In 2016, Amazon announced its launch of Prime Video in over 200 countries. And with video streaming services becoming increasingly popular, we decided to check out whether Amazon Prime Video customers are getting a good deal for their money.
To determine this, we looked at several things:
- First, we ascertained the number of TV shows and movies available in 28 countries (according to current Just Watch figures). After adding the two figures together, we divided this number into the total cost of Amazon Prime Video per month in each country.
- Second, we analyzed the overall cost per month in each country to see how these figures compared (using the exchange rate at the time of publication).
So what did we find?
Perhaps most significantly, we found the number of titles per country varies dramatically – much more so than the overall costs of Prime Video. The lowest number of titles available (713) is in Singapore, while the highest number of titles available (18,246) is in the US. That’s 25 times more titles! And while viewers in Singapore do pay 66 percent less than US customers, Singapore is still the least cost-effective place to watch Prime Video.
Furthermore, both Australian and Canadian customers pay nearly 34 percent more per title than US customers.
But it’s not customers in the United States who are getting the most bang for their buck – it’s customers in the UK and Ireland.
How come?
Unlike all of the other countries where full Prime benefits (e.g. free shipping) are available and Prime Video is included, customers in the UK and Ireland are able to purchase Prime Video separately from Prime. This makes the service 29 percent cheaper than if they used it through Prime. And because it has the second-biggest library (11,066 titles), the UK is the most cost-effective place to watch Amazon Prime Video based on cost per title.
The top 10 places where Amazon Prime Video is good value for money
As we’ve seen, on a value for money basis (based on cost per title), the UK pips the US to the post – just! US customers pay nearly 3 percent more per title than UK customers (based on UK customers purchasing the Amazon Prime Video service on its own).
However, it’s those customers in Singapore who seem to get the rawest deal. They pay 172 percent more per title than UK customers!
Furthermore, the average cost per title (worldwide) is $0.00404 (£0.00314), meaning the average customer pays nearly 142 percent more than UK customers, while Singaporeans pay 78 percent more than the average.
Best value for money (cost per title)
| Rank | Country | No. of TV Shows | No. of Movies | Total Library Size | Cost Per Month (Local) | Cost Per Month ($) | Cost Per Month (£) | Av. Cost Per Title ($) | Av. Cost Per Title (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United Kingdom | 718 | 10348 | 11066 | GBP 5.99 | $7.68 | £5.99 | $0.00069 | £0.00054 |
| 2 | United States | 1343 | 16903 | 18246 | USD 12.99* | $12.99 | £10.12 | $0.00071 | £0.00055 |
| 3 | India | 414 | 1937 | 2351 | RS 129* | $1.76 | £1.37 | $0.00075 | £0.00058 |
| 4 | Canada | 537 | 5593 | 6130 | CDN 7.99* | $6.11 | £4.76 | $0.00100 | £0.00078 |
| 5 | Australia | 428 | 4512 | 4940 | AUD 6.99* | $4.96 | £3.87 | $0.00100 | £0.00078 |
| 6 | New Zealand | 416 | 4321 | 4737 | USD 5.99 | $5.99 | £4.67 | $0.00126 | £0.00099 |
| 7 | South Africa | 374 | 3876 | 4250 | USD 5.99 | $5.99 | £4.67 | $0.00141 | £0.00110 |
| 8 | Sweden | 377 | 3961 | 4338 | EUR 5.99 | $6.83 | £5.32 | $0.00157 | £0.00123 |
| 9 | Finland | 376 | 3962 | 4338 | EUR 5.99 | $6.83 | £5.32 | $0.00157 | £0.00123 |
| 10 | Norway | 372 | 3936 | 4308 | EUR 5.99 | $6.83 | £5.32 | $0.00159 | £0.00123 |
We’ve also included the cost-effectiveness (or lack of) in 18 other countries, according to Just Watch figures:
Mid to worst value for money (cost per title)
| Country | No. of TV Shows | No. of Movies | Total Library Size | Cost Per Month (Local) | Cost Per Month ($) | Cost Per Month (£) | Av. Cost Per Title ($) | Av. Cost Per Title (£) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | 370 | 3931 | 4301 | EUR 5.99 | $6.83 | £5.32 | $0.00159 | £0.00124 |
| Ireland | 416 | 4175 | 4591 | GBP 5.99 | $7.68 | £5.99 | $0.00167 | £0.00130 |
| Mexico | 228 | 1518 | 1746 | 99 MXN* | $5.09 | £3.97 | $0.00292 | £0.00227 |
| Brazil | 204 | 1144 | 1348 | BRL 14.90* | $4.06 | £3.16 | $0.00301 | £0.00234 |
| Germany | 486 | 2506 | 2992 | EUR 7.99* | $9.11 | £7.10 | $0.00304 | £0.00237 |
| Austria | 479 | 2497 | 2976 | EUR 7.99* | $9.11 | £7.10 | $0.00306 | £0.00239 |
| Italy | 220 | 1207 | 1427 | EUR 4.99* | $5.69 | £4.43 | $0.00399 | £0.00310 |
| Japan | 358 | 400 | 758 | 400 Yen* | $3.57 | £2.78 | $0.00471 | £0.00367 |
| Spain | 238 | 859 | 1097 | EUR 4.99 | $5.69 | £4.43 | $0.00519 | £0.00404 |
| France | 243 | 1026 | 1269 | EUR 5.99* | $6.83 | £5.32 | $0.00538 | £0.00419 |
| Switzerland | 254 | 1269 | 1523 | EUR 7.99* | $9.11 | £7.10 | $0.00598 | £0.00466 |
| South Korea | 166 | 617 | 783 | USD 5.99 | $5.99 | £4.67 | $0.00765 | £0.00596 |
| Russia | 177 | 606 | 783 | EUR 5.99 | $6.83 | £5.32 | $0.00872 | £0.00679 |
| Estonia | 176 | 597 | 773 | EUR 5.99 | $6.83 | £5.32 | $0.00884 | £0.00688 |
| Netherlands | 180 | 592 | 772 | EUR 5.99* | $6.83 | £5.32 | $0.00885 | £0.00689 |
| Lithuania | 176 | 596 | 772 | EUR 5.99 | $6.83 | £5.32 | $0.00885 | £0.00689 |
| Latvia | 175 | 595 | 770 | EUR 5.99 | $6.83 | £5.32 | $0.00887 | £0.00691 |
| Singapore | 172 | 541 | 713 | SGD 8.99* | $6.54 | £5.08 | $0.00917 | £0.00712 |
The top 10 cheapest places to get Amazon Prime Video
If we compare the overall cost per month of Amazon Prime Video around the world, India is by far the cheapest place to get it. At a cost of just $1.76 (£1.37) per month, it’s $11.23 or £4.62 cheaper than the US or UK, respectively.
When it comes to how much Amazon Prime Video is per month, the US and UK don’t come close to the top at all, with the US ranking as the most expensive place and the UK ranking as the 22nd cheapest place. In fact, compared to the average cost per month ($6.56 or £5.11), the UK is nearly 16 percent more expensive than average and the US is nearly a whopping 66 percent more expensive!
In stark contrast, India is 115 percent cheaper than average – and we can’t account this to it having the most limited library. Rather, India boasts 2,351 titles, which is approximately 230 percent larger than Singapore’s measly library of 713.
Where is Amazon Prime Video the cheapest?
| Rank | Country | Cost Per Month (Local) | Cost Per Month ($) | Cost Per Month (£) | Comparison to Average | Average Person’s Wages | APV Yearly Cost in Relation to Average Person’s Income | Country’s GDP per Capita | APV Yearly Cost in Relation to GDP per Capita |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | India | RS 129 | $1.76 | £1.37 | 73% cheaper | $1,820 | 1.16% | $1,939 | 1.09% |
| 2 | Japan | 400 Yen | $3.57 | £2.78 | 46% cheaper | $40,863 | 0.10% | $38,428 | 0.11% |
| 3 | Brazil | BRL 14.90 | $4.06 | £3.16 | 38% cheaper | $8,580 | 0.57% | $9,821 | 0.50% |
| 4 | Australia | AUD 6.99 | $4.96 | £3.87 | 24% cheaper | $49,126 | 0.12% | $53,800 | 0.11% |
| 5 | Mexico | 99 MXN | $5.09 | £3.97 | 22% cheaper | $15,314 | 0.40% | $8,902 | 0.69% |
| 6 | Italy | EUR 4.99 | $5.69 | £4.43 | 13% cheaper | $36,658 | 0.19% | $31,953 | 0.21% |
| 7 | Spain | EUR 4.99 | $5.69 | £4.43 | 13% cheaper | $38,507 | 0.18% | $28,157 | 0.24% |
| 8 | New Zealand | USD 5.99 | $5.99 | £4.67 | 9% cheaper | $40,043 | 0.18% | $42,941 | 0.17% |
| 9 | South Africa | USD 5.99 | $5.99 | £4.67 | 9% cheaper | $5,430 | 1.32% | $6,161 | 1.39% |
| 10 | South Korea | USD 5.99 | $5.99 | £4.67 | 9% cheaper | $35,191 | 0.20% | $29,743 | 0.24% |
The top 10 most expensive places to get Amazon Prime Video
As we’ve seen, the US is the most expensive place to get Amazon Prime Video, which is likely due to the fact that you aren’t just getting Prime Video as part of this service. You’ll automatically receive access to its music library, free delivery, and various other perks. However, that doesn’t help if you only want to access its library of videos (which is pretty extensive!).
Other top-paying countries include Germany, Austria, and Switzerland (again, all of which are paying for full Prime membership). If you live in one of these three countries, you’ll pay $2.55 or £1.99 (approximately 33 percent) more than the average customer. This is $7.35 or £5.73 (approximately 135 percent) more than the cheapest place, India.
Where is Amazon Prime Video most expensive?
| Rank | Country | Cost Per Month (Local) | Cost Per Month ($) | Cost Per Month (£) | Comparison to Average | Average Person’s Wages | APV Yearly Cost in Relation to Average Person’s Income | Country’s GDP per Capita | APV Yearly Cost in Relation to GDP per Capita |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | United States | USD 12.99 | $12.99 | £10.12 | 98% more | $60,558 | 0.26% | $59,532 | 0.26% |
| 2 | Germany | EUR 7.99 | $9.11 | £7.10 | 39% more | $47,585 | 0.23% | $44,470 | 0.25% |
| 3 | Austria | EUR 7.99 | $9.11 | £7.10 | 39% more | $50,349 | 0.22% | $47,291 | 0.23% |
| 4 | Switzerland | EUR 7.99 | $9.11 | £7.10 | 39% more | $62,283 | 0.18% | $80,189 | 0.14% |
| 5 | United Kingdom | GBP 5.99 | $7.68 | £5.99 | 17% more | $43,732 | 0.21% | $39,720 | 0.23% |
| 6 | Ireland | GBP 5.99 | $7.68 | £5.99 | 17% more | $47,653 | 0.19% | $69,330 | 0.13% |
| 7 | Sweden | EUR 5.99 | $6.83 | £5.32 | 4% more | $42,393 | 0.19% | $53,442 | 0.15% |
| 8 | Finland | EUR 5.99 | $6.83 | £5.32 | 4% more | $42,964 | 0.19% | $45,703 | 0.18% |
| 9 | Norway | EUR 5.99 | $6.83 | £5.32 | 4% more | $51,212 | 0.16% | $75,504 | 0.11% |
| 10 | Denmark | EUR 5.99 | $6.83 | £5.32 | 4% more | $51,466 | 0.16% | $56,307 | 0.15% |
How to watch the US Amazon Prime Video library
While you can get cheaper subscriptions in the likes of India and Japan, you will get a much smaller library size as well. Based on all of the above figures, you’re going to get the best value for money in the UK. That being said, US Prime Video subscribers enjoy by far the biggest library.
And while a move to another country to access this library may be out of the question, you could consider using a VPN. Not all VPNs will work but we maintain a list of VPNs that do work with the US version of Amazone Prime Video, which you can find here.
Sources:
https://data.oecd.org/earnwage/average-wages.htm