Streaming Service Price Comparison — Every Major Service (And What You're Actually Paying Around the World)

Here's something the streaming services would rather you didn't know: you and your neighbour in another country might be paying completely different prices for the exact same Netflix, Disney+, or Max subscription. Same shows. Same app. Wildly different bills.

This isn't some obscure loophole. It's just how global pricing works — companies charge what the local market will bear. And if you're living abroad, travelling long-term, or just savvy about where your money goes, it's genuinely worth understanding what you're actually paying versus what you could be paying.

We've pulled together current pricing for every major streaming service, laid it out in plain tables, and explained where region restrictions bite hardest — and how to do something about them.

The Big Picture: Why Streaming Prices Differ By Country

Streaming platforms set prices country by country based on local purchasing power, competition, and what they think people will pay. India gets dirt-cheap Netflix. Turkey has historically been one of the cheapest markets in the world for multiple services. Meanwhile, Scandinavia and Australia often pay the most — sometimes more than the US.

On top of price differences, there are content differences. A show might be on Netflix US but completely absent from Netflix UK, because the local rights are owned by someone else. So you're paying more and getting less. That's the double frustration most people don't realise they're dealing with.

Every Major Streaming Service — Price Comparison Table

All prices are monthly, in the service's primary billing currency. We've added USD equivalents where the primary currency isn't dollars. Prices correct at time of writing — always worth checking the service directly, as these shift.

Netflix

That India-to-US gap on Premium is enormous. You're looking at roughly $7.70 versus $22.99 for identical 4K streaming. Netflix has cracked down on people exploiting this, but the price difference is real and legal if you're actually in that country.

Disney+

Max (formerly HBO Max)

Max is still rolling out internationally, which means a lot of readers simply can't get it at all — and that's where region restrictions go from being a pricing annoyance to a total block.

Apple TV+

Apple TV+ pricing is relatively consistent globally, which makes sense — Apple operates as a premium brand everywhere and doesn't want to undercut itself. Content library, however, is the same everywhere, which is refreshingly fair.

Amazon Prime Video

Paramount+

When Price Differences Become Total Blocks

Pricing gaps are frustrating. But what really gets people is when a service flat-out refuses to work in your country. Max isn't available in most of Europe or Asia. Peacock (NBC's streaming service) is US-only. Hulu is essentially locked to the US. DAZN's sports rights vary so dramatically by region that it's almost a different product depending on where you are.

This is where a VPN stops being a money-saving tool and becomes a necessity.

The VPN Fix — And Why It Actually Works Here

A VPN routes your internet connection through a server in another country, so streaming services see that server's location instead of yours. If you connect through a US server, Netflix thinks you're in the US. Simple as that.

We'd recommend NordVPN for this — and not just because it's what we work with. It's specifically because NordVPN has a large, regularly-refreshed server network that streaming services haven't been able to block consistently. Netflix, Disney+, Max, Hulu — NordVPN handles all of them. It's also fast enough that you won't notice it running in the background during a 4K stream.

NordVPN costs around $3.99–$6.99/month (about £3.20–£5.50 / €3.70–€6.40) depending on the plan length, with the two-year plan being the best value. That's less than a single month of Netflix Standard in most countries.

If NordVPN doesn't suit you, ExpressVPN is the other reliable option for streaming — it's more expensive (around $8.32/month / ~£6.60 / €7.70 on an annual plan) but has excellent device support. Surfshark is the budget pick at roughly $2.49/month (~£2.00 / €2.30) on a long plan, and it works, though it's less consistent with tricky services like Hulu.

Setting Up NordVPN on Desktop

1. Go to NordVPN.com and sign up for a plan.
2. Download the app for Windows or Mac from your account dashboard.
3. Install and open it, then log in.
4. In the server list, click on the country whose streaming library you want to access.
5. Once connected, open your browser and go to the streaming service. It should now show that country's content and pricing.

Setting Up NordVPN on iPhone or iPad (iOS)

1. Download NordVPN from the App Store.
2. Log in with your account.
3. Tap the country you want, then tap "Connect."
4. iOS will ask permission to add a VPN configuration — allow it.
5. Open the streaming app. Done.

One catch on iOS: if you want to access a streaming app that isn't available in your local App Store, you'll need to create a second Apple ID registered to that country. Annoying, but it's a one-time setup.

Setting Up NordVPN on Android

1. Download NordVPN from the Google Play Store.
2. Log in, select a country, and connect.
3. Open the streaming app.

Android is more flexible than iOS here — you can sideload APKs for apps that aren't in your local Play Store, which means fewer workarounds overall.

Smart TV Setup

Smart TVs are trickier because most don't support VPN apps directly. Your best two options are:

• Router-level VPN: Set up NordVPN on your home router. Every device on your network then goes through the VPN automatically, including your TV. NordVPN has setup guides for most major router brands.
• Streaming stick: A Fire TV Stick or Nvidia Shield runs Android, which means you can install NordVPN directly on it. Much easier than the router route.

Why Free VPNs Won't Cut It Here

Free VPNs get blocked almost immediately by Netflix and the others because they use a small pool of IP addresses that are easy to detect and blacklist. You'll connect, you'll see the streaming site, and then you'll get an error or a proxy-detected message. Every time.

Beyond that, free VPNs are genuinely risky — many fund themselves by logging and selling your browsing data. You're trying to save money on a streaming subscription, not trade your privacy for it.

Common Problems and Fixes

"I connected to the VPN but Netflix still shows my local library." Clear your browser cookies and cache, then reload. Sometimes the site has a cached version of your location. Or try a different NordVPN server in the same country.

"The streaming service says it detects a proxy." Switch servers — NordVPN has multiple servers per country. Try one labelled specifically for streaming in the app (these are the optimised ones).

"My stream is buffering constantly." You're probably connected to a congested server. Disconnect, pick a different server in the same region, and reconnect. Also, close other