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Cheapest Phone Plans, Real Price

The advertised price is not the checkout price. Some carriers fold taxes and fees in; others add 10 to 15% on top. This ranks cheap plans by their real, all-in monthly cost with data, network and hotspot alongside.

Sorted by real monthly price cheapest first. Single line. Tap a column heading to re-rank.

See phone plans priced beside 609 other tools and services, in one list →

Real price/mo ▲PlanAdvertisedDataNetworkHotspotTaxes in?Notes
$9.12cheapestTello 1GB$8.001 GBT-Mobile1 GB+ taxesCheapest for very light useView plan →
$15.96Tello 5GB$14.005 GBT-Mobile5 GB+ taxesCheap small-data planView plan →
$17.10Mint Mobile 5GB$15.005 GBT-Mobile5 GB+ taxesCheap on a 12-month prepayView plan →
$22.50US Mobile Unlimited Starter$22.50UnlimitedVerizon / T-Mobile / AT&T10 GBYesPick your network, taxes includedView plan →
$25.00Visible$25.00UnlimitedVerizonIncludedYesUnlimited Verizon, taxes + hotspot inView plan →
$28.50Tello Unlimited$25.00UnlimitedT-Mobile+ taxesCheap unlimited (limited hotspot)View plan →
$28.50Boost Mobile Unlimited$25.00UnlimitedAT&T30 GB+ taxes30GB premium then slowedView plan →
$34.20Mint Mobile Unlimited$30.00UnlimitedT-Mobile10 GB+ taxesUnlimited on 12-month prepayView plan →
$34.20Consumer Cellular Unlimited$30.00UnlimitedT-Mobile / AT&T15 GB+ taxesSenior-friendly, US-based supportView plan →
$39.90Google Fi Simply Unlimited$35.00UnlimitedT-Mobile5 GB+ taxesGreat for international travelView plan →
$40.00Metro by T-Mobile Unlimited$40.00UnlimitedT-Mobile5 GBYesIn-store support, taxes includedView plan →
$40.00Cricket Core$40.00UnlimitedAT&TYesAT&T network, taxes in on autopayView plan →
$45.00Visible+$45.00UnlimitedVerizon50 GBYesPremium priority data + more hotspotView plan →
$51.30Straight Talk Unlimited$45.00UnlimitedVerizon / T-Mobile / AT&T10 GB+ taxesSold at Walmart, wide coverageView plan →

Single-line pricing as last reviewed 7 August 2026 . Real price estimates typical US taxes and fees (~14%) where the carrier does not include them; actual taxes vary by state. MVNO promos change constantly (some need annual prepay or autopay), confirm current terms before switching.

The phone is part of the bill

A plan comparison stops at the monthly price, but a handset financed through the carrier arrives on the same bill. Buying the phone outright separates the two, and most MVNO plans are happy with an unlocked phone you already own. Secondhand is usually the cheapest way in.

PhoneCheapest usedPer month over 2 years
iPhone 6 Plus$30$1.25
iPhone 6S Plus$40$1.67
iPhone 7 Plus$60$2.50
Galaxy A15$80$3.33
Galaxy A25$104$4.33
Pixel 6a$130$5.42
Pixel 2$132$5.50
Galaxy A35$145$6.04

Cheapest genuine listing including shipping, from our used phone trackers, rechecked daily. The monthly figure is simply that price spread over 24 months, so you can hold it beside a plan price. Unlike a carrier instalment it stops when the phone is paid for, and the phone is yours.

How the ranking works. Real price takes the advertised price and adds an estimate for taxes and fees when the carrier does not already include them, so you compare true checkout cost. A plan that folds taxes in (Taxes in? Yes) can beat a same-priced plan that adds them at the till. Then match your needs: light users on WiFi save with a cheap capped plan; heavy or hotspot users want unlimited. The network column shows which big carrier's towers each plan uses.
Cheapest phone plan overall?

For light use, Tello from ~$8-10. For unlimited, US Mobile and Visible around $22-25 all-in with taxes included, often beating same-priced plans that add taxes on top. Sort by real price above.

Why does 'taxes included' matter?

US wireless taxes/fees average ~10-25% by state. Carriers that fold them in advertise the true price; others add them at checkout, so a $25 all-in plan can beat a $25 plan that becomes ~$29.

How much data do I need?

Mostly on WiFi? 2-5GB is plenty and cheaper. Stream or hotspot a lot? Go unlimited. Use the data filter above.

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