Netflix is the world’s largest video streaming service, and it’s exceedingly popular worldwide. In addition, it offers a vast catalog of movies and TV shows. Yet, some among us still think it’s a bit on the pricey side of things since the basic plan will cost you about 107 USD for a whole year. Of course, you can always have a month free of Netflix on a trial basis. But by the end of the month, you’ll probably find you like it enough to keep using it at your own cost. But here’s the thing about Netflix and fees: they are different in every country, and the difference can be significant.
Did you know that already? Are you wondering why Netflix charges different prices in different countries? But more importantly: did you know that you can beat the system by using these differences in price to your favor? Keep reading, and let us tell you all about Netflix, country-specific fees, why it happens, and how it can help you save some money.
Netflix as a localized service: A different content library for a different price in any given country
Netflix is a legal video streaming platform. It is such an obvious fact for so many users that they rarely stop to think about its implications. Any digital service that is streaming content legally had to acquire the rights to do so by negotiation with the copyright owners.
The negotiations include where a given company can show a specific title. That agreement is usually done on a country-specific basis. So Netflix has paid for the rights to show every show or film on its servers in a well-defined set of countries. And that’s why the Netflix catalog is different in every country. But is this a factor in the price difference we can see across borders? Not really.
The reason we don’t think that content variety is very influential in setting Netflix prices is easy to see through an example: the cost for Netflix in the US and the Netherlands is almost the same. But the US catalog is three times larger than the Dutch one.
While we can’t tell you the precise formula Netflix uses to set a domestic price, it seems to be mainly determined by a country’s overall economic wellbeing. Internet users in more affluent countries are used to paying higher prices for everything. Therefore, they will likely be willing to pay a higher Netflix fee — especially if they don’t know they have an option. And how do we know that? Again, let’s see some examples: the fees for Switzerland and Sweden are 13.02 and 9.99 USD, respectively.
On the other hand, you can find Brazil and Argentina on the other side of the world (and on the economic spectrum). Their citizens can have Netflix access for 3.94 and 2.58 USD. And then, the geopolitics of the world have an effect as well. For example, as the value of the Turkish Lira plummeted recently, the Netflix cost there has gone down to 2.30 USD.
So as you can see, the differences can indeed be vast. For another example, a Swedish user spends more than 10 USD than an Argentinian user.
And what is the point of knowing all this? Saving a bit of money is the point. Of course, these price differences in Netflix can work against you if you live in the world’s most developed economies. But they can also work in your favor if you want. Let us explain to you how.
Getting a Netflix account in a country other than yours
Netflix doesn’t want your address. Have you noticed that? Getting a Netflix account requires an email account, a password, and a means of payment. That’s it! We like that about Netflix, and so should you. This means that you can sign up for Netflix in any country; it doesn’t have to be the one you plan to use.
In other words, you can get your Netflix account in Argentina if you’re a Swedish resident (or Dutch, German, whatever). Then you can use it back at home and save 120 USD yearly on your Netflix payments. No, we’re not kidding, and the most exciting thing about this is that you, too, can do this if you want! And no, you don’t need to get on a plane to Buenos Aires. It’s far more straightforward (and cheaper) than that.
How to change your virtual location using a VPN
A VPN lets you change your virtual location. Moreover, it’s easy and quick. All you need to do is to get your VPN vendor app for your preferred device and install it. Then you log into the VPN network and choose a server within the network.
Naturally, this server will be in a specific country. After this point, the rest of the internet will not see your IP address. Instead, your VPN will make the rest of the world think that your IP address is the one your server assigns to you. So, for instance, if you choose a server in the US, you will get a USA IP, and everybody else will think you’re in Italy. And yes, that includes Netflix.
Fortunately for us, the VPNs suitable for Netflix have servers in many countries around the world. So once you’re a customer, you can pick a country to “be in” any time you want.
So let’s say that you join one of the VPNs that give you the best Netflix experience, such as Surfshark, NordVPN, or ExpressVPN if you enter the VPN network by choosing an Argentinian server. Then, you point your browser to Netflix. What you’ll see next is that Netflix will offer you to join at Argentinian prices.
Please notice that we mentioned a handful of specific VPN vendors. Unblocking Netflix with a VPN is not a trivial feat. Very few VPNs can manage it successfully — the very best ones. So while using a VPN to pretend to Netflix you’re elsewhere in the world and save a lot of cash on your subscription is perfectly possible, you must use the correct tools. The primary tool, in this case, is a VPN — a top-notch VPN.
Suppose you don’t plan to keep using a VPN with your Netflix account and just want to secure a cheaper fee. In that case, you can take advantage of the 30-day money-back guarantee many VPNs offer. That would enable you to use the VPN to sign up for Netflix in the cheapest country possible. On the other hand, suppose you’re going to be happy with what the Netflix catalog has for your country of residence. In that case, you can just cancel your VPN account and live happily ever after.
How to pay considerably less money for Netflix – The step-by-step guide
If we managed to persuade you to use a VPN to get a much lower Netflix subscription fee, here’s what you need to do, step by step.
Step 1: Get a VPN service
Everything starts with a VPN subscription. So no, free VPNs won’t do — and, for that matter, most paid VPNs won’t do either. You have to pick one of the best VPN services available on the internet for this to work correctly.
We suggest that you to use ExpressVPN, NordVPN, or Surfshark. These are among the best options out there, and they’ve made a reputation for themselves precisely by securing access to Netflix for worldwide users.
So pick a VPN from the ones we’ve mentioned. Then, go to the website, and subscribe.
Step 2: Let your VPN take you to Argentina virtually
Now launch your VPN app or client on the device of your preference. Log in. Choose a server based in Argentina from your provider’s network.
Why Argentina? It’s the country with the lowest Netflix monthly fee, so it’s the option that will save you the most.
Step 3: Go to Netflix
Now open your browser and point it towards Netflix.com. It’s ok if the website looks a bit weird to you –it’s the Argentine Netflix website. Now do the following things:
- Create a new account. The prices will be in Argentine Pesos (ARS).
- Select the package you want. The Premium package, for example, is at 499 ARS which is about 5.83 USD.
- Provide your payment details. You can pay with any credit card or a local payment option –in this case, local payment options are those based in Argentina.
- Provide the platform with your phone number. It doesn’t have to be Argentinian. Your usual number will do.
- Once the payment goes through, you can go ahead and log into your brand new Argentine Netflix account.
- Enjoy your new (cheaper) Netflix!
Now that your subscription to Netflix is ready and keeping your VPN account is optional. However, we suggest that you keep it. Suppose you followed our advice and signed up for a premium Netflix VPN option. In that case, you have a service that will keep you safe, private, and anonymous through the internet.
A VPN will give you many additional features that will enhance your digital experience in many other ways too. And it Netflix remains your main priority, the VPN will help you see any Netflix catalog you want, such as the US, UK, or Canadian Netflix libraries, which are among the most wanted in the world. Still, you’ll be able to see any version you wish.
Your foreign Netflix subscription will do the trick for you!
Once your Argentinian Netflix account is online, you can use it in your country normally, as if you had bought it from home. So if you live in the US, your Argentine account will let you see your usual domestic Netflix catalog in full. Moreover, you don’t have to keep connecting to a VPN server in Argentina to use it.
And again, you can do away with your VPN account at this point. However, consider that you’ll be saving enough money from Netflix that your VPN account will pay for itself.
There are three Netflix plans: basic, standard, and premium. The price you will be paying from your Argentine account will save you 6.41, 8.85, and 10.16 USD in each plan. In each case, it’s enough to pay for your Sufrshark subscription (about 3.00 USD monthly) and still come out ahead.
And besides the apparent security and privacy things the VPN does for you, it will keep any Netflix library in the world available for you, depending on the server you choose — just as it did for your payment.
Netflix prices around the globe
Netflix is a global service. As such, it only makes sense that it tries to accommodate each national market by adopting a pricing policy that suits the local reality. And that’s why the price can vary significantly from country to country. So, for example, Swiss customers are the users paying the highest fee, while Turkish users are the ones who pay the lesser price.
And why did we go with the Argentine Netflix instead of the Turkish one, we hear you ask? Because the Argentine prices are consistently much lower than the rest. The current Turkish price is the result of the sudden devaluation that the country’s legal tender has experienced lately.
So if you read this article a few weeks after its publication date, the Turkish Lira could be recovered, thus driving the prices up. The Argentine prices, however, will stay low in the most likely scenario for many months to come because of the country’s general economic situation.
If you want to know the complete price menu for Netflix worldwide, here it is:
COUNTRY | PREMIUM (USD) | STANDARD (USD) | BASIC (USD) |
Argentina | 5.83 | 4.14 | 2.58 |
Australia | 14.32 | 11.45 | 7.87 |
Belgium | 16.86 | 14.14 | 9.42 |
Brazil | 8.24 | 5.91 | 3.94 |
Colombia | 10.18 | 7.04 | 4.42 |
Costa Rica | 16.04 | 11.25 | 8.2 |
Egypt | 12.74 | 10.51 | 7.64 |
Georgia | 14.14 | 11.78 | 9.42 |
Germany | 18.86 | 14.14 | 9.42 |
Greece | 16.5 | 12.96 | 9.42 |
Hong Kong | 12.04 | 10.1 | 8.15 |
India | 10.92 | 8.87 | 6.82 |
Japan | 16.04 | 13.03 | 9.02 |
Mexico | 16.04 | 13.03 | 9.02 |
Netherlands | 16.5 | 12,96 | 9.42 |
New Zealand | 13.23 | 10.58 | 7.28 |
Poland | 13.71 | 11.34 | 8.96 |
Singapore | 14.76 | 11.8 | 8.85 |
Sweden | 17.85 | 12.23 | 9.99 |
Switzerland | 23,97 | 18.5 | 13.02 |
Thailand | 13.47 | 11.22 | 8.96 |
Turkey | 5.36 | 3.83 | 2.3 |
UK | 15.53 | 11.65 | 7.76 |
Ukraine | 14.14 | 11.78 | 9.42 |
US | 15.99 | 12.99 | 8.99 |
Other ways to get Netflix discounts
There are other ways to pay less for your Netflix account. Netflix offers no discounts, as you surely know already, but there are other resources you can try if you wish.
Gift cards
Netflix opted to sell relatively cheap gift cards in retail stores that you can redeem on the website. They chose this marketing model over the discounts that most other platforms offer if you bring in new users.
Mind you, the gift cards won’t save you any money on your account’s cost. But you can ask for them as gifts from your friends and family on special occasions. Alternatively, you could buy them using a card that gives you a cashback for your activity. If you buy them on Amazon, the online retailer often offers cashback and promo codes that will save you money on your Netflix account.
Promo codes
Netflix has many commercial partners. They often have promotional offers from the video platform. As a result, some corporations will send you Netflix promotional codes now and then. If you can get your hands on one of those, you’ll be able to save a bit of money too.
Get a bundled plan from your mobile provider
Many cellular service providers will include a Netflix account with their plans. However, these are usually limited plans (single screen availability, for instance). If you are in the US, the only such option is T-mobile — the Magenta plan comes with two active Netflix Basic plans. But in India, both Jio and Vodafone come with Netflix subscriptions.
So dig around your local cell phone carriers and see who can give you a Netflix account included in a new plan.
Pause your Netflix subscription occasionally
If you’re not using your Netflix account, don’t pay for it. So if you know that you won’t be watching Netflix for a period, cancel your account for that period. Netflix makes it exceedingly easy for you to rejoin once the period is over so that you won’t miss anything.
Conclusion
Netflix is the largest legal video streaming service in the world. Its legal status means that broadcasting rights will determine what titles can be shown in every country. Thus, the Netflix library available for each country is different from the rest.
However, the pricing in each Netflix version has nothing to do with content availability. Instead, that has to do with local marketing and economic considerations.
The situation is such that you can arbitrate Netflix prices. If you have the correct tools for the job, you can save a good amount of cash on your Netflix service.
So a good VPN (a premium VPN, never a free one) will allow you to create a Netflix account in a country where the prices are lower and then enjoy your local content for a lower fee.
Depending on your country of residence, your VPN could save you enough money on Netflix that it will pay itself so you can keep using it once you’ve created your new (probably Argentinian) Netflix account. Keeping your VPN account is a good idea for many reasons, from enjoying a wider variety of Netflix libraries to fulfilling the most crucial goal that any internet user should have in mind: staying safe.
FAQs
Yes, you can. The Netflix fees vary with the country, so a VPN allows you to have a cheaper Netflix account if you create that account from another country.
It’s hard to know the answer to this question for sure. Still, Netflix probably has decided on local prices based on market studies for each national population and considerations of a country’s economic strength.
You need a top-notch VPN for this. Surfshark, ExpressVPN, NordVPN, and CyberGhost are good options for this.
No. Discounts are not a thing for Netflix so you won’t find any offers on the official website.
No. While other platforms such as Hulu and Amazon Prime offer a student plan at a lower price, Netflix has no such option.
Not at present. The past offers it had in that regard are currently unavailable.