How Many Hours of Work Are Needed To Pay for the Internet?

A study by VPN provider Surfshark reveals that the least affordable internet on the planet is also often the worst. According to the analysis, Zimbabweans would have to work more than 72 hours a month on the average salary to be able to afford the cheapest monthly broadband contract available in the country. This is despite the fact that Zimbabwe has one of the worst broadband connection speeds found in the study that analyzes 121 countries.

Several Latin American countries suffer from the same problem. Although high prices for poor service may seem contradictory at first glance, the imbalance can be explained by poor infrastructure and lower internet penetration rates in some countries, which translate into a higher cost for a product that is not yet fully available.

As the following chart shows, Europe and North America both have countries with affordable and reliable internet connections. In the United States, just 51 minutes of work is needed to cover internet costs. Meanwhile, Romania stands out for its comparatively low internet prices, with a price equivalent to 18 minutes of work, and is a far cry from Greece, which requires an average of 3h 42 mins.