Reviews.org State of Consumer Media Spending 2026

On this page:

• The lifetime cost of staying connected ↓
• Average cost of home internet in 2026 ↓
• Average cost of mobile plans in 2026 ↓
• Average cost of TV plans in 2026 ↓
• Average cost of streaming TV plans in 2026 ↓
• Ways to save in 2026 ↓
• Methodology ↓

The average American household spends $204,041 on internet, mobile, TV, and streaming services over a lifetime. This is based on a monthly total of $283.39, or $3,400.68 per year. 

• Streaming is as expensive as home internet, with both services costing $61–$63 per month.
• TV is the largest single expense at $101.79 per month — 62% more expensive than internet at $62.72, and 77% more expensive than mobile at $57.60.

Internet and streaming land within $1.50 of each other (per month), while mobile service is the lowest household media expense of the four. 

Annual consumer media spending increased by about 1.5%, but this doesn't tell the full story. Here’s how costs changed from 2025 to 2026:

• The cost of streaming increased by 19%, or by an extra $9.57 per month compared to 2025 — easily the biggest swing we observed.
• The cost of internet service moved the other direction, falling 8% and saving the average household $5.64 per month.
• The cost of mobile and traditional TV services barely budged, each changing less than a percentage point.

The total cost of internet, mobile service, TV, and streaming is 5.23% of a single full-time worker’s gross earnings, based on median weekly earnings of $1,251 for full-time wage and salary workers in Q2 2026, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics ($65,052 annualized). This is one worker’s median pay measured against one household’s bill; a two-earner household spends a smaller share of its income on the same services.

The share is down by only 0.16 percentage points from 2025 (based on the lower median income of $62,192 per year). This doesn't account for the cost of devices themselves.

The average internet bill is $62.72 per month, down 8% from $68.36 in 2025.

Multiple market forces impact internet prices, such as:

• Increased competition from cellular providers such as AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon, offering 5G home internet services at lower prices and reducing fees.
• Fiber expansion offers faster speeds and more reliable service at similar or even lower prices than cable internet providers.
• Cable providers offer reduced promotional prices to keep customers interested in the service, often adding bundling deals, multi-year price guarantees, or increasing speeds without increasing rates.

• Cable internet dropped sharply — down more than 6 percentage points to 24% —
• Fiber grew to 22%
• Mobile hotspot usage increased from 4% to 7%
• Satellite and DSL were essentially increased by less than 1 percentage point.

If you're shopping for a new internet plan, fiber remains the most reliable and fastest connection type where it's available. Cable internet is also a strong option that delivers fast speeds. For areas where wired internet like fiber or cable isn’t available, 5G home internet is a more affordable alternative, frequently with no long-term contract required.

How much is a phone bill per month? The average cell phone bill on the Big Three major carriers — Verizon, AT&T, and T-Mobile — is $57.60 in 2026, barely changed from $57.96 a year ago. That stability is welcome, but it still means $691.20 per year and $41,472 over a lifetime for a single line.

MVNOs offer a meaningfully cheaper option though. Mobile virtual network operators — carriers like Visible, Mint Mobile, and Tello — average $46.76 per month, saving roughly $130.08 per year per line, or about $7,804.80 over a lifetime.

MVNOs use the same network towers from the major carriers, but offer services under their own brand. They are often more affordable than major carriers. The tradeoffs may include reduced in-store support and limited options for device financing.

A notable change is that MVNO prices increased by 13% from an average price of $41.41 in 2025, so they aren't immune to increases. But the gap between them and the Big Three remains wide enough to make significant savings.

Data usage patterns are also shifting. Heavy data users consuming 40GB or more per month rose to 16% of respondents, up from 13% in 2025. At the other end, 11% said they rely on Wi-Fi and don't use cellular data at all — which raises the question of whether they need an unlimited plan in the first place.

How much is cable per month? The average TV bill is $101.79 — barely changed from $101.11 in 2025, and still the most expensive category. That's $1,221.48 per year and $73,288.80 over a lifetime — and no other category even comes close. Add streaming on top and the total hits $163.07 per month, accounting for roughly 58% of overall media spending.

How Americans watch TV is evolving faster than what they pay for it. Live TV streaming services — YouTube TV, Hulu + Live TV, Fubo, and others — are the most popular option at 36% of respondents, well ahead of traditional cable at 25%. Satellite TV usage sits at 12%, and 10% use an over-the-air antenna.

Live TV streaming services generally offer comparable channel lineups to cable without the equipment rental fees, professional installation, or multi-year contracts. They aren't cheap, costing more than $80 per month. However, they're more flexible, and you can cancel without a penalty if your budget tightens.

Streaming saw the steepest price increase of any category. The average reported spend jumped to $61.28 per month — up 18.51% from $51.71 in 2025. Median spending rose from $31.41 to $50.00. This could come from price hikes hitting broadly or heavy subscribers stacking multiple platforms.

81% of respondents use at least one paid streaming service, and 59% subscribe to three or more — roughly three services on average.

Subscribers are adapting to the changing prices:

• 57% of respondents say their monthly streaming costs are too high – down from 58% in 2025
• 57% say they chose a cheaper, ad-supported tier — up from 55% in 2025
• 52% signed up for a service just to watch a single show or movie
• 44% have canceled and later resubscribed
• 43% of respondents pay for a streaming service they rarely watch, up from 32% in 2025

Streaming fatigue is growing too:

• 37% of respondents agreeing they feel fatigued by the sheer volume of services and content, up from 31%.
• 46% said they plan to cut at least one streaming subscription in the next six months

Your costs vary depending on where you live and what you actually use, but there's room to cut in every category.