If you’re not yet on an NBN plan, you may be nervous about making the switch. One of the biggest concerns for new NBN users (along with speeds, and the installation process in general) is price: will you be paying more each month, but ultimately getting less?
Depending on the NBN plan, provider, and speed you go with, you may end up paying a lot less than you expected. Here’s a guideline to what you’ll pay each month, on average, for each NBN speed option.
So, how much is the NBN per month?
Entry-level NBN plans start from around $45 per month, but for this you’ll only get the basic 12Mbps download speed. Prices then rise to about $100 per month for the fastest, most feature-packed plans with 100 Mbps download speeds. However, most households will be fine with an NBN plan offering 50 Mbps download speeds, with prices starting at around $60 per month.
It’s worth pointing out that, generally speaking, if you’re happy to sign up for a 12 month contract, you’re likely to save about $10 per month on your NBN costs compared to going month-to-month. You may also avoid some or all set-up costs.
NBN Providers & Plans
Doing your budget and looking for a new NBN provider or plan? Check out some of the providers and plans available in the table below. The table contains affiliate links.
The following table shows a selection of sponsored unlimited data Standard Plus Evening Speed (NBN 50), and Premium Evening Speed (NBN 100) plans on Canstar Blue’s database with links to referral partners.
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1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $99) Typical evening speed of 97Mbps
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Unlimited Data/month |
$99 Cost/month |
Go to Site |
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1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $79.99) Typical evening speed of 97Mbps
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Unlimited Data/month |
$79.99 Cost/month |
Go to Site |
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1 Month Contract (1 month min. cost $80) Typical evening speed of 50Mbps
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Unlimited Data/month |
$80.00 Cost/month |
Go to Site |
Unlimited Home Standard (NBN 50) Plans
The following table shows a selection of published unlimited NBN 50 plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost (excluding discounts), from the lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool above to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
Unlimited Home Fast (NBN 100) Plans
The table below shows a selection of published unlimited NBN 100 plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of monthly cost, from the lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
Basic Evening Speed (NBN 12) prices
Basic Evening Speed, also known as NBN 12, is the entry-level NBN plan available to Australians, with download speeds of up to 12Mbps and uploads of 1Mbps. If you’re a low level user, or looking for a cheap plan suitable for one person, this speed may be right for you, and is comparable to what you’ll get on an existing ADSL plan.
While most NBN 12 plans include unlimited data, you can save by going with a capped data plan. TPG offers 10GB plans priced at $29.99 per month; however, you’ll probably require at least 100GB, which is priced from around $49.95 monthly with SpinTel, and $49.99 from Internode.
Unlimited data is available at a similar price point, and you can often find introductory offers that will save you around $10 per month for your first year. Generally, NBN 12 customers can expect to pay from around $45-$50 per month with cheaper providers and no extras, and up to $65-$70 monthly with home phone.
Prices from: $45 per month for unlimited data
Leading providers: TeleChoice, Flip, TPG
Standard Evening Speed (NBN 25) prices
If you’re looking for something a little faster that’s ideal for high-definition streaming, Standard Evening Speed (NBN 25) offers downloads of up to 25Mbps, and uploads up to 5Mbps. Many providers have ceased to offer this speed tier in the last 12 months, preferring to focus on faster NBN services, but there’s still several competitive plans on the market.
Unlimited data at NBN 25 speeds tends to start at the $55-$60 per month price point, but keep an eye out for new customer discounts from providers such as Tangerine and Flip. You can also find Standard speeds from bigger providers such as Vodafone ($65 per month), with Telstra also offering a 500GB Standard plan at $75 monthly, including home phone.
Prices from: $55 per month for unlimited data
Leading providers: Tangerine, TeleChoice, Kogan, Flip
Standard Plus Evening Speed (NBN 50) prices
Standard Plus Evening Speed, or NBN 50, tends to be the NBN option with the most competitive plans and prices. Offering download speeds up to 50Mbps, and uploads of up to 20Mbps, it’s a great all-round speed tier for families and heavier users, and it’s also ideal for activities such as gaming.
Just about every NBN provider sells NBN 50 plans, and as such it’s the tier where you can find the best deals. While standard monthly prices for unlimited data usually begin at around $65-$70 per month, you can score some great introductory rates with lower cost providers, including Internode and Tangerine.
If you’re looking to add extras such as home phone or entertainment, expect to pay at least $70 each month (and up to $100 for plans with loads of features, such as the $99 Telstra TV Bundle). If you do want to save on costs, you can always downsize to a capped data plan: providers such as SpinTel and Activ8me offer plans with 100GB or 200GB of data, starting at around $55 per month.
Prices from: $65 per month for unlimited data
Leading providers: Internode, Tangerine, Belong, Dodo
Premium Evening Speed (NBN 100) prices
As indicated the by the name, Premium Evening Speed (NBN 100) is the top-tier NBN plan offered by the majority of providers. With downloads of up to 100Mbps, and uploads up to 40Mbps, it’s the fastest speed tier available to most Australians, but also the most expensive – if you’re on a budget, and you don’t require the best-of-the-best in speed, this isn’t the plan for you.
While providers such as SpinTel do offer Premium plans with 100GB or 200GB of data (starting from $74.95 per month), most NBN 100 plans include unlimited monthly gigabytes. Monthly prices tend to begin at the $80-$85 mark, with costs rising to $100 or more with larger telcos such as Telstra, Optus, iiNet or MyRepublic.
As with other speed tiers, many NBN 100 plans do come with six or 12-month discounts for new customers. Look to providers such as Vodafone, Kogan, and again Tangerine to find special offers, and consider skipping home phone packages if you’d like to reduce costs further.
Prices from: $85 per month for unlimited data
Leading providers: MyRepublic, Aussie Broadband, TPG, Vodafone
NBN prices across each speed tier
To compare prices quickly and easily, browse some of the cheapest and best-value offers across each NBN speed tier below.
Unlimited NBN 100 Plans
The following table shows a selection of published unlimited NBN 100 plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool above to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
Unlimited NBN 50 Plans
The following table shows a selection of published unlimited NBN 50 plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost, from lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool above to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
Unlimited NBN 25 Plans
The following table shows a selection of published unlimited NBN 25 plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool above to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
Unlimited NBN 12 Plans
The following table shows a selection of published unlimited NBN 12 plans on Canstar Blue’s database, listed in order of standard monthly cost, from the lowest to highest, and then by alphabetical order of provider. Use our comparison tool above to see plans from a range of other providers. This is a selection of products with links to referral partners.
Other costs
Aside from your monthly plan price, there may be other costs incurred when you sign up to a new NBN plan. These can include:
- Modem/router costs: If you don’t already have a compatible, NBN-ready modem on hand, you’ll need to purchase one in order to get connected. You can buy your choice of modem or router from a third-party retailer, or pick one up directly from your telco; some providers include free modems on long-term contracts, while others require you to pay an outright cost upfront. Modems/routers can cost anywhere from $50-60 for budget options, up to $500-plus for ultra-fast premium models (although NBN providers usually offer hardware well under the $200 mark).
- Installation fees: Generally, standard NBN installation is free, even if a technician is required at your home. However, some properties in new development areas may incur an NBN New Development Fee of up to $300. If this fee applies to your NBN order, you’ll be informed at sign-up.
- Late payment fees: Once your NBN service is up and running, you’ll need to make sure you pay on time to avoid service cut-offs, or possible late payment penalties (depending on your provider).
- Data overage fees: If you’re not on an unlimited NBN plan, you’ll need to keep an eye on your data. Fortunately, most providers don’t charge excess usage fees if you do hit your monthly data allowance, instead slowing down your service speeds (known as ‘shaping’) until your next bill cycle.
Image credit: Tiko Aramyan/Shutterstock.com
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