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Mobile Broadband Pricing

Data for Q4 2018

Price in GNI
Price (USD) as a % of Average Income
100MB 500MB 1GB 2GB 5GB 10GB
Countries USD USD USD USD USD USD
Afghanistan 0.66 1.98 1.98 2.64 6.61 13.21
Algeria 6.73 6.73 6.73 12.61 16.81 16.81
Angola 3.26 6.52 13.04 26.08 65.19 81.49
Argentina 12.15 12.15 12.15 12.15 12.15 15.39
Bangladesh 0.66 1.87 2.88 4.23 7.65 14.54
Belize 17.11 17.11 17.11 17.11 17.11 34.22
Benin 1.74 3.48 5.22 6.96 7.83 11.83
Bolivia 1.28 2.84 5.68 7.10 19.89 28.13
Botswana 5.59 8.84 8.84 13.50 31.99 62.25
Brazil 5.25 5.25 5.25 5.25 13.11 20.80
Burkina Faso 2.26 5.52 7.52 11.58 17.55 33.35
Burundi 0.55 2.21 3.22 3.56 8.54 16.60
Cambodia 1.00 1.00 2.00 2.50 4.50 8.50
Cameroon 1.48 2.96 3.48 5.22 8.70 17.40
Cape Verde 5.17 5.17 5.17 5.17 5.17 10.34
Central African Republic 7.46 7.46 9.20 13.80 26.10 43.50
Chad 5.22 10.44 12.18 18.64 20.88 41.76
China 9.83 9.83 9.83 9.83 12.72 12.72
Colombia 9.39 9.39 12.52 13.08 32.70 65.41
Comoros 6.08 6.08 6.08 9.26 17.37 23.16
Congo Brazzaville 3.73 4.60 8.87 17.40 31.32 43.50
Costa Rica 6.58 6.58 6.58 6.58 19.73 32.88
Cote d’Ivoire 3.51 3.51 7.02 8.78 17.55 26.33
Cuba 6.87 6.87 9.81 19.62 39.24 78.48
D.R. Congo 8.57 8.57 12.57 20.00 40.00 52.86
Dominican Republic 7.91 7.91 7.91 12.70 16.60 16.60
Ecuador 10.00 10.00 10.00 10.00 25.00 50.00
Egypt 0.28 0.56 1.12 2.23 4.47 8.37
El Salvador 15.00 15.00 15.00 15.00 25.00 35.00
Equatorial Guinea 26.10 29.58 34.80 69.59 139.19 278.38
Ethiopia 1.96 1.96 3.56 6.76 15.05 24.91
Fiji 12.01 12.01 12.01 12.01 12.01 14.04
Gabon 5.22 5.22 6.96 10.44 26.10 26.10
Gambia 0.81 2.95 5.08 10.06 19.71 26.41
Georgia 1.12 1.12 1.86 2.60 5.58 11.15
Ghana 0.88 4.10 4.10 8.19 16.38 24.57
Guatemala 12.61 12.61 12.61 12.61 19.10 38.20
Guinea 4.75 4.75 4.75 6.48 9.81 16.34
Guinea-Bissau 5.22 7.46 12.68 17.40 17.40 26.10
Guyana 2.14 5.57 7.89 15.79 35.29 52.93
Haiti 2.45 2.45 2.45 2.45 3.67 6.12
Honduras 18.86 18.86 18.86 22.40 28.29 49.85
India 0.42 0.49 0.73 1.41 2.81 2.96
Indonesia 2.30 2.30 2.30 2.30 6.89 11.49
Iran 1.66 1.66 1.66 3.32 5.29 7.62
Jamaica 1.48 3.05 5.90 9.07 20.73 23.09
Jordan 4.08 5.71 8.15 11.05 11.05 11.41
Kazakhstan 2.13 2.13 2.13 2.13 4.28 8.56
Kenya 2.08 2.57 4.86 4.86 9.72 19.45
Kyrgyzstan 3.08 3.08 3.08 3.08 3.80 6.07
Laos 1.18 2.35 4.71 5.04 5.04 7.06
Lebanon 11.10 11.10 21.09 28.86 28.86 36.63
Lesotho 2.52 4.80 4.80 7.05 17.87 28.03
Liberia 1.15 4.60 5.75 11.50 23.00 27.60
Libya 3.03 7.28 11.22 11.32 17.70 17.70
Madagascar 2.86 3.67 6.24 7.14 18.86 35.69
Malawi 1.79 3.57 4.86 6.95 14.59 21.54
Malaysia 7.19 7.19 7.19 7.19 7.19 7.19
Mali 3.48 3.48 6.96 8.70 17.40 34.80
Mauritius 5.94 5.94 5.94 8.46 14.12 28.25
Mexico 8.11 8.11 8.11 8.11 15.14 25.23
Mongolia 6.42 6.42 6.42 6.42 11.66 11.66
Morocco 5.28 5.28 5.28 5.28 5.28 10.56
Mozambique 0.49 1.30 2.52 4.32 8.17 16.35
Myanmar 0.39 0.53 0.66 1.32 3.29 6.59
Namibia 3.13 10.75 11.02 11.02 13.59 26.45
Nepal 1.26 2.91 4.85 9.71 17.47 27.18
Nicaragua 9.20 9.20 9.20 11.50 24.57 48.17
Niger 3.48 3.48 3.48 6.96 12.68 17.40
Nigeria 2.74 2.74 2.74 5.48 9.59 13.70
Pakistan 1.30 1.30 1.30 1.30 2.60 5.09
Papua New Guinea 22.63 22.63 22.63 22.63 38.13 67.46
Paraguay 12.82 12.82 12.82 12.82 17.09 17.09
Peru 8.92 8.92 8.92 8.92 8.92 17.25
Philippines 4.23 4.23 5.62 9.40 9.40 9.40
Rwanda 2.80 2.80 2.80 3.36 5.59 11.18
Senegal 2.61 3.48 3.48 3.48 6.96 13.92
Sierra Leone 2.75 5.50 10.99 14.34 23.89 43.01
Solomon Islands 22.59 22.59 22.59 22.59 32.63 62.76
Somalia 15.00 15.00 15.00 30.00 60.00 120.00
South Africa 2.03 6.92 10.41 14.82 27.88 41.86
South Sudan 1.11 2.99 5.53 11.06 21.46 42.27
Sri Lanka 0.51 0.51 0.77 1.12 2.52 5.04
Sudan 1.20 1.20 1.20 1.74 4.13 5.90
Suriname 20.23 20.23 20.23 20.23 20.23 22.93
Tajikistan 1.58 3.68 3.68 7.37 14.73 25.26
Tanzania 2.18 2.18 4.37 5.62 11.54 15.29
Thailand 6.06 6.06 6.06 7.28 14.86 29.72
Timor-Leste 4.29 4.29 5.29 7.50 17.00 30.00
Togo 5.22 5.22 7.83 9.70 14.79 29.58
Trinidad and Tobago 29.23 29.23 29.23 36.54 73.07 146.14
Tunisia 3.61 3.61 3.61 3.61 5.16 8.60
Turkey 4.55 4.55 4.55 5.46 9.11 13.66
Uganda 1.48 2.29 4.04 5.38 9.15 13.46
Ukraine 2.70 2.70 2.70 2.70 3.60 7.20
Uzbekistan 1.08 3.02 3.02 4.97 12.12 16.63
Vietnam 2.15 2.15 2.15 2.15 3.87 7.74
Zambia 4.20 4.20 4.20 8.41 8.41 16.81
Zimbabwe 3.00 12.86 15.00 20.00 30.00 40.00

Methods and Sources

The above figures are based on International Telecommunication Union (ITU) methodology to determine the cheapest handset-based mobile prepaid broadband plan per country. That is, the cheapest plan(s) providing at least 1GB of broadband data over a 30-day period from the largest mobile network operator in each country. The pricing data was collected by A4AI for the last quarter (Oct-Dec) of 2018.

Gross National Income (GNI) per capita data is from the World Bank, 2017. No GNI data was available for Somalia, South Sudan, Equatorial Guinea and Cuba.

The exchange rates are for Q4 2018 and based on quarter averages from Google Finance and OANDA.com.

In some countries, smaller data bundles (e.g., 100MB) are not available and instead we identify the cheapest option to purchase that bundle. This may lead to the same price for several bundles. For example, in Argentina 100MB plans are not available from the largest operator, and so purchasing just 100MB of data would cost the same as purchasing 1GB.

For the Central African Republic, Somalia, Solomon Islands and Equatorial Guinea the prices of the second largest operator were taken since the website of the largest operator did not display enough information.