UK Ranks 5th out of 179 Countries for Mobile Data Affordability
Comparison site Broadband Genie has today published a new 2024 Mobile Data Affordability Index, which explores the global landscape of mobile data (mobile broadband) pricing and affordability. Overall, the United Kingdom was found to rank 5th most affordable for mobile data out of 179 countries, putting it ahead of “global powerhouses” such as Germany (13th), Italy (20th), the USA (35th) and China (51st).
The study itself produced its results by comparing the average cost of a monthly mobile phone plan with 10GB+ of data against average wages from 70,806 people to determine the mobile data affordability rating for 179 countries worldwide. Worldwide, people were found to spend 4.09% of their salary on a mobile phone plan with 10GB+ of data.
The average spend on a mobile phone plan with 10GB+ of data is USD 24.20 (£19.19). Singapore was found to have the most affordable mobile data in the world (0.35% of salary and an average plan cost of USD 17.13), while Guinea has the least affordable data in the world (56.29% and USD 115.58).
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In the United Kingdom, a similar mobile phone contract typically costs £12.19, which is said to be equivalent to 0.52% of an average wage (£2,337.74). Overall, European and Asian countries take up the majority of places in the top 20, not least since these continents have a greater purchasing power because of higher wages and reasonable tariff prices.
| Rank | Country | Mobile data cost (USD) | Mobile data as % of salary |
| 1 | Singapore | 17.13 | 0.35 |
| 2 | Luxembourg | 21.16 | 0.4 |
| 3 | Israel | 12.2 | 0.47 |
| 4 | Iceland | 23.52 | 0.51 |
| 5 | United Kingdom | 15.38 | 0.52 |
| 6 | Hong Kong | 19.72 | 0.55 |
| 7 | Denmark | 19.84 | 0.55 |
| 8 | Liechtenstein | 34.39 | 0.55 |
| 9 | Monaco | 47.62 | 0.61 |
| 10 | Poland | 8.71 | 0.64 |
| 11 | India | 3.81 | 0.65 |
| 12 | Ireland | 22.19 | 0.7 |
| 13 | Germany | 21.66 | 0.72 |
| 14 | Netherlands | 24.9 | 0.72 |
| 15 | Slovenia | 10.74 | 0.73 |
| 16 | Kuwait | 21.45 | 0.74 |
| 17 | San Marino | 21.64 | 0.76 |
| 18 | Lesotho | 5.83 | 0.81 |
| 19 | Honduras | 4.66 | 0.82 |
| 20 | Italy | 14.29 | 0.84 |
| 21 | Iran | 2.24 | 0.84 |
| 22 | Austria | 21.85 | 0.84 |
| 23 | Australia | 28.75 | 0.85 |
| 24 | Belgium | 22.46 | 0.86 |
| 25 | Switzerland | 59.82 | 0.9 |
| 26 | Russia | 5.38 | 0.94 |
| 27 | Romania | 7.83 | 0.95 |
| 28 | Finland | 28.88 | 1 |
| 29 | Sweden | 28.17 | 1.04 |
| 30 | Spain | 20.38 | 1.06 |
| 31 | Malaysia | 8.76 | 1.08 |
| 32 | Andorra | 28.2 | 1.08 |
| 33 | Liberia | 22.5 | 1.11 |
| 34 | Lithuania | 14.59 | 1.12 |
| 35 | United States | 52.74 | 1.13 |
| 36 | Indonesia | 3.69 | 1.16 |
| 37 | Cyprus | 21.18 | 1.17 |
| 38 | Qatar | 47.47 | 1.17 |
| 39 | Turkey | 7.2 | 1.18 |
| 40 | Fiji | 13.42 | 1.18 |
| 41 | Japan | 26.73 | 1.18 |
| 42 | Brunei | 21.55 | 1.19 |
| 43 | Uzbekistan | 4.36 | 1.2 |
| 44 | France | 30.98 | 1.24 |
| 45 | Bahrain | 27.41 | 1.27 |
| 46 | Norway | 43.83 | 1.29 |
| 47 | Estonia | 20.73 | 1.29 |
| 48 | Vietnam | 5.92 | 1.32 |
| 49 | New Zealand | 38.82 | 1.33 |
| 50 | Timor-Leste | 30 | 1.35 |
| 51 | China | 13.39 | 1.38 |
| 52 | Ukraine | 5.72 | 1.42 |
| 53 | Guatemala | 19.2 | 1.43 |
| 54 | Somalia | 5 | 1.47 |
| 55 | Armenia | 8.91 | 1.47 |
| 56 | Sierra Leone | 25 | 1.49 |
| 57 | Uruguay | 16.41 | 1.51 |
| 58 | Moldova | 7.96 | 1.53 |
| 59 | Grenada | 18.5 | 1.58 |
| 60 | Latvia | 18.29 | 1.61 |
| 61 | Belarus | 7.77 | 1.61 |
| 62 | Canada | 48.04 | 1.65 |
| 63 | Kazakhstan | 9.79 | 1.68 |
| 64 | Taiwan | 28.18 | 1.68 |
| 65 | Burundi | 10 | 1.68 |
| 66 | Saudi Arabia | 35.8 | 1.7 |
| 67 | Malta | 27.16 | 1.7 |
| 68 | Croatia | 21.22 | 1.78 |
| 69 | United Arab Emirates | 61.53 | 1.8 |
| 70 | Chile | 11.89 | 1.82 |
| 71 | Portugal | 20.79 | 1.85 |
| 72 | Czech Republic | 28.76 | 1.86 |
| 73 | Bulgaria | 16.46 | 1.87 |
| 74 | Namibia | 13.66 | 1.9 |
| 75 | South Korea | 47.44 | 1.96 |
| 76 | Georgia | 10.01 | 2.04 |
| 77 | Mongolia | 7.43 | 2.11 |
| 78 | Cambodia | 5.94 | 2.13 |
| 79 | Oman | 45.69 | 2.15 |
| 80 | Palestine | 14.31 | 2.2 |
| 81 | Pakistan | 3.91 | 2.22 |
| 82 | Senegal | 9.07 | 2.24 |
| 83 | Nepal | 4.92 | 2.3 |
| 84 | Serbia | 15.76 | 2.3 |
| 85 | Greece | 22.8 | 2.35 |
| 86 | Djibouti | 36.55 | 2.36 |
| 87 | Bangladesh | 5.91 | 2.4 |
| 88 | Ecuador | 12.47 | 2.42 |
| 89 | South Africa | 31.18 | 2.43 |
| 90 | Kyrgyzstan | 7.61 | 2.43 |
| 91 | Jordan | 15.36 | 2.45 |
| 92 | Montenegro | 19.76 | 2.45 |
| 93 | Colombia | 9.17 | 2.46 |
| 94 | Solomon Islands | 13.07 | 2.53 |
| 95 | Morocco | 9.92 | 2.54 |
| 96 | Sri Lanka | 4.84 | 2.55 |
| 97 | Costa Rica | 22.89 | 2.58 |
| 98 | Thailand | 14.01 | 2.59 |
| 99 | Tonga | 21.14 | 2.66 |
| 100 | Hungary | 26.49 | 2.81 |
| 101 | Bosnia And Herzegovina | 18.25 | 2.82 |
| 102 | Antigua and Barbuda | 39.59 | 2.83 |
| 103 | Marshall Islands | 50 | 2.86 |
| 104 | Slovakia | 34.43 | 2.89 |
| 105 | Albania | 16.12 | 2.9 |
| 106 | Peru | 11.38 | 2.97 |
| 107 | Puerto Rico | 70 | 3.07 |
| 108 | Jamaica | 19.62 | 3.09 |
| 109 | Yemen | 11.5 | 3.12 |
| 110 | Libya | 9.27 | 3.2 |
| 111 | Mexico | 24.91 | 3.26 |
| 112 | Tunisia | 9.75 | 3.28 |
| 113 | Democratic Republic of the Congo | 18.75 | 3.31 |
| 114 | Azerbaijan | 12.89 | 3.32 |
| 115 | North Macedonia | 17.39 | 3.38 |
| 116 | Vanuatu | 25.27 | 3.46 |
| 117 | Rwanda | 9.2 | 3.48 |
| 118 | Kenya | 11.49 | 3.5 |
| 119 | Mauritius | 20.08 | 3.54 |
| 120 | Botswana | 26.06 | 3.67 |
| 121 | Mauritania | 24.98 | 3.71 |
| 122 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 42 | 3.78 |
| 123 | Panama | 30.19 | 3.79 |
| 124 | Algeria | 11.61 | 3.99 |
| 125 | Togo | 23.1 | 4.2 |
| 126 | El Salvador | 17.52 | 4.21 |
| 127 | Argentina | 17.86 | 4.23 |
| 128 | Brazil | 19.41 | 4.26 |
| 129 | Myanmar | 11.84 | 4.29 |
| 130 | Saint Vincent and the Grenadines | 37 | 4.3 |
| 131 | Bahamas | 71.49 | 4.31 |
| 132 | Iraq | 23.61 | 4.31 |
| 133 | Barbados | 50 | 4.39 |
| 134 | Dominican Republic | 18.24 | 4.62 |
| 135 | Zimbabwe | 16.3 | 4.76 |
| 136 | Tanzania | 11.9 | 4.81 |
| 137 | Sudan | 9.59 | 4.86 |
| 138 | Paraguay | 15.77 | 4.89 |
| 139 | Maldives | 48.3 | 4.89 |
| 140 | Comoros | 32.85 | 4.92 |
| 141 | Egypt | 9.03 | 5.05 |
| 142 | Belize | 49.65 | 5.16 |
| 143 | Nigeria | 5.71 | 5.25 |
| 144 | Trinidad and Tobago | 43.64 | 5.41 |
| 145 | Niger | 16.5 | 5.49 |
| 146 | Ethiopia | 11.57 | 5.56 |
| 147 | Ghana | 10.25 | 5.57 |
| 148 | Bolivia | 22.53 | 5.77 |
| 149 | Palau | 58.25 | 5.83 |
| 150 | Seychelles | 43.27 | 5.86 |
| 151 | Nicaragua | 16.19 | 6.43 |
| 152 | Guyana | 27.88 | 6.48 |
| 153 | Venezuela | 13 | 6.69 |
| 154 | Eswatini | 33.15 | 6.72 |
| 155 | Uganda | 13.12 | 6.72 |
| 156 | Angola | 21.28 | 6.77 |
| 157 | Gabon | 33 | 6.98 |
| 158 | Laos | 40.19 | 7.18 |
| 159 | Mozambique | 19.24 | 7.23 |
| 160 | Chad | 24.75 | 7.5 |
| 161 | Afghanistan | 15.17 | 7.62 |
| 162 | Bhutan | 36.13 | 8.05 |
| 163 | Tajikistan | 13.77 | 8.09 |
| 164 | Gambia | 22.25 | 9.38 |
| 165 | Madagascar | 13.15 | 9.42 |
| 166 | Saint Lucia | 111.01 | 9.6 |
| 167 | Suriname | 25 | 9.68 |
| 168 | Dominica | 48.1 | 11.14 |
| 169 | Micronesia | 40 | 11.24 |
| 170 | Philippines | 41.46 | 11.42 |
| 171 | Lebanon | 57.66 | 13.72 |
| 172 | Benin | 41.33 | 14.56 |
| 173 | Cameroon | 24.75 | 15.39 |
| 174 | Cuba | 40 | 17.09 |
| 175 | Papua New Guinea | 62.81 | 21.81 |
| 176 | Syria | 9.91 | 22.11 |
| 177 | Ivory Coast | 41.25 | 23.2 |
| 178 | Zambia | 87.12 | 30.29 |
| 179 | Guinea | 115.58 | 56.29 |
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, BlueSky, Threads.net and Linkedin.
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This will be “fixed” as soon the Vodafone-Three merger is approved. Enjoy while it lasts.
If it’s anything like vodafones ata service in their routers. Very poor.
Pay peanuts, get monkeys
I can very rarely get a 5G signal in SW London. 4G is barely a Mbits on O2 / VM. Abysmal speeds. and they put my monthly sim only deal up by almost £2.
I concur that having fewer options available in the market leads to less competition and, consequently, we end up paying higher prices. However, one observation is that while the list you provided covers cost and cost in relation to income, it does not address the bandwidth or quality of the data.
What I mean is that I could have an unlimited data plan for a minimal cost, let’s say £1, but if the bandwidth is restricted or the network coverage is poor, then I am paying very little for unlimited data, but the quality is subpar because I cannot utilize it for any meaningful purpose. In such a scenario, despite the low cost, the service would be rendered practically unusable due to the inadequate bandwidth or lack of network availability.
The point I’m trying to make is that cost alone is not the sole determining factor; the quality of the service, which is directly influenced by factors like bandwidth and network coverage, plays a crucial role in ensuring a satisfactory user experience. An inexpensive but poorly performing service may not necessarily be a bargain if it fails to meet the user’s basic needs.
You make a very good point. I suppose this is not the purpose of this study/research but can be extrapolated and combined with a study that does look at data quality and reliability to make a more rounded report.
Exactly that. I pay Three £10 for a 120 GB monthly data allowance but I can barely use any of it as the 4G coverage here is an abomination.
During a recent power outage I tried to work by tethering the laptop to my phone but I couldn’t even load simple webpages.