What is the Average Mobile Phone Bill Per Month?

What is the average phone bill in Australia?

According to Canstar research, the average phone bill in Australia in 2026 is around $47 per month, which is across all plan types (prepaid, postpaid and phone-on-a-plan).

What is the average prepaid phone bill per month?

In 2026, the average phone bill per month in Australia for prepaid is around $30 per month, which works out to be around $360 each year. This shows a price increase of $5 per month, compared to 2025.

The following table shows the average monthly cost for prepaid mobile plans in Australia over the years.

Canstar research from 2021 to 2026. Costs are rounded to the nearest dollar.

The same research report, which formed part of Canstar’s Most Satisfied Customers award for prepaid providers, found that in terms of data inclusions, 23% of respondents have 20GB to 49.99GB of data, 15% have 10GB to 19.99GB of data included, 15% have 100GB+ and 7% have 5GB to 9.99GB data included per recharge. However, 16% of those surveyed 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.

What is the average phone SIM-only postpaid bill per month?

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 cost for SIM-only postpaid plans was around $47 per month, which works out to be $564 per year. This is an increase from the average price in 2025 of $44 per month.

The following table shows the average monthly cost for SIM-only postpaid mobile plans in Australia over the years.

Canstar research from 2021 to 2026. Costs are rounded to the nearest dollar.

From the research conducted as part of Canstar’s Most Satisfied Customers award for SIM-only postpaid providers, of those surveyed, 21% had 20GB to 49.99GB of data, 15% had 50GB to 99.99GB included data, 10% had 100GB+ data, while 10% had 10GB to 19.99GB of data included per month. 17% were unsure how much data they had on their plan.

What is the average phone-on-a-plan bill per month?

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. The average cost for a phone-on-a-plan in 2026 was around $75 per month, which works out to be around $900 each year.

You can see the average cost of phone-on-a-plan services over the years in the below table.

Canstar research from 2021 to 2026. 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-$60 per month.

Canstar’s 2026 survey also found that phone on a plan users tended to have higher data inclusions. 21% of respondents had 50GB to 99.99GB of monthly data included in their plan, 19% had 100GB+ data, while 17% were unsure how much data they had.

Just 37% of survey respondents said they could comfortably afford the monthly costs of their phone plan, which was slightly down from 38% in 2025, but 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 of 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.

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. This is because 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. These 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 services and even device manufacturers that will buy your old smartphone.

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 value for money.