Home internet costs about $720 to $3,120 over two years in October 2026, based on the starting prices on each provider’s own page. That is our arithmetic: monthly price times 24, before taxes and fees. The low end is Verizon Fios 300 Mbps at $30 a month with a Verizon mobile plan. The high end is Starlink’s Max tier at $130 a month. Most of the difference comes down to promo length. Some prices are locked for five years, and some jump after twelve months. This guide covers cable, fiber, 5G home internet and Starlink: the monthly price, equipment and install charges where the provider states them, and what each totals over two years.
Cable: Xfinity and Spectrum
Cable is the most common type, and the two big names price very differently.
Xfinity (xfinity.com, checked October 2026) lists 300 Mbps at $45 a month, 500 Mbps at $60 and 1 Gig at $70, each with a 5-Year Price Guarantee and no annual contract. The page says WiFi equipment and unlimited data are included. Those prices require autopay from a stored bank account and paperless billing, and taxes and fees are extra. We did not find an install fee on the page, so we leave it out.
Spectrum (spectrum.com, checked October 2026) lists Internet 100 at $30 a month for one year, 500 at $40 for one year and 1 Gig at $60 for one year. It offers a free modem, no contracts and no data caps. Its Advanced WiFi is a $10 monthly add-on. The page does not give the regular price after year one, only that standard rates apply, so we can only give the first-year total.
| Plan | Price | Promo length | 2-year total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Xfinity 300 Mbps | $45 | 5 years | $1,080 |
| Xfinity 500 Mbps | $60 | 5 years | $1,440 |
| Xfinity 1 Gig | $70 | 5 years | $1,680 |
| Spectrum 100 | $30 | 1 year | $360 for year one, plus 12 x regular rate |
| Spectrum 500 | $40 | 1 year | $480 for year one, plus 12 x regular rate |
| Spectrum 1 Gig | $60 | 1 year | $720 for year one, plus 12 x regular rate |
For Spectrum, ask what the post-promo rate is before you sign and plug it in: two-year total = promo price x 12 + regular price x 12 (our formula). The Xfinity number is simple because the price is locked.
Fiber: Verizon Fios and AT&T Fiber
Verizon Fios (verizon.com, checked October 2026) lists 300 Mbps at $30 a month with a Verizon mobile plan, which requires Auto Pay. Verizon advertises a 3-year price guarantee and says there are “no hidden fees or equipment charges”. It also lists a $300 Amazon gift card with Fios 5 Gig, online only, and a 12-month Disney+, Hulu and ESPN+ perk that then costs $12 a month. Two years at $30 is $720 (our arithmetic). We did not verify the price without a mobile plan.
AT&T Fiber (att.com, checked October 2026) lists 300 Mbps at $50 a month after a $10 monthly discount for eligible Autopay and paperless billing, applied within two bills. Taxes and fees are extra. Two years at $50 is about $1,200 (our arithmetic), and could be up to $20 higher before the discount lands.
The pattern with fiber is that a mobile bundle changes the price. If you are weighing your phone line at the same time, see our cell phone plan cost guide, because Verizon’s $30 only holds if the phone plan comes with it.
5G Home Internet: T-Mobile, Verizon and AT&T Internet Air
5G home service uses a cellular signal, so it avoids install visits but depends on your local signal.
Verizon 5G Home Internet is $35 a month with any Verizon mobile plan, per the same Verizon page, with Auto Pay required. Two years is $840 (our arithmetic). We did not verify the price without a mobile plan.
AT&T Internet Air (att.com, checked October 2026) lists “starting at $55/mo” with AutoPay and Paperless, $0 for self-setup, plus taxes and fees. That makes two years $1,320 (our arithmetic). The page did not disclose an equipment fee, so ask before ordering.
T-Mobile 5G Home Internet (t-mobile.com, checked October 2026) shows its base price only after an address check, and we could not load it, so we do not give a price or a total. The page says a T-Mobile phone plan with AutoPay saves $15 a month, lists a 5-year price guarantee with exclusions such as taxes and fees, and adds $10 a month for an Amplified tier. Check your address on T-Mobile’s site and multiply the quoted price by 24.
Starlink
Starlink (starlink.com/us, rechecked October 11, 2026) lists Residential 100 Mbps from $55 a month, 200 Mbps from $85 and Max, up to 400 Mbps or more, from $130. The current page advertises professional home installation for 200 Mbps and Max. We could not verify a universal hardware charge, so the totals below cover service alone. Prices are starting figures and availability depends on location. Our Starlink ownership cost guide adds the newer V5 hardware’s electricity use and explains address-specific extras.
| Starlink tier | Monthly | 2-year total |
|---|---|---|
| Residential 100 | from $55 | $1,320 |
| Residential 200 | from $85 | $2,040 |
| Max | from $130 | $3,120 |
All Providers Side by Side
Our arithmetic on posted starting prices, before taxes and fees, over 24 months:
| Provider and plan | Monthly | 2-year total |
|---|---|---|
| Verizon Fios 300 (with mobile plan) | $30 | $720 |
| Verizon 5G Home (with mobile plan) | $35 | $840 |
| Xfinity 300 | $45 | $1,080 |
| AT&T Fiber 300 | $50 | about $1,200 |
| AT&T Internet Air | $55 | $1,320 |
| Starlink Residential 100 | $55 | $1,320 |
| Xfinity 1 Gig | $70 | $1,680 |
| Starlink Max | $130 | $3,120 |
Speeds are not equal in this table, so the lowest price is not automatically the best value. Fiber and cable tiers are quoted at different download speeds, and availability at your address decides which row applies.
Equipment, Briefly
Equipment is a smaller slice but not zero. Xfinity says WiFi equipment is included, Spectrum includes a modem free but charges $10 a month for Advanced WiFi (our arithmetic: $240 over two years), and Verizon says no equipment charges. A modem plus router draws about 15 W, which our vampire power guide prices at about $24.06 a year, so roughly $48 over two years at 18.31 cents per kWh (our arithmetic). If you want your own router or a mesh system, see our mesh Wi-Fi versus router cost guide. For trimming the power slice, our guide to lowering your electric bill has the larger levers.
Promo Price Versus Regular Price
A promo price only matters for as long as it holds. Xfinity, Verizon and T-Mobile advertise guarantees of 5, 3 and 5 years respectively, which cover the whole two-year window we use. Spectrum’s year-one pricing does not, so your second year is the unknown. A $10 a month difference that appears in year two adds $120 to the total (our arithmetic). Also check whether the price needs autopay or a mobile plan, since losing either can raise the bill. Streaming services add to the monthly total; see our streaming prices guide before you pay for a faster tier you do not need.
The Bottom Line
Over two years, internet runs about $720 for a Verizon bundle on Fios 300 to $3,120 for Starlink Max. Cable with a locked rate, such as Xfinity at $1,080 to $1,680, sits in the middle, and AT&T’s two options land around $1,200 to $1,320. The three things that move the number are the promo length, the bundle or autopay conditions and your address. Get the post-promo price in writing, confirm equipment and install charges and then multiply by 24. Our methods are in how we estimate costs.
FAQ
How much does home internet cost per month in 2026?
From the providers’ pages in October 2026, starting prices run from $30 (Verizon Fios 300 with a mobile plan) to $130 (Starlink Max). Xfinity is $45 to $70, AT&T Internet Air starts at $55, and Spectrum starts at $30 for the first year. Taxes and fees are extra.
Is fiber cheaper than cable?
Not consistently. Among the starting prices we read, Verizon Fios 300 at $30 with a mobile plan is below Xfinity 300 at $45, while AT&T Fiber 300 at $50 is above it. Bundles, later prices and availability at your address determine the comparison.
Do I have to pay for a modem or router?
It depends on the provider. Xfinity says WiFi equipment is included, Verizon says there are no equipment charges, and Spectrum includes a modem free but charges $10 a month for Advanced WiFi. AT&T’s Internet Air page did not state an equipment fee, so ask.
How much does Starlink cost per month?
Starlink’s US page checked October 11 shows Residential 100 from $55, Residential 200 from $85 and Max from $130 a month. It advertises professional installation for 200 and Max. Hardware charges depend on the actual offer; electricity and taxes are additional costs.