Complaining about the cost and service of a wireless phone plan is global pass-time; it seems no one is ever really happy with what they are currently paying for.
But maybe your phone plan isn't as expensive as it seems, especially when you compare it to similar plans from across the world.
We were particularly interested in which countries offered the most generous data plans, so we've compiled a list of the best plans we could find, and how much it will cost you in USD and the local currency.
All of these plans operate on a SIM-only monthly contract basis, so there are no phone repayments factored into the costs. We've also highlighted WhistleOut regions for easy reading.
| Country | Company | USD | Local currency | Calls | SMS&MMS | 4G data | |
| 1 | France | Free | $27.33 | 19.99€ | Unlimited | Unlimited | 20 GB |
| 2 | Denmark | Bibob | $39.80 | 218 kr | Unlimited | Unlimited | 10 GB |
| 3 | USA | MetroPCS | $60.00 | $60.00 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| 4 | Thailand | DTAC | $64.81 | ฿2,100.00 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 12 GB |
| 5 | Sweden | Comviq | $65.52 | 445.00 kr | Unlimited | Unlimited | 13 GB |
| 6 | Spain | Vodafone | $68.30 | 50.00€ | Unlimited | Unlimited | 6 GB |
| 7 | U.K. | EE | $70.30 | £40.99 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 6 GB |
| 8 | Russia | MTS | $72.90 | RUB 2,500.00 | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| 9 | Australia | Vodafone | $75.10 | $80 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 6 GB |
| 10 | Germany | O2 | $75.10 | 54.98€ | Unlimited | Unlimited | 5 GB |
| 11 | Hong Kong | Tree | $77.20 | HK$598.00 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 10 GB |
| 12 | Mexico | Iusacell | $91.60 | $1,199.00 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 3 GB |
| 13 | United Arab Emirates | Etisalat | $95.29 | AED 350.00 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 10 GB |
| 14 | Italia | Tim | $107.50 | 79.00€ | Unlimited | Unlimited | 9 GB |
| 15 | NZ | Vodafone | $113.00 | $129.00 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 5 GB |
| 16 | Canada | Telus | $117.00 | $125.00 | Unlimited | Unlimited | 10 GB |
Worlds apart
While browsing the world's telcos to find the best high-data plans, we did come across some interesting comparison points -- some very cheap and others that are much more expensive.
French telco Free is an interesting case study. After starting out as a home broadband company, Free built its own wireless network in France and launched its services at the beginning of 2012. It is known for its two industry disrupting offers -- the high value plan in the table above, and a free plan for customers who also signed up for fixed-line broadband.
At the opposite end of the pricing spectrum is the UAE telco Du, who offer a ' Diamond Plan' for the princely sum of USD$680 per month. In return you get 2,500-minutes to calls any number in the world, 2,500 international text messages and 10GB data per month. You also get to choose your phone number from a VIP list of special numbers, and a 24/7 concierge service included.
The Diamond Plan is only available on a 12-month contract, and Du will charge an extra one-month's tariff on top of all remaining month's owing if you want to cancel the contract.
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