You’re tired of the "spinning wheel of death" during your Zoom calls. Or maybe you've finally moved to that cabin in the woods, only to realize the local ISP thinks "high speed" means 5Mbps on a good day. Naturally, you're looking at that white dish everyone is talking about. But the big question remains: how much for Starlink internet exactly?
Honestly, the answer has changed a lot since the early days. It used to be a flat $99 a month for everyone, but SpaceX has turned into a pricing chameleon lately. Depending on where you live and how fast you need to go, you could be paying anywhere from the price of a decent steak dinner to the cost of a monthly car payment.
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Breaking Down the Monthly Bill
Let's cut to the chase. In early 2026, Starlink reorganized its residential tiers to compete with fiber. If you're just looking for standard home service in the U.S., you're basically looking at three main paths.
- Residential 100 Mbps: This is the new "budget" entry point. It costs $50 per month. It’s plenty for a small family that just wants to stream Netflix and scroll through TikTok without things getting weird.
- Residential 200 Mbps: The middle child. For $80 per month, you get more headroom for multiple 4K streams and gaming.
- Residential Max: This is the heavy hitter at $120 per month. It offers the highest speeds the local satellites can handle (often 300+ Mbps) and, interestingly, often includes a "free" Starlink Mini kit for when you travel.
Wait—there is a catch. If you live in a "congested" area (think crowded suburbs where everyone already has a dish), Starlink sometimes tacks on a one-time "congestion charge" of $100 to $250 just to sign up. They sort of use it as a velvet rope to keep the network from slowing to a crawl.
The Hardware: Writing the Big Check
The monthly fee is one thing, but the hardware is where the "ouch" factor usually lives. You can't just use your old Netgear router and call it a day.
For most people, the Standard Gen 3 Kit is the go-to. It usually retails for $599, though I've seen it on sale at places like Best Buy or Home Depot for as low as $349 lately. It's a sleek, kickstand-style dish that doesn't actually move. It just sits there and uses wizardry (phased array technology) to find the satellites.
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Then there's the Starlink Mini. It’s about the size of a thick laptop and has the router built right into the dish. It costs around $599 for the kit, but the service plans for it are actually pretty cool—starting at $50 for 100GB of data.
If you're a "money is no object" power user or running a business, you might look at the Performance Kit. It’s a beast. It costs $1,999. Why? Because it’s designed to survive 170 mph winds and can pull down gigabit speeds (SpaceX started rolling those out in 2026). It's overkill for most of us, but if you're in a hurricane zone or running a remote clinic, it’s the gold standard.
What Most People Get Wrong About Roaming
A lot of folks think they can just take their home dish on a road trip. You can, but you’ll pay for the privilege. The Starlink Roam plan is separate.
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Currently, the Roam 100GB plan is $50 per month. The cool part? If you go over your 100GB, they don't cut you off anymore; they just throttle you to 1Mbps. It’s slow—sort of like 2005-era internet—but it keeps your GPS and basic messaging alive. If you want truly unlimited data while living the "van life," you’re looking at $165 per month.
Hidden Fees and "The Small Print"
Nobody likes a surprise on their credit card statement. When calculating how much for Starlink internet, don't forget the accessories.
- Mounts: The kit comes with a basic stand, but unless you’re putting it on a flat roof or in a field, you’ll need a wall mount or a pole adapter. Those usually run between $50 and $150.
- Ethernet Adapter: The standard Gen 3 router finally added Ethernet ports back in, but if you have an older Gen 2 kit, you have to buy a $25 adapter just to plug in a wired device.
- Shipping and Tax: Depending on your state, tax can add another $50+ to the initial hardware purchase.
Is it Actually Worth the Money?
Look, if you can get Fiber or high-speed Cable, Starlink is a bad deal. It’s more expensive and the latency (ping) is higher. But for the "forgotten" millions in rural areas? It’s a lifeline.
I’ve talked to people in rural Colorado who went from paying $100 for "unlimited" DSL that topped out at 3Mbps to paying $80 for Starlink. To them, it feels like moving from a horse and buggy to a Tesla.
Pro Tip: Before you buy, download the Starlink app on your phone. Use the "Check for Obstructions" tool. If you have massive oak trees surrounding your house and no way to get the dish above them, you’re going to have a bad time. Starlink needs a clear view of the sky. A single branch can cause your Zoom call to drop every five minutes.
Actionable Steps for Saving Money
If you're ready to pull the trigger but want to keep the "how much for Starlink internet" number as low as possible, do this:
- Check for Promotions: Starlink is currently running "Regional Savings" in many states (like Maine, Vermont, and parts of the South) where the hardware is discounted to $299 or even offered as a free rental if you sign a 12-month contract.
- Buy Used: You can actually buy a used Starlink dish on Facebook Marketplace or eBay. Just make sure the seller has "released" the hardware from their account in the app, or you’ll end up with a very expensive plastic dinner tray that won't activate.
- Start Small: Start with the $50 Residential 100 Mbps plan. You can always click a button in the app and upgrade to the $80 or $120 plan instantly if you find it’s too slow, but there's no reason to overpay from day one.
Check the official Starlink availability map first. Enter your exact plus code or address to see if you're in a "high capacity" or "constrained" area, as that will dictate whether you pay the extra congestion fees or get the hardware discounts.