If you’re after a budget-friendly mobile plan that costs under $30 per month, we’re here to help.
There are a decent number of both prepaid and postpaid plans at this price point, especially if you’re willing to go with a smaller provider.
The main shortcoming with plans under $30 is that many don’t include a huge amount of data. Our research has shown that the average amount of data on plans under $30 is 17GB per month, with only a handful offering more than 25GB. While there are a couple of plans offering 40GB and one offering 50GB per month, if you need more than that, you will probably have to consider increasing your budget.
The 'average' mobile plan under $30
To help provide some context on what represents a good deal under $30, we crunched the numbers to figure out what an average plan between $20 and $30 looks like when it comes to cost and data allowance.
- Average price: $24.06
- Average monthly data: 17GB
- Average cost per GB: $1.80
To select the best-value plans under $30, we compared options in the $20-$30 range from over a dozen major Australian providers. We looked for any standouts in terms of price, data allowance, network coverage and additional features like data banking. We've included plans with introductory discounts (or other bonuses in this process) but only on the strict condition that the average monthly price for the first year remained under $30 (or $360 in total).
From our perspective, a year is the minimum amount of time we'd want to put between switching phone providers. At this point, you'll also have had plenty of time to decide if the ongoing extra cost is worth paying... or if it's time to find a better new deal from another telco instead.
Now, on to the picks!
Best mobile plans under $30 overall
Best big-data mobile plan under $30
Best 5G mobile plan under $30
Best mobile plan under $30 on the Telstra network
Other noteworthy plans under $30
Currently $14 per month for the first 6 months, then $22 per month ongoing. For the first 6 months, this plan is great value; for only $14 you get 25GB of data, or only $0.56 per GB. After the first 6 months, this plan is still good value, costing only $22p/m for a decent 25GB of data.
• Kogan Mobile Medium Monthly Plan | 40GB per month | Vodafone Wholesale Network | $25 per month
This plan is one of the few plans under $30 with 40GB of data, and costing only $25 per month, it’s actually the cheapest one offering this amount of data. That price means you only end up paying $0.63 per GB, which is very good value.
How to find the best plan under $30 for your needs
If you are looking for a plan under $30 per month, there are some tips and tricks you can use to ensure you find the best plan for your needs.
1. Know your data needs. When looking for a mobile plan, it’s important to know how much data you use. If you don’t know how to check your data usage, we have a guide that can help. Once you know how much data you use, it’s easier to find a plan that suits your real requirements, and you’ll be less likely to choose a more expensive plan with more data than you actually need.
2. Do you need 5G? Most plans under $30 don’t offer 5G. While there are a handful that do, it’s less common and you might find yourself paying a bit more just for 5G access. It’s worth thinking about whether you really need the extra speeds that 5G offers, especially since the plans at this price point usually come with smaller amounts of data – so it arguably isn’t really necessary to have the top speeds.
3. Be wary of introductory discounts. While initial deals on the price of a plan or extra data can be tempting, it’s important that you check the costs after these discounts end because you may end up paying more than you originally intended.
5. Plan renewal periods can be deceptive. It’s important to be careful when looking at 28 day prepaid plans, because these can actually end up costing you more as they need to be recharged 13 times a year instead of 12.
Compare more phone plans under $30
FAQs
Do any mobile plans under $30 include 5G?
Yes, there are a few plans for under $30 that offer 5G access. These include plans from Moose Mobile, Southern Phone, ALDI Mobile and Belong.
Is mobile coverage worse with cheaper providers?
In most cases, no. Australia only has three main cellular network providers: Telstra, Optus, and Vodafone. This means that smaller telcos essentially resell access to one of these networks. While there may be slight variations in coverage between the "wholesale" networks most smaller carriers use and the "full" networks of Telstra, Optus, or Vodafone, the difference is usually negligible for most users. For instance, Telstra's full network covers 99.6% of the population, compared to 98.8% for its wholesale network, with the variance primarily affecting remote rural areas.
- If you want to spend even less, we also have a best mobile plans under $20 page!
