Home Internet 2-Year Cost Comparison 2026: Cable vs Fiber vs 5G vs Starlink

Over two years, the cheapest home internet is usually the plan with a locked price, not the one with the lowest sticker. Using prices posted on October 14, 2026, a 300 Mbps Verizon Fios plan comes to about $720 over 24 months, Xfinity 300 Mbps to $1,080, and T-Mobile's Rely 5G plan to $1,200. Spectrum Internet 500 starts at $40 a month but rises after year one, so it lands near $1,500. Starlink's 100 Mbps plan is $1,320 before hardware.

The gap grows at gigabit speeds and in rural areas, where satellite plans cost the most. The tables below turn each provider's posted prices into a 24-month total so you can compare what you would really pay.

Two-year cost by plan (prices as of October 14, 2026)

Plan	Type	Monthly price	How long the price holds	24-month total
Verizon Fios 300 Mbps	Fiber	$30	3-year price guarantee	$720
Xfinity 300 Mbps	Cable	$45	5-year price guarantee	$1,080
T-Mobile 5G Rely	5G home internet	$50 ($35 with a T-Mobile voice line)	5-year price guarantee	$1,200 ($840 with a voice line)
Starlink Residential 100 Mbps (select areas)	Satellite	$55	Month to month	$1,320 plus hardware
Spectrum Internet 500	Cable	$40 in year 1, then $85	12 months	$1,500
Xfinity 500 Mbps	Cable	$60	5-year price guarantee	$1,440
Verizon Fios 500 Mbps	Fiber	$65	3-year price guarantee	$1,560

Totals are our math from each provider's posted prices with autopay, before taxes, one-time setup fees and optional add-ons. Prices vary by address. Xfinity's prices require autopay from a bank account and paperless billing, and its offer is listed through October 25. Spectrum's year-two rate is the standard rate in Spectrum's own rate filing, and Spectrum confirms the final rate for your address when you order.

Gigabit plans over two years

Plan	Monthly price	24-month total
Xfinity 1 Gig	$70 for 5 years	$1,680
T-Mobile 5G All-In	$70 ($55 with a voice line) for 5 years	$1,680 ($1,320 with a voice line)
Verizon Fios 1 Gig	$80 for 5 years	$1,920
Spectrum Internet 1 Gig	$60 in year 1, then $105	$1,980
Starlink Residential Max	$130, month to month	$3,120 plus hardware

T-Mobile's 5G plans are not true gigabit service; T-Mobile lists typical downloads of 170 to 498 Mbps on All-In. They are included here because many shoppers compare them with gig plans on price. Verizon Fios and other fiber plans also give you upload speeds close to your download speed, which cable and 5G plans do not.

What the sticker price leaves out

• The year-two jump. Spectrum prices hold for 12 months on internet-only plans, so the second year costs more than the first. Our guide to Spectrum's cost after the promo covers how to plan for it.
• Setup fees. Spectrum lists a $30 self-install activation or $65 professional install, and Verizon may charge a $99 setup fee unless you have Verizon mobile and enroll in Mobile + Home.
• Equipment. Xfinity, Verizon Fios and T-Mobile Home Internet include WiFi equipment in these prices. Spectrum includes a modem, and Advanced WiFi is $10 a month on Internet 500, which adds $240 over two years.
• Bundles. T-Mobile takes $15 a month off with a voice line, and Spectrum's Internet and Mobile bundles stretch its price guarantee to two years. A bundle only saves money if you would buy those phone lines anyway.
• Satellite hardware. Starlink charges for its kit, and the cost varies by address, so check it at checkout before you compare.

Rural and satellite homes

Where cable, fiber and 5G do not reach, the usual choices are Starlink, Viasat and Hughesnet. Viasat Unleashed is $69.99 a month for the first year and $99.99 after that, plus a $15 monthly equipment lease, which comes to about $2,400 over two years. Ordered through RSINC, Viasat is guaranteed at least 80 Mbps download and 3 to 5 Mbps upload, it runs faster both ways during the first year on its new satellite, and in our experience Unleashed usually runs around 180 Mbps. Starlink's 100 Mbps plan costs less per month where it is offered, but you pay for the hardware up front or as a fee. See how much Viasat costs and our Hughesnet vs Viasat vs Starlink comparison for more detail.

How to run the math for your address

• Write down the monthly price for months 1 to 12 and months 13 to 24, and multiply each by 12.
• Add one-time setup or activation fees, plus any monthly equipment or WiFi add-on.
• Read the Broadband Facts label at checkout; it shows the post-promotion rate, fees and typical speeds for that plan.
• Compare the 24-month totals for plans of similar speed, then decide if a faster tier is worth the difference.

By RSINC. Prices were checked on Xfinity, Spectrum, Verizon, T-Mobile, Starlink and Viasat websites on October 14, 2026. Offers vary by address and change often, so confirm before you order.