The average phone bill per month: Prepaid phone plans
In 2025, the average phone bill per month in Australia for prepaid is around $25 per month, which works out to be $300 each year — the same average price as in 2024 but down from $30 per month in 2023, $28 per month in 2022 and $29 per month in 2021.
Customers in Tasmania paid the most for their prepaid plan at around $28, followed by those in South Australia paying around $27 per month.
Average monthly cost | Average annual cost | |
|---|---|---|
Australia | $25 | $300 |
New South Wales | $25 | $300 |
Queensland | $25 | $300 |
South Australia | $27 | $324 |
Tasmania | $28 | $336 |
Victoria | $25 | $300 |
Western Australia | $25 | $300 |
Australian Capital Territory | $26 | $312 |
Canstar Blue research finalised in June 2025, published in July 2025. Costs are rounded to the nearest dollar.
The same research report found that in terms of data inclusions, 20% of respondents have 20GB to 49.99GB of data, 17% have 10GB to 19.99GB of data included, 13% had 100GB+ and 10% have 5GB to 9.99GB data included per recharge. 6% claim to have unlimited data and 14% are unsure of their data inclusions.
Keep in mind with prepaid that plans run on different expiry periods — usually 28 or 30 days. There are also short-term plans such as seven days, or long-term plans that can run over 12 months.
The average phone bill per month: Postpaid phone plans
Typically customers who choose a SIM-only postpaid plan tend to pay more for their phone bill per month, on average, than those with a prepaid plan. The average postpaid phone plan in Australia is around $44 per month — that’s $528 per year — up from $42 per month in 2024, $41 per month in 2023, $37 per month in 2022 and $35 per month in 2021.
Customers in the ACT, South Australia and Tasmania are paying less than the average each month for postpaid, while those in WA and NSW are paying more.
Average monthly cost | Average annual cost | |
|---|---|---|
Australia | $44 | $528 |
New South Wales | $45 | $540 |
Queensland | $44 | $528 |
South Australia | $43 | $516 |
Tasmania | $43 | $516 |
Victoria | $44 | $528 |
Western Australia | $45 | $540 |
Australian Capital Territory | $43 | $516 |
Canstar Blue research finalised in June 2025, published in July 2025. Costs are rounded to the nearest dollar.
Of those surveyed, 20% had 20GB to 49.99GB of data, 15% had 50GB to 99.99GB included data, 12% had 100GB+ data, while 9% had 10GB to 19.99GB of data included per month. 15% were unsure how much data they had on their plan.
The average phone bill per month: Phone on a plan
The average bill for customers on a bundled phone plan is much more expensive than for SIM-only plans, as you’re paying for both your mobile service and the price of your phone on the one bill. On average, customers with a phone on a plan pay $82 per month, or $984 per year. This is up from $78 per month in 2024, which was down from the average of $90 per month in 2023, $87 per month in 2022 and $81 per month in 2021.
Customers in Western Australia pay the most on average for their plan, while those in Tasmania pay the least.
Average monthly cost | Average annual cost | |
|---|---|---|
Australia | $82 | $984 |
New South Wales | $80 | $960 |
Queensland | $84 | $1,008 |
South Australia | $83 | $996 |
Tasmania | $78 | $936 |
Victoria | $79 | $948 |
Western Australia | $85 | $1,020 |
Canstar Blue research finalised in June 2025, published in July 2025. Costs are rounded to the nearest dollar.
These costs are hardly surprising, as the most premium smartphones can easily add $50 or more to your bill each month. There are also only a small number of telcos offering phones on plans, so your choices are generally limited to Telstra, Optus or Vodafone. These three telcos tend to be pricier than smaller competitors, with postpaid plans beginning at around $50 per month.
Canstar Blue’s 2025 survey also found that phone on a plan users tended to have higher data inclusions. 22% of respondents had 50GB to 99.99GB of monthly data included in their plan, while 19% had 20GB to 49.99GB of data included, 17% had 100GB+ data, while 15% were unsure how much data they had. However, just 38% of survey respondents said they could comfortably afford the monthly costs of their phone plan, but this was up from 36% in our 2024 survey.
Am I paying too much for my phone bill?
If you’ve seen any of the above averages and worried that you’re paying too much for your phone bill, there’s a lot to consider when it comes to choosing a phone plan. If you’re currently happy with your plan’s price, inclusions and service, you might be happy to stick with the same plan, or look at similar plans from other providers to see if you can get a better deal.
Otherwise if you feel like you are paying too much for your phone bill and want to switch plans, you’ll need to compare plans from a range of telcos. Remember that before you sign up to a plan, you should check the information and details of that plan so you’re aware of any fees, setup costs or surprise charges.
How can I save money on my phone bill?
Many of the telcos raise their mobile plan prices each year, and if you’re in a household with several phone users, those costs can start to add up. If you’re looking for ways to save on your phone bill per month, here are some tips.
Switch phone plans
If you’ve been on the same SIM-only prepaid or postpaid plan for a while (and maybe endured a couple price rises along the way), it may be time to compare phone plans and — if you find a plan that offers better value for money — make the switch.
It’s no secret that the big three telcos have some of the most expensive phone plans on the market, so switching to a smaller provider can help you save on your plan fees. If you’re happy to pay for your phone plan in advance, you might also find that a long expiry prepaid plan could offer better value, such as more data per month at a cheaper monthly price, compared to a shorter-term option
However if you have a phone on a plan, and haven’t paid off your device yet, you may need to wait until you’ve paid off your phone to switch to a cheaper plan, as cancelling your phone plan means that you’ll need to pay off your remaining device costs.
Check your data usage
If you have more data than you’re actually using, you might be able to save on your phone bill by switching to a plan with smaller data inclusions.
However, if you’re using more data than your plan’s inclusions, you might be paying excess data fees, which can cost around $10 per 1GB of extra data you use each month. If you’re regularly going over your data allowance, you might be better off switching to a plan with more gigabytes.
Bundle your plans and services
Some telcos offer discounts if you have more than one phone plan or other service (such as an internet plan), on the same account. Some telcos also offer other services, such as electricity, and many utilities providers offer discounts for bundling services. However you’ll still want to compare prices to ensure the discounted service is offering real value for money.
Skip the extra add ons
When you sign up for a new phone plan with a new smartphone, you might be offered a whole bunch of optional extras, such as voice-to-text, phone insurance or optional accessories to add on, which can add on a significant amount to your monthly phone bill.
Phone insurance is often one of those extras that can catch you out. Signing up might sound like a good idea at the time, but unless you’re particularly clumsy or prone to losing your phone, it can be a waste of money. Many of the things that go wrong with your phone (through no fault of your own) might actually be covered by the phone manufacturer’s warranty.
Some telcos might also offer the option to add on accessories, such as phone cases, which are often included on your phone bill as additional monthly instalments. These accessories may be cheaper to buy outright from retailers.
Trade in your old handset
If you are looking to upgrade your phone, take a look at what your telco is offering for a trade-in of your old handset. Sometimes a telco will offer some incentive — whether it’s cash, credit or a discount — if you upgrade your phone while trading in your old one. There are also other mobile trade-in companies and even device manufacturers, which buy old devices.
Look for discounts or other offers
Some telcos will offer discounts on plan fees for new customers that sign up, whether it’s a discount on your first bill or recharge, or over a longer period. However, you’ll need to look out for any terms or conditions, such as how long you need to stay connected to the plan. It’s also important to look at the plan’s price after the discount ends to ensure you’re still getting the right value for money plan for your needs.
