.90 | $3.11 |
| Puerto Rico | $1.93 | $4.00 |
| Tajikistan | $1.94 | $2.60 |
| Faroe Islands | $1.96 | $2.64 |
| Guam | $2.00 | $2.14 |
| Luxembourg | $2.00 | $3.00 |
| South Africa | $2.04 | $2.67 |
| Palestine, State of | $2.05 | $1.71 |
| Timor-Leste | $2.16 | $1.67 |
| Costa Rica | $2.17 | $2.36 |
| Lesotho | $2.20 | $2.66 |
| Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | $2.22 | $2.41 |
| Grenada | $2.22 | $2.44 |
| Venezuela | $2.22 | NO PACKAGES |
| Bolivia | $2.23 | $2.18 |
| Benin | $2.27 | $3.61 |
| Maldives | $2.30 | $3.24 |
| Angola | $2.33 | $1.61 |
| Northern Mariana Islands | $2.33 | $2.15 |
| American Samoa | $2.33 | $2.00 |
| Malawi | $2.42 | $25.46 |
| Saint-Martin (France) | $2.49 | $3.46 |
| South Sudan | $2.51 | NO PACKAGES |
| Montserrat | $2.59 | $4.01 |
| Slovakia | $2.60 | $3.55 |
| Papua New Guinea | $2.61 | $2.26 |
| Liberia | $2.63 | $2.59 |
| Germany | $2.67 | $3.38 |
| Albania | $2.69 | $2.80 |
| Saint Lucia | $2.71 | $2.62 |
| Cook Islands | $2.72 | $3.50 |
| Mauritania | $2.74 | $5.56 |
| St. Pierre and Miquelon | $2.75 | NO PACKAGES |
| Mali | $2.76 | $3.28 |
| Bosnia and Herzegovina | $2.82 | $2.39 |
| Mexico | $2.89 | $3.62 |
| Oman | $2.92 | $2.12 |
| Belize | $2.96 | $2.97 |
| Malta | $2.97 | $2.01 |
| Panama | $2.98 | $4.49 |
| Lebanon | $3.00 | $4.81 |
| Latvia | $3.00 | $3.49 |
| Belgium | $3.00 | $5.28 |
| Czech Republic | $3.01 | $8.15 |
| Côte d’Ivoire | $3.06 | $2.58 |
| Cuba | $3.10 | $7.50 |
| Cocos (Keeling) Islands | $3.19 | $13.47 |
| Sint Maarten | $3.20 | $4.17 |
| Greenland | $3.36 | $3.97 |
| Kiribati | $3.36 | $9.94 |
| Anguilla | $3.39 | $3.85 |
| Portugal | $3.67 | $3.85 |
| Burkina Faso | $3.83 | $4.52 |
| Japan | $3.85 | $3.38 |
| Gabon | $3.95 | $4.82 |
| Antigua and Barbuda | $4.04 | $4.44 |
| Liechtenstein | $4.04 | $3.10 |
| United Arab Emirates | $4.29 | $7.62 |
| Cape Verde | $4.30 | $4.78 |
| Norway | $4.44 | $5.81 |
| Guyana | $4.47 | $5.25 |
| Virgin Islands (U.S.) | $4.56 | $2.00 |
| Gambia | $4.60 | $5.86 |
| British Indian Ocean Territory | $5.00 | $7.50 |
| Bermuda | $5.00 | $19.80 |
| Chad | $5.10 | $23.33 |
| New Caledonia | $5.18 | $6.49 |
| Aruba | $5.25 | $4.44 |
| Greece | $5.30 | $8.16 |
| Cyprus | $5.34 | $8.84 |
| Nauru | $5.36 | $7.62 |
| Bahamas | $5.46 | $5.98 |
| United States | $5.62 | $3.33 |
| Åland Islands | $5.72 | $2.75 |
| Canada | $5.94 | $5.72 |
| Finland | $6.01 | $0.97 |
| Caribbean Netherlands | $6.15 | $10.94 |
| Andorra | $6.34 | $7.49 |
| Curaçao | $6.51 | $6.47 |
| Micronesia (Federated States of) | $6.64 | $7.85 |
| New Zealand | $6.72 | $6.99 |
| Solomon Islands | $6.74 | $7.83 |
| Barbados | $6.76 | $6.79 |
| Qatar | $6.87 | $3.20 |
| Virgin Islands (British) | $6.88 | $9.54 |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | $7.00 | $8.00 |
| Switzerland | $7.37 | $5.24 |
| Tuvalu | $7.47 | $6.35 |
| Syria | $8.57 | $7.15 |
| Central African Republic | $8.93 | $9.03 |
| Equatorial Guinea | $9.57 | $49.67 |
| Cayman Islands | $10.43 | $11.97 |
| Namibia | $10.52 | $22.37 |
| Isle of Man | $12.13 | $1.80 |
| South Korea | $12.55 | $4.72 |
| Seychelles | $12.66 | $8.64 |
| Togo | $12.94 | $4.69 |
| Turkmenistan | $14.27 | $21.41 |
| Botswana | $15.55 | $3.92 |
| Yemen | $16.58 | $15.98 |
| Tokelau | $17.88 | $20.48 |
| São Tomé and Príncipe | $29.49 | $30.97 |
| Falkland Islands | $38.45 | $44.56 |
| Saint Helena | $41.06 | $39.87 |
Mark is a professional technology writer, IT consultant and computer engineer from Dorset (England), he also founded ISPreview in 1999 and enjoys analysing the latest telecoms and broadband developments. Find me on X (Twitter), Mastodon, Facebook and Linkedin.
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All seems somewhat arbitrary, look at Equatorial Guinea for example $9.57 and $49.67 different prices, small market and could have been something as simple as one package change from one provider. I pay higher per gb mobile as I don’t need the data on the go so my allowance is less but it’s a better deal than the higher allowance deals. I’m not really sure of the point of this work from cable.co.uk.
1GB plans seems strangely expensive here, I guess there’s just a minimum price below which it’s no longer profitable to serve a customer.
Three 1GB = £8
Three 8GB = £10 (80p per GB)
Three 100GB = £16 (16p per GB)
I think data is actually very cheap here, doubling your spend gets you 100x more.
The minimum cost probably reflects that many vendor platforms charge a license fee per subscriber, e.g. voicemail, home location registers, messaging, etc. The cost of providing data allowances on top is probably relatively cheap after the licenses are covered.
Kind-of pointless – those numbers for South Korea are absurd.
[100GB, Three £10. Work line – Unlimited Max with global roaming, Vodafone, £17.66]
It’s sad that we are wasting so much money on cellular data network infrastructure when our FTTC copper networks are on their last legs.
Full fibre should be the main focus. 4G is good enough for most users and covers a far greater range than 5G.
Range is determined by the frequency it’s deployed on not 4G/5G itself, once 5G 700Mhz is rolled out the range will technically be better than 4G 800Mhz.
they’re complimentary. FTTH means it’s cheaper to build out coverage, especially to not spots where they can bolt a radio to a lamp post or telegraph pole and plug it into existing fibre and power.
What makes you think FTTH isn’t being rolled out quickly? you can’t claim BT are diverting resources into EE’s 5G instead of Openreach’s FTTH, for example.
It’s private companies doing what they want. Three is obviously going to invest in 5G. CityFibre is obviously going to invest in FTTP.
Because they’re private companies they can do this in parallel and even benefit eachother. CityFibre supplies some backhaul for cellular service.
Shame that we can’t hold the same position for Diesel (7th Highest prices in the world) and Electricity (3rd highest in the world)