For many, Netflix is a popular pastime. But with such dramatic differences in the number of TV shows and movies available in each country, we decided to investigate which countries get the most bang for their buck.
To gather this data, we’ve taken a look at several different factors.
First, we’ve looked at the figures based on the number of TV shows and movies available in 24 countries (according to current uNoGS figures). Adding these two together, we’ve got the total number of titles available, which we’ve divided into the cost per month to establish how much each title costs Netflix users.
Second, we’ve evaluated the standard cost per month in each country and how this shapes up against others (based on current exchange rates at the time of writing).
The results?
Not only does the number of available titles vary widely between countries, so too does the value for money customers get from their Netflix subscriptions. With a difference of 230 percent between the least cost-effective and most cost-effective countries, it’s clear some customers are getting a raw deal.
At present, UK customers pay 7 percent more per title than US-based viewers, as do Australians.
Despite this, it’s not US customers that are getting the best value for their money, even though it has the second-biggest library. Due to the cheap price and number of titles available, Japan is actually the most cost-effective country to watch Netflix in, with US and UK customers paying 40 percent more per title than Japanese customers. This is largely due to the fact that Japan has the highest number of titles (thanks to its extensive library of anime).
Top 10 places where Netflix is good value for money
When it comes to value for money, Japan wins hands down on cost-per-title value. With nearly 6,000 titles available (which is more than any other country), each title is around 40 percent cheaper than what US and UK customers are paying.
The real sense of injustice comes when you look at a country like Norway that has almost half the library size of Japan. This means Norwegian customers pay 230 percent more per title compared to Japanese customers and around 135 percent more than US and UK customers.
Furthermore, the average cost of a title (worldwide) is $0.0023. This means the average customer worldwide pays 130 percent more per title than Japanese customers, while Norwegian customers pay 43 percent more than average.
Shouldn’t you pay less to watch less?
| 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 | Japan | 1372 | 4614 | 5986 | JPY 650 | $5.86 | £4.46 | $0.0010 | £0.0007 |
| 2 | Canada | 1523 | 3956 | 5479 | CAD 8.99 | $6.90 | £5.25 | $0.0013 | £0.0010 |
| 3 | Brazil | 1027 | 2929 | 3956 | BRL 19.90 | $5.36 | £4.09 | $0.0014 | £0.0010 |
| 4 | United States | 1682 | 4064 | 5746 | USD 7.99 | $7.99 | £6.08 | $0.0014 | £0.0011 |
| 5 | India | 1465 | 3550 | 5015 | INR 500 | $7.28 | £5.55 | $0.0015 | £0.0011 |
| 6 | Australia | 1520 | 3409 | 4929 | AUD 9.99 | $7.40 | £5.64 | $0.0015 | £0.0011 |
| 7 | United Kingdom | 1566 | 3664 | 5230 | GBP 5.99 | $7.87 | £5.99 | $0.0015 | £0.0011 |
| 8 | Singapore | 1186 | 2422 | 3608 | SGD 10.98 | $8.01 | £6.17 | $0.0022 | £0.0017 |
| 9 | Hungary | 1291 | 2861 | 4152 | EUR 7.99 | $9.34 | £7.12 | $0.0022 | £0.0017 |
| 10 | Slovakia | 1292 | 2857 | 4149 | EUR 7.99 | $9.34 | £7.12 | $0.0023 | £0.0017 |
How cost-effective are other countries? We’ve compared another 14 countries below based on uNoGS figures (customers in Spain, Sweden, Italy, Poland, and Norway may want to look away now):
| 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 £ |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Czech Republic | 1288 | 2858 | 4146 | EUR 7.99 | $9.34 | £7.12 | $0.0023 | £0.0017 |
| Thailand | 1173 | 2529 | 3702 | 280.00 THB | $8.41 | £6.40 | $0.0023 | £0.0017 |
| Russia | 1276 | 2789 | 4065 | EUR 7.99 | $9.34 | £7.12 | $0.0023 | £0.0018 |
| Lithuania | 1281 | 2703 | 3984 | EUR 7.99 | $9.34 | £7.12 | $0.0023 | £0.0018 |
| Israel | 966 | 2339 | 3305 | NIS 29.90 | $8.16 | £6.21 | $0.0025 | £0.0019 |
| Hong Kong | 959 | 2022 | 2981 | HKD 63 | $8.03 | £6.12 | $0.0027 | £0.0021 |
| France | 1049 | 2382 | 3431 | EUR 7.99 | $9.34 | £7.12 | $0.0027 | £0.0021 |
| Germany | 956 | 2448 | 3404 | EUR 7.99 | $9.34 | £7.12 | $0.0027 | £0.0021 |
| Netherlands | 912 | 2378 | 3290 | EUR 7.99 | $9.34 | £7.12 | $0.0028 | £0.0022 |
| Spain | 927 | 2233 | 3160 | EUR 7.99 | $9.34 | £7.12 | $0.0030 | £0.0023 |
| Sweden | 899 | 2533 | 3432 | SEK 89 | $10.17 | £7.74 | $0.0030 | £0.0023 |
| Italy | 797 | 2334 | 3131 | EUR 7.99 | $9.34 | £7.12 | $0.0030 | £0.0023 |
| Poland | 859 | 2106 | 2965 | 34.00 zł | $9.33 | £7.10 | $0.0031 | £0.0024 |
| Norway | 822 | 2496 | 3318 | NOK 89 | $10.95 | £8.33 | $0.0033 | £0.0025 |
Top 10 cheapest places to get Netflix
When comparing the cost per month of Netflix around the world, the cheapest place to watch Netflix is Turkey. At a cost per month of $3.27 (£2.49), it’s $4.72 or £3.50 cheaper than the US and UK, respectively – that’s almost 60 percent!
In fact, on a cost-per-month basis, the US and UK don’t fare too well, with the US ranking as the 26th cheapest place and the UK as the 25th. This is probably due to Netflix using the US, UK, Canada et. all to subsidize its growth elsewhere.
However, the US and UK are 3.6 and 5 percent cheaper than average, respectively, with the average monthly cost for Netflix being $8.29 (£6.44).
| Country | Cost Per Month (Local) | Cost Per Month $ | Cost Per Month £ | Comparison to Average | Average Person’s Wages | Netflix Yearly Cost in Relation to Average Person’s Income | Country’s GDP per Capita | Netflix Yearly Cost in Relation to GDP per Capita |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | 15.99 TL | $3.27 | £2.49 | 61% cheaper | $10,930 | 0.36% | $10,540 | 0.37% |
| Argentina | ARS 129 | $4.72 | £3.60 | 43% cheaper | $13,040 | 0.43% | $14,401 | 0.39% |
| Brazil | BRL 19.90 | $5.36 | £4.09 | 35% cheaper | $8,580 | 0.75% | $9,821 | 0.65% |
| Japan | JPY 650 | $5.86 | £4.46 | 29% cheaper | $40,863 | 0.17% | $38,428 | 0.18% |
| Mexico | MXN 109 | $5.88 | £4.48 | 29% cheaper | $15,314 | 0.46% | $8,902 | 0.79% |
| Colombia | COP 16,900 | $5.89 | £4.48 | 29% cheaper | $5,830 | 1.21% | $6,301 | 1.12% |
| Canada | CAD 8.99 | $6.90 | £5.25 | 17% cheaper | $47,622 | 0.17% | $45,032 | 0.18% |
| Philippines | PHP 370 | $6.97 | £5.30 | 16% cheaper | $3,660 | 2.29% | $2,988 | 2.80% |
| Chile | CPL 4,590 | $7.14 | £5.44 | 14% cheaper | $25,879 | 0.33% | $15,346 | 0.56% |
| India | INR 500 | $7.28 | £5.55 | 12% cheaper | $1,820 | 4.8% | $1,939 | 4.50% |
Figures based on Netflix prices and currency conversion as of August 2018
Top 10 most expensive places to get Netflix
In contrast to the above, the most expensive monthly costs for Netflix are found in the below areas, which, if you look closely, are primarily made up of Nordic countries and their neighbors.
According to these statistics, if you live in Denmark, Greenland, or the Faroe Islands, you’re paying $4.38 or £3.44 (approximately 55 percent) more for the privilege of Netflix access than the US. This is $9.10 or £6.94 (approximately 74 percent) more than the cheapest place, Turkey. And as we’ve already seen, you’re probably being given access to a far more limited library, as well.
| Country | Cost Per Month (Local) | Cost Per Month $ | Cost Per Month £ | Comparison to Average | Average Person’s Wages | Netflix Yearly Cost in Relation to Average Person’s Income | Country’s GDP per Capita | Netflix Yearly Cost in Relation to GDP per Capita |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Denmark | DKK 79 | $12.37 | £9.43 | 49% more | $51,466 | 0.29% | $56,307 | 0.26% |
| Greenland | DKK 79 | $12.37 | £9.43 | 49% more | $33,000 | 0.45% | $48,159 | 0.31% |
| Faroe Islands | DKK 79 | $12.37 | £9.43 | 49% more | $48,972 | 0.30% | $50,581 | 0.29% |
| Switzerland | CHF 11.90 | $12.04 | £9.17 | 45% more | $62,283 | 0.23% | $80,189 | 0.18% |
| Liechtenstein | CHF 11.90 | $12.04 | £9.17 | 45% more | $77,915 | 0.19% | $168,146 | 0.09% |
| Norway | NOK 89 | $10.95 | £8.33 | 32% more | $51,212 | 0.26% | $75,504 | 0.17% |
| Sweden | SEK 89 | $10.17 | £7.74 | 23% more | $42,393 | 0.29% | $53,442 | 0.22% |
| Ireland | EUR 7.99 | $9.34 | £7.12 | 13% more | $47,653 | 0.24% | $69,330 | 0.16% |
| Finland | EUR 7.99 | $9.34 | £7.12 | 13% more | $42,964 | 0.26% | $45,703 | 0.25% |
| Belgium | EUR 7,99 | $9.34 | £7.12 | 13% more | $49,675 | 0.23% | $43,323 | 0.26% |
How many opt for Netflix’s higher-tier premium services?
Netflix’s recent subscriber data revealed that more people are signing up to its premium services. According to the estimates, 30% of subscribers use the premium service, which has increased by 21% since the end of 2017 and is likely due to the price increase that happened last October.
What do you get for each service?
- Basic: Watch standard-definition videos on one screen at a time.
- Standard: Watch high-definition videos on two screens at a time.
- Premium: Watch ultra-high-definition videos on four screens at a time.
Where should you opt to watch Netflix?
Based on all of the above, it’s clear Japan is the best place to tune into Netflix. While Turkey is considerably cheaper than other places, its library is a little more limited. So if you want the maximum number of titles available and at an affordable rate, a move to Japan (or a good VPN) may be on the cards.
Sources:
https://data.oecd.org/earnwage/average-wages.htm
https://www.worlddata.info/average-income.php
https://www.liechtenstein.li/en/economy/facts-and-figures/
https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2016/04/21/475003055/numbers-lie-even-more-than-usual-in-greenland
https://www.salaryexpert.com/salary/area/denmark/torshavn–faroe-islands
https://www.worldbank.org