Starlink Cost in 2026: Every Plan and Price, by Country

In 2026, Starlink Residential costs between roughly US$27 and US$200+ a month depending on where you live. In the United States it is $55 (Residential 100), $80 (Residential 200) or $130 (Residential Max) after the June 2026 price rise, plus a $349 Standard Kit that is increasingly rented for $10 a month or bundled free with a 12-month commitment. Below is what you will actually pay country by country, what changed this year, and the fees Starlink’s order page only shows you after you enter an address.

What changed with Starlink pricing in 2026

Two changes explain almost every price you will see this year.

• 14 January 2026: speed tiers replaced Residential and Residential Lite. In the US, Canada, UK, Australia and most of Europe, the old “Residential” and “Residential Lite” plans became Residential 100, Residential 200 and Residential Max. You now pay for a speed ceiling and, more importantly, for your place in the queue when a cell is busy. Some markets, notably Kenya, still sell a plan called Residential Lite.
• Mid-May 2026: a round of price increases. New customers in the US, UK, Canada and Australia saw higher prices immediately; existing customers moved to the new rates on their first billing cycle on or after 18 June 2026. The US entry tier went from $50 to $55 and Max from $120 to $130; the UK added £5 to each residential tier; Canada added C$5 to C$10; Australia added A$6 to A$11. Standby Mode, the parking fee for a dish you are not using, roughly doubled to $10 in the US and to 15 in local currency in the UK, Canada and Australia.

A few smaller shifts matter for buyers: the Starlink Mini, which launched at $599, now lists at $199 to $249 in the US; Australia introduced an A$15 monthly hardware rental for new Residential customers; Canada added a Roam 300GB tier at C$110; and Roam 100GB users can no longer buy extra high-speed data top-ups, with international use on Roam capped at two months per trip.

Quotable version: Starlink’s 2026 model is “pay for priority”. The cheaper your tier, the lower you sit in the queue when your cell gets congested, and the speed cap is a ceiling, not a guarantee.

Residential 100 vs Residential 200 vs Residential Max

Definition: Residential 100 caps downloads at 100 Mbps with the lowest peak-hour priority; Residential 200 caps at 200 Mbps with medium priority; Residential Max has no cap (commonly 200 to 400+ Mbps) and the highest priority. All three include unlimited data under Starlink’s fair-use policy.

Monthly prices for new customers as of September 2026. Hardware, tax and any demand surcharge are extra.

Which tier should you buy?

• Residential 100 suits one or two people who stream in HD, work remotely on video calls and browse. In a quiet rural cell you will often see the full 100 Mbps.
• Residential 200 is the sensible default for a family with several 4K streams, online gaming and two or three simultaneous video calls.
• Residential Max is worth it in two situations: you upload a lot (cloud backups, content creation, CCTV off-site storage), or your cell is busy. When a cell is congested the priority difference matters far more than the cap, and Max customers get served first.

The most common mistake is buying Residential 100 in a crowded suburban cell and expecting 100 Mbps at 8 pm. Test with the Starlink app’s availability check, read local speed reports for your area, and remember that upgrading a tier takes effect immediately with no penalty.

Starlink prices by country in 2026

Starlink sets prices per country, in local currency, and adjusts them to purchasing power, competitor pricing and how full its local cells are. This is why an identical dish costs three times more in London than in Lagos.

The cheapest and most expensive Starlink markets

By monthly price converted to US dollars, the cheapest countries in a June 2026 ranking were Rwanda (about $27), Nigeria (about $28 on the lowest tier), Kenya ($35), Brazil ($36), Malawi ($37), Argentina ($39), then Japan and Indonesia (both about $41). At the other end, Qatar exceeds $200 a month, and the Cook Islands, Canada and the UK sit around $100 for their top tiers. The cheapest markets cost roughly half of the US entry price, which is why importing a kit and subscribing abroad has become a popular, if rule-bending, tactic among long-term travellers.

Why the same dish costs so much more in London than in Lagos

• Purchasing-power pricing. Starlink prices against what local fibre, 4G and fixed-wireless providers charge, not against its own cost.
• Cell load. Where a cell is full, Starlink raises the price, adds a surcharge or closes residential sign-ups entirely, as it did in Nigeria’s three biggest cities.
• Tax treatment. European prices include 19 to 25% VAT. In many African and Asian markets, import duty and VAT on the kit are charged separately by the courier or at the point of sale.
• Currency. Zimbabwe, Liberia and Somalia are billed in US dollars; Nigeria and Kenya are billed in naira and shillings, so the dollar equivalent moves with the exchange rate even when the local price does not.

Hardware in 2026: buy, rent, or get it free

• Standard Kit (Gen 3 dish, router, cables, stand): $349 in the US, £299 in the UK, C$599 in Canada, roughly €299 to €450 in the EU, KES 49,900 in Kenya, ₦590,000 in Nigeria, US$350 to $389 in Zimbabwe.
• Starlink Mini: $199 to $249 in the US, C$399 in Canada, A$599 in Australia (often A$399 on promotion), ₦318,000 in Nigeria, KES 27,000 in Kenya, US$200 in Zimbabwe. It is a laptop-sized dish with a built-in router, ideal for travel, small shops and backup links.
• Rental: $10 a month in the US, £10 in the UK, A$15 in Australia, KES 1,950 in Kenya. Rental beats buying if you expect to keep the service for less than about three years or want to walk away without reselling the dish.
• Free kit promotions: the UK routinely waives the £299 kit against a 12-month Residential commitment; Canada and selected US postcodes run the same offer; Starlink also sells refurbished Standard Kits at a discount when stock allows.
• High Performance kit: about $2,500, needed only for Business plans, maritime and in-motion commercial use.

A frequent mistake is choosing the Mini for a whole household because it is cheaper. The Mini delivers lower throughput and much weaker Wi-Fi than the Standard Kit, and in some markets it cannot be attached to the top residential tier. Buy the Mini for portability, not to save $100 on a family connection.

Hidden costs Starlink’s order page does not advertise

• Demand surcharge: a one-time charge of roughly $100 to $1,500 on new US residential orders in oversubscribed cells. It appears only after you enter your address.
• Tax and duty: EU and UK prices include VAT; in the US, Canada (5 to 15% by province), Australia and most of Africa, tax is added at checkout or by the courier.
• Shipping and activation: C$15 to C$19 shipping in Canada; KES 2,700 activation on rental in Kenya; authorised resellers in Africa often add delivery and installation fees.
• Mounting and cabling: $40 to $150 for a roof or pole mount and a longer cable; $200 to $500 for professional installation.
• Standby Mode: $10 a month (US) or 15 in local currency (UK, Canada, Australia) to keep a dish registered while paused.
• Roam rules: Roam 100GB throttles to under 1 Mbps after the allowance and no longer sells top-ups; international use on Roam is limited to two months per trip.
• Power: the Standard Kit draws 50 to 75 watts, which matters for solar and generator sites; the Mini draws 25 to 40 watts.

Roam, Mini and Standby: prices for travellers and second homes

Roam is the plan you can move between addresses and use in motion at up to 100 mph (160 km/h). In the US, Roam 100GB is $50 to $55 and Roam Unlimited $165 to $175 after the June 2026 change; Regional Roam is $150 and Global Roam $200. Canada charges C$75 (100GB), C$110 (300GB), C$200 (Unlimited) and C$540 (Global); Australia charges A$85 and A$210. Existing customers adding a second dish can sometimes get Roam Unlimited at half price. The cheapest legal way to keep Starlink at a holiday home is Roam 100GB paired with Standby Mode during the months you are away.

How to check your real price in five steps

1. Go to starlink.com/map and enter your exact service address, not just the town. Prices, surcharges and availability are set per cell.
2. Note whether the page shows “Available”, “Sold out” or a waitlist. Sold-out cells may still sell Roam or a Priority plan at a higher price.
3. Compare the three residential tiers against your household’s actual use; most people over-buy Max in quiet cells and under-buy 100 in busy ones.
4. Choose buy, rent or a 12-month free-kit offer, and check whether your country’s price includes tax and delivery.
5. If you already subscribe, remember that price changes hit on your first billing cycle after the announced date, so downgrading or pausing before that date avoids one month of the new rate.

Is Starlink worth it against fibre and 4G/5G in 2026?

The rule of thumb has not changed: if fibre is available at your address for less than about US$50 a month, take fibre. It is cheaper, has lower latency and no weather or congestion variability. Starlink wins where fibre does not reach, where the local telco’s fixed wireless is oversubscribed, or where you need a link that survives cable theft and power cuts at the exchange. Measured 2026 performance backs this up: median downloads of about 271 Mbps in Somalia, 267 Mbps in Rwanda and 172 Mbps in Kenya, with latency of 25 to 60 ms, comfortably enough for video calls, cloud tools and gaming. For businesses, a Residential Max or Priority plan as a fibre backup is now one of the most common deployments, from Zimbabwean farms to Australian mining camps.

Where Starlink still is not available, and what is coming

Starlink sells service in well over 100 countries and territories, but three big gaps remain. India granted a five-year licence in the first quarter of 2026, with distribution through Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, yet the commercial rollout has been slow because of new security and data-localisation rules. South Africa is still blocked by Black Economic Empowerment equity requirements; if the proposed regulatory workaround survives legal challenge, service could start in late 2026 or early 2027. Ethiopia, Morocco and Egypt continue to restrict the service. In Africa, Starlink has said it intends to switch on another 18 countries before the end of 2026, including Angola, Cameroon, Côte d’Ivoire, Tanzania, Uganda, Namibia, Mauritius and Tunisia.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Buying a kit abroad to use on a cheaper foreign plan at home; Starlink enforces a two-month limit and can suspend accounts that never return to their home country.
• Ignoring the demand surcharge until checkout, then discovering the first month costs $1,000 more than the headline price.
• Assuming the 100 Mbps cap is a guaranteed speed rather than a ceiling that drops first under congestion.
• Paying for Residential Max in a rural cell with no congestion, where Residential 200 delivers nearly identical real-world speeds.
• Forgetting Standby Mode and paying a full month for a dish that sat in a cupboard.

The bottom line

Starlink in 2026 is cheaper than ever in the markets it wants to grow, more expensive than last year in the markets it already dominates, and priced by priority rather than by data. Budget US$55 to $130 a month in North America, £40 to £80 in the UK, €50 to €75 in Europe, and US$27 to $50 across most of Africa, Asia and Latin America, plus a kit that ranges from free to about US$450. Check your exact address, pick the tier that matches your cell’s congestion rather than your ambition, and rent the hardware if you are not sure you will still be a customer in three years.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much does Starlink cost per month in 2026?

It depends on the country and tier. In the United States, Residential 100 is $55, Residential 200 is $80 and Residential Max is $130 a month after the June 2026 increase. The UK charges £40, £60 and £80; Canada C$75, C$115 and C$150; Australia A$75, A$110 and A$150. The cheapest markets, such as Rwanda, Nigeria, Kenya and Brazil, start at roughly US$27-36 a month, while Qatar tops US$200. Always check starlink.com/map for your exact address, because Starlink prices per country and per cell.

Is the Starlink kit free in 2026?

Sometimes. In the UK the £299 Standard Kit drops to £0 when you commit to 12 months of Residential service, and Canada and selected US areas run similar promotions. Elsewhere you either buy the kit (US$349 in the US, KES 49,900 in Kenya, ₦590,000 in Nigeria) or rent it for around $10 a month (£10 in the UK, A$15 in Australia for new Residential customers). Rental is cheaper if you plan to keep Starlink for under three years; buying wins beyond that.

What is the difference between Starlink Residential 100, 200 and Max?

Since 14 January 2026 Starlink sells residential service in three tiers. Residential 100 is capped at 100 Mbps download and has the lowest priority when a cell is busy. Residential 200 is capped at 200 Mbps with medium priority. Residential Max has no speed cap (typically 200-400+ Mbps) and the highest priority. All three include unlimited data under fair-use rules; the real difference is how fast you go at 8 pm when your neighbours are all online.

Why is Starlink cheaper in Africa than in the US or UK?

Starlink prices each market to local purchasing power and to what local ISPs charge, and it discounts heavily where it wants to win subscribers fast. Kenya’s Residential Lite is KES 4,000 (about US$31) and Zimbabwe’s Mini plan is US$30, versus US$55 for the US entry tier and £40 in the UK. The trade-off is that cheap, popular African cities can sell out: in Lagos, Abuja and Port Harcourt residential sign-ups have been closed since February 2026, leaving only a ₦159,000-a-month Priority plan.

What is the Starlink congestion or demand surcharge?

In cells where Starlink has more customers than capacity, it adds a one-time surcharge to new residential orders rather than putting you on a waitlist. In the US this has ranged from about $100 to as much as $1,500 depending on how oversubscribed the area is. In other saturated markets Starlink simply removes the residential option and offers only a higher-priced Priority or Business plan. The surcharge appears at checkout only after you enter your address.

Is Starlink available in India and South Africa in 2026?

India granted Starlink a five-year licence in the first quarter of 2026, with distribution through Reliance Jio and Bharti Airtel, but the commercial rollout has been slow because of new security and data-localisation rules. South Africa remains unavailable because of Black Economic Empowerment equity requirements; if the proposed regulatory workaround survives legal challenge, service could begin in late 2026 or early 2027. Ethiopia, Morocco and Egypt also still restrict the service.