It’s no secret that the cost of living is increasing at every turn. Energy prices are soaring, interest rates are climbing, and now mobile phone bills are also on the rise.
Just this month, Telstra hiked its phone plan prices, while associated telcos Belong and Boost Mobile also raised costs (however Belong only increased the price of its cheapest plan). Optus has also recently contacted existing customers on legacy plans with the news that they would be bumped up to its current postpaid plan prices.
Whether you’ve just had your phone plan price jacked up, or you’re looking for some savings, there are plenty of telcos offering competitive prices. No matter if you’re after a prepaid plan, a postpaid plan, a cheaper plan, or a plan with lots of data, you can find a better deal by shopping around.
How much could you save by switching phone plans?
In some instances, remaining loyal to a telco which has bumped up its prices could be costing you in the long run.
“There are a lot of bells and whistles that come with plans from Telstra and Optus, but the downside is generally more expensive prices, even for long-term customers,” Canstar Blue Utilities Editor Tara Donnelly said. “So if you’re concerned about the spiralling cost of living, jumping to a cheaper telco can potentially save you hundreds each year.”
Sticking with Telstra’s Basic plan with 50GB data (which jumped from $58 to $62) adds an additional $48 to your phone plan costs each year. Looking at comparable plans, if you wanted to stick to the Telstra mobile network, plans from its mobile virtual network operators (MVNOs) Belong and Tangerine can save:
- Tangerine — save $27.10 per month ($325.20 per year) on the $34.90 per month plan with 42GB of data
- Belong — save $27 per month ($324 per year) on the $35 per month with 40GB of data
While it’s worth noting that the above mentioned Belong and Tangerine plans don’t include as much data as Telstra’s plan — and in the case of Tangerine’s plan, only includes a trial of 5G coverage — if you did want more data, you would still save a decent amount by switching to Belong’s $45 plan with 100GB of data. The same goes for Tangerine’s 5G plan, which is priced at $54.90 per month with 120GB of data.
If you’re an existing Optus customer, and will be bumped up from a legacy plan of $45 per month to $49 per month with 30GB of data, that’s also an extra $48 per year. Switching to a comparable plan from an Optus MVNO, such as Moose Mobile and Aussie Broadband can save:
- Moose Mobile — save $20 per month ($240 per year) on the $29 per month plan with 40GB of data
- Aussie Broadband — save $19 per month ($228 per year) on the $30 per month plan with 30GB of data
Keep in mind that the above mentioned Moose Mobile and Aussie Broadband plans don’t include 5G network access. Moose currently doesn’t offer 5G on any of its mobile plans, while Aussie Broadband’s cheapest 5G plan is $45 per month with 30GB of data.
“We know that there are still a lot of Australians unimpressed by plan inclusions such as 5G access or international calling, so if you’re happy to forgo these extras, you can easily cut down your phone bills by jumping to a more no-frills provider,” Ms Donnelly said.
Want to compare more phone plans? We’ve put together some tables with set data allowances or at certain price points in the below tables to help you compare a wider range of phone plans and providers. You can compare even more phone plans and providers by using our free mobile phone plan comparison tool.
Compare phone plans with 10GB of data or more
For many people, 10GB of data per month and upwards may offer enough mobile data for moderate data usage. So if you only need your mobile data a few times a week and generally for music streaming and social media browsing, these plans might have enough data for your needs.
Here is a selection of postpaid plans from Canstar Blue’s database with a minimum of 20GB of data, listed in order of standard cost, lowest to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Try using our mobile phone plan comparison tool to see a wide range of plans from other providers. This table includes products with links to referral partners.
Here is a selection of prepaid plans from Canstar Blue’s database with a minimum of 10GB of data each month, listed in order of standard cost, lowest to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. If you want to compare a larger range of offers from other providers, use our phone plan comparison tool. This table includes products with links to referral partners.
Compare phone plans with 40GB of data or more
If you use your mobile data for more intensive activities, such as video streaming, mobile gaming and doom-scrolling on Instagram, and you do this frequently, you might need around 40GB of data or more on your plan. While you’ll pay a bit more for more data, it doesn’t mean you still can’t find a better deal.
The following table shows a selection of SIM-only postpaid plans with a minimum of 40GB data on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of their standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Use our tool for simple mobile phone plan comparison to easily compare plans from a range of providers. This is a selection of products with links to a referral partner.
The following table shows a selection of SIM-only prepaid plans with a minimum of 40GB data on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of their standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest and then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Use our tool for simple mobile phone plan comparison to easily compare plans from a range of providers. This is a selection of products with links to a referral partner.
Related: Circles.Life ices out Telstra with mobile plan price freeze
Compare phone plans under $25
If cost is your primary concern, there are plenty of plans under that $25 price point that can offer some good value for money. While there aren’t too many plans under $10 available, and many of these cheaper plans require a compromise on data inclusions, you still might be able to find a plan to suit your needs around this price range.
The following table shows a selection of postpaid plans from Canstar Blue’s database for $25 and under, listed in order of standard cost, lowest to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Try using our mobile phone plan comparison tool to see a wide range of plans from other providers. This table includes products with links to referral partners.
The following table shows a selection of prepaid plans from Canstar Blue’s database for $25 and under, listed in order of standard cost, lowest to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. If you want to compare a larger range of offers from other providers, use our phone plan comparison tool. This table includes products with links to referral partners.
Compare phone plans under $45
If plans under $25 don’t quite meet your needs when it comes to data inclusions, freeing up your budget by $5 or more can get you a little bit more data for your money. Considering the big three telcos offer plans from $45 and upwards, if you’ve been considering making a switch to a plan that can get you a bit more data for your money, it might be worth comparing plans around this price point.
The following table shows a selection of postpaid plans from Canstar Blue’s database for $45 and under, listed in order of standard cost, lowest to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. Try using our mobile phone plan comparison tool to see a wide range of plans from other providers. This table includes products with links to referral partners.
The following table shows a selection of prepaid plans from Canstar Blue’s database for $45 and under, listed in order of standard cost, lowest to highest, then by data allowance, largest to smallest. If you want to compare a larger range of offers from other providers, use our phone plan comparison tool. This table includes products with links to referral partners.
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