What’s the average phone bill per month in 2025?

Food, iced coffee, shelter and a cell phone. These are just some of the things we need to survive. Okay maybe not the iced coffee, but a cell phone is certainly more than just a luxury nowadays, it’s a necessary utility. You need it to do business, stay in touch with loved ones and so much more. So you’d think wireless service would be easily attainable and affordable, but sadly it seems not all providers feel that way, if the average phone bill is any indication. So what is the average phone bill per month? Using new information & stats from WhistleOut’s Annual Mobile Overspending Report*, we’ll dig into that question, how high phone plan prices affect different generations of Americans in different ways and steps you can take to save on your monthly phone bill.

How much is the average cell phone bill per month?

According to WhistleOut’s report, the average American is spending $157 per month for their cell phone plan with a major carrier,* which adds up to almost $2k per year. And 39% of people on a major carrier think they’re overspending on their monthly wireless bill (we estimated closer to 100%, tbh). Remember when $157 used to be about the cost of a car payment? So why do Americans pay so much more for wireless now? We’ll get to that.

How high phone plan prices affect average Americans 

It’s normal to be frustrated with the rising cost of anything, but most Americans consider wireless service a necessary utility. This makes rising plan costs especially concerning, given the negative impact they can have across generations.

• Over 1 in 4 Americans can’t comfortably afford their current monthly cell phone bill
• 51% of Americans say that losing access to their wireless service would be detrimental to their livelihood or wellbeing
• 44% of Americans are concerned about losing access to their cell phone
• Half of all adults in the U.S. use their phones for work, while 29% use them for school
• 1 in 5 Americans still doesn’t have access to reliable 5G·4G LTE phone service

What’s the average phone plan cost by generation?

We’ve already discussed the overall average phone plan cost for Americans, but breaking down the average cost across different generations of Americans can provide more insight into why certain Americans are willing to pay what they do for wireless. Different generations obviously had different experiences when it came to the introduction of wireless service, with their usage habits and wireless needs reflecting that.

Baby Boomers (born between 1946 & 1964)

Baby Boomers pay above average at about $194/month for their phone plans. It seems many Boomers are likely paying more than they need to for data they aren’t using—68% of Boomers use less than 10GB of data each month, but 74% of that group are on an Unlimited plan. Maybe it’s the “set it and forget it” mentality; choosing Unlimited means never running out of data or being charged overages. Or they could just not know how little data they actually use… since nearly half of all Boomers don’t know how to check their mobile data usage.  

Gen X (born between 1965 & 1980)

Gen X-ers pay an average of $211/mo for their phone plans, the most of any generation. This is likely due to similar factors that affect Baby Boomers. Many Gen X-ers got their first phone before unlimited talk & text was the norm and when data rates were much higher than they are now. They may not realize how little mobile data they actually use, or they’ve been conditioned to stick with unlimited to avoid overages. 

Millennials (born between 1981 & 1996)

Millennials pay an average of $153/mo for their phone plans, which is less than previous generations, but 32% of Millennials say they are unable to comfortably afford their current wireless plan, which is obviously part of a much bigger issue. Millennials usage habits are much different as well, with 25% of them using over 20GB of mobile data each month. This may be due to them not having easy access to Wi-Fi, and it may also explain why they are more likely than any other generation to be at risk of their livelihood or wellbeing being affected if they were to lose access to their wireless service.

Gen Z (born between 1997 & 2012)

Gen Z pays the least of all the US generations at an average of just $116/mo (which we still think is way too high). Most members of Gen Z who pay for their own phone plans are likely college students, have just entered the workforce or may be living on their own, so they tend to be more mindful of their spending. They’re definitely using their service though, as 70% of Gen Z-ers use their phone for work, and 35% of them don’t own a personal computer, making them the least likely to have internet access beyond their phones. What really brings down that average monthly cost is the fact that over half of Gen Z gets their wireless service through an MVNO in 2024.Not sure what an MVNO is? Read on.

What is an MVNO?

MVNOs (or Mobile Virtual Network Operators) are smaller wireless carriers that usually run on the same reliable nationwide networks that the big guys use. They can charge less, because they don’t own the cell towers or bear the associated network costs. They also tend to not have monthly bills because you pay in advance.

• 47% of cell phone users currently subscribe to an MVNO plan instead of a major carrier
• MVNO plans cost about $30/month on average
• Based on the average plan cost for major carriers we mentioned earlier ($157), switching to an MVNO at $30/month could save the average cell phone user over $1,500 a year…with a potential savings of $85k over their lifetime 
• According to consumers, the lower monthly costs and no long-term contracts are the best reasons to switch to an MVNO
• Nearly 1 in 5 cell phone users is planning to switch to an MVNO in 2024

What phone plan features should I look for in a new wireless carrier? 

While “cheaper than my current plan” may be the primary focus, there are a few things you want to consider before switching to ensure you end up on the best plan for you.

Lower monthly cost

• Like we said earlier, phone plans are going up in price each year and show no signs of slowing down.
• There are smaller wireless carriers that have had consistently affordable prices over the last decade. Customers can save an average of $127 per month by switching to an MVNO from a major carrier, inflation be damned.  

Flexible data options

• Most Americans pay for data they don’t use. 76% of Americans are on unlimited data plans, but 63% of them don’t even use 15GB per month. Tracking your data usage is key, as 39% of people who claimed they use more than 20GB per month actually found out they were using much less. 
• Here at Mint, we offer four different levels of data plans, allowing you to choose the one that best fits your usage habits, so you only pay for how much data you need. And since you’re not locked into a contracted plan, you can make changes if your data needs change, like downgrading your plan when it comes time to renew or upgrading your data plan anytime.

Buy-in-bulk savings

• Just like buying groceries in bulk, purchasing multiple months of a cell phone plan in advance can save you big. Mint offers plans in 3, 6 and 12-month plan durations and, as the saying goes, the more you buy, the more you save.

Bring your own phone and number with you

• Like the phone you have? Find a smaller carrier that it’s compatible with and you can focus on saving instead of spending money on an unnecessary upgrade.
• Most phones nowadays work with multiple wireless carriers’ networks, as long as they’re unlocked. Just be sure to check if your phone is compatible before making the switch. Mint Mobile makes it easy to verify with our handy compatibility checker.  
• Likewise, you probably want to bring that phone number you’ve had forever with you over to your new plan, so double-check to see which carriers offer that option (like, ahem, us). 

No unnecessary add-ons

• Many carriers today like to tempt you with subscriptions to other services “included” in your monthly plan, but if you switch to a smaller carrier that offers nothing more than wireless service, you can use the money you save to subscribe to the other services you really want. Not only do you get more choice, but it’ll probably still cost you less. 

Mint Mobile helps you keep your phone plan affordable

Since we launched in 2016, Mint Mobile’s goal has been to provide premium wireless service at an affordable price. That’s literally our whole thing. In fact, we’ve raised the data amounts on all our plans three times, all without ever raising our prices. Not to mention Mint Family, our Refer a Friend program and oh yeah… we send holidays cards too. Seriously. We strive to add more value for our subscribers whenever we can. 

Ready to start paying less than the average phone bill each month? Take our plan match quiz to find the best Mint Mobile plan for you. Then you can start daydreaming about what you’re going to do with all the money you save. Like getting that tattoo finally covered up, or buying a new RV, so you can see just how reliable our nationwide network really is.

_{*https://www.whistleout.com/CellPhones/Guides/mobile-overspending-report}

Originally published September 2023; Updated October 2024