Seoul's 4G smartphone plans for 20GB and 50GB data usage are the highest among six major cities worldwide. However, for plans exceeding 100GB and unlimited data, New York and Düsseldorf have higher rates, resulting in varying rankings across different categories.
According to a report by Japan's Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications on September 27, the leading provider in Seoul, SK Telecom, charges 6,916 yen for a 20GB 4G plan, the highest among the cities surveyed. This is followed by New York at 6,684 yen, Düsseldorf at 4,037 yen, London at 3,259 yen, Tokyo at 2,974 yen, and Paris at 2,495 yen. For a 50GB plan, Seoul again ranks first at 6,916 yen, with Düsseldorf at 6,732 yen, New York at 6,684 yen, Tokyo at 4,954 yen, London at 3,686 yen, and Paris at 3,465 yen. In the 100GB category, Düsseldorf leads at 8,080 yen, with Seoul in second place. For unlimited plans, Düsseldorf charges 11,450 yen, Tokyo 9,332 yen, and Seoul 8,754 yen, while Paris does not offer an unlimited plan.
For 5G plans, Seoul's 20GB rate is 4,902 yen, placing it second after New York's 6,684 yen. Seoul ranks third for both 50GB and 100GB plans at 5,603 yen, and for unlimited plans, it is also third at 7,237 yen, following Düsseldorf and Tokyo.
Seoul's consistent pricing of 6,916 yen for both 20GB and 50GB plans is due to the application of the cheapest available plan that offers more than the specified data limit. SK Telecom's 'T Plan Special' (with a 24-month contract and a 25% discount) applies across all categories. In Tokyo, the NTT Docomo Ahamo plan (30GB, with a high-capacity option of 110GB) is used, while Paris utilizes the Orange 20GB plan (with a 120GB 5G plan for over 50GB).
The Ministry compared the lowest rates among the top three to four providers in each city. Under this criterion, Seoul ranks second for both 4G and 5G in the 20GB, 50GB, and 100GB categories, while it has the highest rate for unlimited plans. For 5G, the 20GB rate in Seoul is 4,202 yen, compared to New York's 5,656 yen. The unlimited rates are 6,350 yen for 5G (New York at 5,757 yen) and 7,791 yen for 4G (New York at 5,757 yen). The lowest rates in Seoul come from KT and LG Uplus, with both offering similar pricing for 5G 20GB plans, while KT has the lowest unlimited plan.
The survey was based on rates as of December 2025 in Seoul, Tokyo, New York, London, Paris, and Düsseldorf. The Ministry noted that pricing structures vary by country and that payment amounts differ based on usage patterns, suggesting that the findings should be viewed as one of several indicators. The usage model reflects the actual conditions in Japan. A survey conducted by the Korea Consumer Agency last October found that the median data usage among domestic consumers was 28GB, with 40.4% using unlimited plans.
* This article has been translated by AI.
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