How Much Is YouTube Premium in 2026? Cost by Country and Cheapest Plans
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US prices right now
About $0.90/month in Argentina, over $21 in Switzerland, for an identical subscription.
The same individual plan is $20.99 inside the iPhone app against $15.99 in a browser.
Updated October 2026.
According to YouTube’s official blog, Premium has over 100 million subscribers worldwide. YouTube raised US prices in 2026. New subscribers paid the higher rate from April, and existing subscribers saw it from their June 7 billing date. Below is every plan, the price in 35+ countries, and what changed.
All Plans and Pricing
So how much does YouTube Premium cost? In the US, the individual plan is $15.99/month or $159.99/year, which works out to about $13.33/month and saves roughly $32 over the year. The family plan is $26.99/month and covers up to six people in one household. Here is every current plan:
| Plan | Monthly Price (US) | What's Included |
|---|---|---|
| Individual | $15.99 | Ad-free videos, background play, offline downloads, YouTube Music Premium |
| Annual | $159.99/yr (~$13.33/mo) | Same as Individual, pre-paid yearly (saves ~$32) |
| Family | $26.99 | Up to 6 members, same household, each gets own account |
| Student | $8.99 | Requires SheerID verification, max 4 years, annual re-verification |
| Premium Lite | $8.99 | Ad-free videos only. No YouTube Music, no offline downloads, no background play |
| Two-Person (testing) | ~$16 | Testing in India, France, Taiwan, Hong Kong |
YouTube Premium includes YouTube Music Premium at no extra cost. YouTube Music on its own is $11.99/month, so you are paying about $4 more to also get ad-free videos, background play, and offline downloads.
The iPhone App Surcharge
Here is the one that costs people real money and never shows up in a price comparison.
Subscribe through the YouTube iOS app and you pay Apple’s in-app price, not YouTube’s web price. Apple takes a cut of every in-app purchase, and Google passes it straight on. The numbers are published on the YouTube App Store listing under In-App Purchases, so you can check them yourself before you tap anything.
| Plan | On the web | In the iPhone app | You pay extra |
|---|---|---|---|
| Individual | $15.99/mo | $20.99/mo | $5.00/mo, or $60 a year |
| Family | $26.99/mo | $34.99/mo | $8.00/mo, or $96 a year |
| Premium Lite | $8.99/mo | $11.99/mo | $3.00/mo, or $36 a year |
A family plan bought on an iPhone costs $96 more a year than the identical plan bought in a browser. Nothing about the subscription differs. It is the same account, the same benefits, the same household limit.
What to do instead
Subscribe at youtube.com in a browser, on any device, then sign in on your phone. The app works exactly the same. If you are already paying the in-app rate, cancel through Apple and resubscribe on the web, and check the renewal date first so you do not lose paid time.
Android is not affected in the same way. Google does not surcharge its own store for its own service, so the Play route and the web route match. If the reason you are pricing Premium is offline playback rather than ad removal, it is worth seeing what the YouTube downloaders actually do before you commit to a subscription.
Price by Country
YouTube Premium prices vary a lot by country, based on local buying power. Several regions saw increases in 2026. The US individual plan went to $15.99 and the family plan to $26.99. Australia’s family plan rose from AUD $32.99 to $39.99, and European family plans went from EUR 23.99 to EUR 29.99. The table below shows individual plan prices in USD equivalents for 35+ countries, cheapest first.
| Country | Individual (USD/mo) | Family (USD/mo) |
|---|---|---|
| Argentina | $0.90 | $1.45 |
| India | $1.54 | $2.27 |
| Turkey | $1.70 | $3.40 |
| Ukraine | $2.39 | $3.59 |
| Philippines | $2.84 | $4.56 |
| Vietnam | $3.21 | $5.37 |
| Brazil | $4.50 | $8.47 |
| Indonesia | $4.54 | $8.47 |
| Malaysia | $4.96 | $9.51 |
| Colombia | $5.04 | $7.56 |
| Thailand | $5.43 | $8.15 |
| Romania | $5.82 | $9.70 |
| Poland | $6.77 | $11.29 |
| Mexico | $7.16 | $10.74 |
| Saudi Arabia | $7.19 | $13.86 |
| United Arab Emirates | $7.35 | $14.16 |
| Japan | $8.92 | $14.90 |
| Czech Republic | $9.26 | $15.44 |
| Canada | $9.62 | $15.87 |
| Hong Kong | $10.02 | $19.24 |
| Singapore | $10.83 | $16.25 |
| New Zealand | $11.28 | $17.72 |
| Australia | $14.49 (AUD $22.99) | $25.19 (AUD $39.99) |
| Germany | $14.45 | $32.63 (EUR 29.99) |
| France | $14.45 | $32.63 (EUR 29.99) |
| Sweden | $14.62 | $24.37 |
| Netherlands | $15.57 | $32.63 (EUR 29.99) |
| Italy | $15.57 | $32.63 (EUR 29.99) |
| Belgium | $15.57 | $32.63 (EUR 29.99) |
| Ireland | $15.57 | $32.63 (EUR 29.99) |
| United States | $15.99 | $26.99 |
| Norway | $16.12 | $26.87 |
| United Kingdom | $17.34 | $27.09 |
| Denmark | $20.74 | $34.57 |
| Switzerland | $21.12 | $35.20 |
Non-US prices are approximate USD equivalents based on mid-2026 exchange rates, so local amounts may differ slightly. The US figures reflect the June 2026 price increase.
Recent Price Changes
Here are the YouTube Premium pricing changes that matter most in 2026:
- US price increase (June 2026): The individual plan rose from $13.99 to $15.99/month, the family plan from $22.99 to $26.99, and both Premium Lite and the student plan went from $7.99 to $8.99. The annual plan is now $159.99. New subscribers paid the new rate from April 2026, and existing subscribers from their June 7 billing.
- YouTube Music increase: Music Premium on its own went from $10.99 to $11.99/month, which is why the gap between music-only and full Premium stays about $4.
- Student plan conversion: Since January 2026, student memberships convert to the full individual plan ($15.99/month) once they hit the four-year cap or fail re-verification. New students still get the $8.99/month rate through SheerID.
- Premium Lite: The ad-free-only tier (no YouTube Music, no offline downloads) is now $8.99/month and available in 22+ countries, including the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Japan, India, Turkey, France, and Germany.
- Two-person plan testing: A plan for two users at roughly $16/month is being tested in India, France, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.
Popular Country Prices
These are the most searched YouTube Premium prices by country:
- YouTube Premium Turkey price: 79.99 TL/month (~$1.70 USD). Turkey also has Premium Lite at 49.99 TL/month.
- YouTube Premium Japan price: 1,280 JPY/month (~$8.92 USD). Family plan is 2,280 JPY/month.
- YouTube Premium Australia price: AUD $22.99/month (~$14.49 USD) for individual. Family plan recently went up to AUD $39.99/month. Premium Lite available at AUD $8.99/month.
- YouTube Premium Indonesia price: About IDR 71,400/month (~$4.54 USD).
- Argentina YouTube Premium price: Still the cheapest at ARS 899/month (~$0.90 USD).
Cheapest Countries
Looking for the cheapest YouTube Premium country? Here are the 10 most affordable countries for individual plans, with local currency prices included:
- Argentina - ARS 899/month (~$0.90 USD), cheapest worldwide
- India - INR 129/month (~$1.54 USD)
- Turkey - TRY 79.99/month (~$1.70 USD)
- Ukraine - UAH 99/month (~$2.39 USD)
- Philippines - PHP 159/month (~$2.84 USD)
- Vietnam - VND 79,000/month (~$3.21 USD)
- Brazil - BRL 24.90/month (~$4.50 USD)
- Indonesia - IDR 71,400/month (~$4.54 USD)
- Malaysia - MYR 23.90/month (~$4.96 USD)
- Colombia - COP 21,900/month (~$5.04 USD)
Important: Using VPN services to access cheaper regional pricing violates YouTube’s terms of service and may result in account suspension. YouTube has been cracking down on VPN-based regional pricing abuse throughout 2025 and into 2026.
Is YouTube Premium Worth It?
YouTube Premium costs $15.99/month, and that price includes YouTube Music Premium, which is $11.99 on its own. So for about $4 more than music alone, you also get:
- Ad-free videos on every device
- Background play when you switch apps
- Offline downloads for watching on mobile
- YouTube Music Premium with its full catalog
- YouTube Shorts without ads
If you watch a lot of YouTube and listen to music, that bundle is good value, since you would pay for a music service anyway. If you only want to skip ads and do not care about music, Premium Lite at $8.99/month does just that for $7 less.
Worth separating out what Premium does not solve. It removes ads and enables offline playback, and that is the whole list. It does not make a two-hour video searchable, give you a transcript, or get you the one figure you needed from a conference talk. For that you need something that reads the video rather than plays it, which is a different purchase entirely: we compared the options in our roundup of AI YouTube summarizers, and a YouTube text extractor pulls the words out without a subscription at all.
Record YouTube with ScreenApp
If you want to save YouTube content for later without a monthly subscription, ScreenApp lets you record any video and automatically generate transcripts, summaries, and searchable notes.
- Record your screen at screenapp.io or upload a file directly.
- Get automatic transcripts with AI transcription.
- Generate summaries using the YouTube video summarizer to turn long videos into key points.
FAQ
How much does YouTube Premium cost per month?
YouTube Premium costs $15.99 per month for an individual plan in the US, up from $13.99 after the 2026 price increase. The family plan is $26.99 per month for up to 6 members, and the student plan is $8.99 per month with verification.
What is the cheapest country for YouTube Premium?
Argentina is the cheapest at about $0.90 per month, followed by India at $1.54 and Turkey at $1.70. Using a VPN to access these prices breaks YouTube's terms of service, so treat them as reference points, not a workaround.
Does YouTube Premium include YouTube Music?
Yes, YouTube Premium includes YouTube Music Premium at no extra cost. Since YouTube Music on its own is $11.99/month, you are paying about $4 more to also get ad-free videos.
How much is the family plan?
The YouTube Premium family plan costs $26.99 per month in the US, up from $22.99, and covers up to 6 members in one household. Family plans also rose to EUR 29.99 in much of Europe and AUD $39.99 in Australia.
Is there a student discount?
Yes, students pay $8.99 per month with valid college verification through SheerID, for up to four years. Since January 2026, student memberships convert to the full individual plan ($15.99/month) once they pass the four-year limit.
What is YouTube Premium Lite?
YouTube Premium Lite costs $8.99/month in the US and removes ads from most videos. It does not include YouTube Music, offline downloads, or background play, and it is available in 22+ countries. If you only want to skip ads, Lite saves $7/month over the full plan.
How much is YouTube Premium in Australia?
YouTube Premium in Australia costs AUD $22.99/month (about $14.49 USD) for an individual plan. The family plan is AUD $39.99/month (up from AUD $32.99) for up to 6 members. Students pay AUD $10.49/month, and Premium Lite is AUD $8.99/month.
Why is YouTube Premium more expensive on iPhone?
Because Apple takes a cut of in-app purchases and Google passes it on. The App Store listing shows Premium at $20.99 a month in-app against $15.99 on the web, Family at $34.99 against $26.99, and Lite at $11.99 against $8.99. Subscribe in a browser instead, then sign in on your phone. Nothing about the subscription changes.
Why does the price vary by country?
YouTube sets prices around local buying power and currency values. Argentina pays about $0.90/month while Switzerland pays around $21/month for the same service. The price is tied to your Google account billing country, and switching regions to get a cheaper rate breaks YouTube's terms of service.
Is the annual plan worth it?
The annual individual plan is $159.99/year, about $13.33/month, versus $15.99/month on the monthly plan. That saves roughly $32 a year. The catch: it is pre-paid, non-refundable, cannot be paused, and is only offered for individual plans.
Can I get YouTube Premium for free?
YouTube Premium has a one-month free trial for new subscribers. After that there is no permanently free ad-free option. Premium Lite at $8.99/month is the cheapest paid way to remove ads.
