Streaming Price Index: what do movies, TV and music cost in the US?
Every month we add up what the same eight video services and five music services cost in the US. We take each service’s usual plan for one person — the ad-free tier where the service sells one — and the price the service itself shows.
Streaming Price Index, November 2026
$201.37/mo
Whole basket · 13 services · $2,416.44 a year
- Movies and TV (8 services)$139.42/mo
- Music (5 services)$61.95/mo
Prices last checked on November 11, 2026.
Movies and TV
The usual monthly plan for one person, price per month.
| Service and plan | Price per month | |
|---|---|---|
| Disney+ Premium | $21.49/mo | |
| Hulu Premium | $21.49/mo | |
| Netflix Standard | $19.99/mo | |
| Peacock Premium Plus | $19.99/mo | |
| HBO Max Standard | $18.49/mo | |
| Apple TV | $14.99/mo | |
| Paramount+ Premium | $13.99/mo | |
| Amazon Prime Video | $8.99/mo |
Music
The usual monthly plan for one person, price per month.
| Service and plan | Price per month | |
|---|---|---|
| Spotify Premium Individual | $12.99/mo | |
| Amazon Music Unlimited Individual | $12.99/mo | |
| Apple Music Individual | $11.99/mo | |
| YouTube Music Individual | $11.99/mo | |
| Tidal Individual | $11.99/mo |
How the index has changed
First measurement: November 2026. From next month on, the table will show how the price of the same basket changes.
How much more you pay after renewal: first term vs. after
On plans paid for a longer term, the renewal price is often several times the first-term price. For each service we show the plan whose monthly price rises the most after the first term.
| Service and plan | First term | First term | After renewal | Change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NordVPN Complete | First term27 mo | First term$3.99/mo | After renewal$18.29/mo | Change+358% |
| McAfee+ Premium | First term24 mo | First term$4.17/mo | After renewal$12.50/mo | Change+200% |
| ExpressVPN Basic | First term28 mo | First term$2.99/mo | After renewal$8.33/mo | Change+179% |
| CyberGhost VPN | First term28 mo | First term$2.19/mo | After renewal$5.11/mo | Change+133% |
| Proton VPN Plus | First term24 mo | First term$3.49/mo | After renewal$6.99/mo | Change+100% |
| Proton Drive Plus | First term12 mo | First term$2.49/mo | After renewal$3.99/mo | Change+60% |
| WHOOP One | First term24 mo | First term$12.46/mo | After renewal$16.58/mo | Change+33% |
| DataCamp Premium | First term12 mo | First term$11.00/mo | After renewal$13.75/mo | Change+25% |
| Private Internet Access PIA VPN | First term40 mo | First term$2.03/mo | After renewal$2.26/mo | Change+11% |
Monthly prices as the provider publishes them. Free months are counted in the first term.
What’s in the basket
Movies and TV (eight services): Netflix Standard, Disney+ Premium, HBO Max Standard, Hulu without ads, Peacock Premium Plus, Paramount+ Premium, Prime Video and Apple TV.
Music (five services): Spotify Premium Individual, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music Unlimited and TIDAL Individual.
These are the biggest video and music services in the US. The basket shows what it would cost to have them all and how much of the total each one makes up. Where a service sells an ad-free tier, we count that tier; Prime Video is the standalone membership.
How we count
- The same services and the same plans every month, so the total changes only when a price changes.
- The usual monthly price before sales tax, as the service shows it. Promotional prices, annual plans, bundles and prices through carriers or cable companies are not included.
- A month’s value is the price in effect on the last day of that month. The current month is counted up to today.
- Price changes show up in the list of price changes and in each service’s price history.
How to pay less
- Pay only for what you’re watching now. Cancel a service when the show ends and start the next one — the cancellation deadline shows the last day you can cancel before you pay for another month.
- Work out the cost per hour. Cost per hour shows which service costs you the most for how much you use it.
- Check the annual plan. Monthly or annual shows when paying for a year pays off.
- In college? Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music, Amazon Music and TIDAL have student prices — you’ll find them on each service’s page.