Want Cheap Mobile Data? Move to Israel or Italy

How much do you pay for your phone plan? US residents looking to save on mobile data may want to consider a move to Israel, Italy, or Fiji.

According to a study conducted by Cable.co.uk(Opens in a new window), people in the US pay $5.62 per 1GB of data. North America has some of the most expensive mobile data in the world, for an average of $4.98 per 1GB, though Canada is slightly more expensive than the US at $5.94 per 1GB.

(Credit: Statista)

Cable.co.uk examined phone plans in 233 countries and finds that Israel has the most affordable mobile data at just $0.04 per GB. The report chalks this up to high smartphone penetration as well as robust competition from providers who “offer huge data allowances with extensive 4G LTE and 5G network coverage.”

It’s a similar story in Italy, where mobile data averages about $0.12 per GB. “A dozen or so popular providers in Italy collectively offer some of the cheapest data in the world. 5G is now available to around 95% of the population, alongside ubiquitous 4G,” Cable.co.uk says.

(Credit: Cable.co.uk)

Rounding out the top five countries with affordable mobile data are San Marino (where Italy maintains the infrastructure), Fiji, and India.

On a budget? Avoid Saint Helena ($41.06), the Falkland Islands ($38.45), São Tomé and Príncipe ($29.49), Tokelau ($17.88) and Yemen ($16.58).

“The similarities between these five nations are both striking and obvious,” Cable.co.uk notes. “Two of the five are located in Sub-Saharan Africa, and four of five are island nations. Sub-Saharan Africa is the second-most expensive region in the world for mobile data generally, while island nations also tend to be among the most expensive.”

South Korea, meanwhile, may be known for its lightning-fast internet, but mobile data there doesn’t come cheap at $12.55 per GB, the most expensive in Asia (excluding the Near East).

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