People in countries like Sweden and Portugal pay significantly less
A new study shows people are paying almost £470 a year just to watch TV and listen to music. UK customers are paying more for a standard bundle of Netflix, Disney+ and Spotify than subscribers in any of the other 12 European countries examined.
Research by Babestation found that the three subscriptions cost a combined £35.97 a month in the UK when prices were compared in March 2026. That was 15% more than the average cost across the 13 European countries studied, adding up to £431.64 a year.
But prices have since risen, with the same three subscriptions now costing British customers £38.97 a month – or £467.64 a year. And British subscribers are paying approximately £91 more annually than those in Norway for the same three services.
The research compared three of the biggest names in streaming – Netflix, Disney+ and Spotify – across 13 European countries. Research found that the UK was the most expensive market overall, beating our neighbours in Ireland and costing almost 30% more than the cheapest country, Portugal.
At £12.99 a month, Spotify was 72% more expensive in the UK than in Portugal when the research was carried out. The music platform had increased its UK prices twice in 18 months, according to the research.
Meanwhile, Disney+ now costs £11.99 a month for its ad-free Standard plan – double its £5.99 launch price in 2020. UK subscribers now pay £13.99 for Netflix’s ad-free Standard plan, taking the combined monthly cost of the three platforms to £38.97.
Belgium and Ireland were joint second most expensive, with bundles costing approximately £33.58 a month, or £402.96 annually. Both countries had the highest euro-denominated standard Netflix price in the study at approximately £14.28.
The Netherlands, Germany and Austria followed at approximately £31.90 a month for all three services. Spain and Italy were next at approximately £31.06, followed by France at £30.77 and Finland at £30.22.
Meanwhile, Sweden and Norway were among the cheapest markets, with monthly bundles costing approximately £28.64 and £28.36 respectively. But Portugal offered the biggest bargain.
Subscribers there paid approximately £27.70 a month for the same three services, adding up to £332.44 a year. That’s approximately £99.20 less annually than British customers were paying at the time of the study.
Spotify was especially cheap in Portugal at approximately £7.55 a month, compared with £12.99 in the UK. Netflix and Disney+ offer different films and TV programmes depending on the country, largely due to licensing agreements.
Spotify’s music catalogue can also vary by region, meaning some songs and albums may be available in one country but not another.
Separate research from Uswitch in August 2026 also found that 34% of UK adults surveyed had continued paying for a streaming subscription simply because they forgot to cancel it.
A spokesperson for Babestation said: “What’s interesting is that even when subscribers do cancel something, they normally hold onto one service like it’s non-negotiable. Streaming isn’t a treat anymore; it’s just part of the monthly budget, like your phone bill. You might grumble about it, but you’re not actually cancelling.”
The monthly cost of Netflix, Disney+ and Spotify across the 13 countries studied in March 2026 was:
- United Kingdom – £35.97
- Belgium – £33.58
- Ireland – £33.58
- Netherlands – £31.90
- Germany – £31.90
- Austria – £31.90
- Spain – £31.06
- Italy – £31.06
- France – £30.77
- Finland – £30.22
- Sweden – £28.64
- Norway – £28.36
- Portugal – £27.70