Which US phone plan has the cheapest calls abroad?
The cheapest calls abroad depend on whether the plan names your country. Compare India, China, Mexico and Canada rows, minutes, add-ons and taxes.
Checked against official pages on October 21, 2026. Rules move; when this one does, it goes on the changelog.
Domestic calls are unlimited on almost every plan on this page, so the price difference is international. The cheapest route depends on whether the carrier names your country. Straight Talk Silver is the only row here that names both India and China and prints unlimited international calling. Tello names India on its free-country list, but its free calls can be landline-only and its international minutes come out of the plan's minute balance. The 85+, 100+, 180+ and 200+ country rows do not name India on the pages we read.
The rows that name India or China
| Plan | Price | International calling | Countries named | Minutes | Taxes | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Straight Talk Silver | $45/mo, $42.50 for the first 3 months | Unlimited calling and texting | Canada, Mexico, India, China | Unlimited | Extra | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Tello 300 minutes | $5/mo | Free calls to 60+ countries | India, on the free list; landline and mobile split unverified | 300 minutes, shared with US calls | unverified | 21 Oct 2026 |
| Tello 10GB + 300 minutes | $14/mo | Free calls to 60+ countries | India, on the free list; landline and mobile split unverified | 300 minutes, shared with US calls | unverified | 21 Oct 2026 |
Straight Talk Silver is the row that names both countries without a minute cap. Its page prints unlimited international calling and texting to Canada, Mexico, India and China, alongside unlimited data and 15GB of hotspot. The $42.50 figure is the first three months with AutoPay; $45 is the ongoing price.
Tello's free-country page lists India, but the free calls can be to landlines only, and the international minutes are the same minutes as your US calls. The 300-minute plan is the lowest monthly entry on this page at $5, and the 10GB plan with 300 minutes is $14. Tello's plan page returned 403 to our clients on 21 October 2026, so the two Tello rows use the plan titles from that date and the 8 October homepage read for the country list. Check the landline and mobile split for India before you rely on it.
The rows that print a country count
| Plan | Price | International calling | Countries | Minutes | Taxes | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total MAX 5G BYO | $25/mo with AutoPay | Unlimited calling and texting | 200+ countries, India not named | Unlimited | unverified | 20 Oct 2026 |
| US Mobile Unlimited Premium | $20/mo with code FBF20, renews at $44 | Included | 200+ countries, India not named | Per-country limits | Included | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Visible+ Pro | $45/mo | 500 minutes a month | 85+ countries, India not named | 500 minutes a month | Included | 8 Oct 2026 |
| Boost Unlimited+ | $50/mo | Unlimited calling | 100+ countries, India not named | Unlimited | Extra | 20 Oct 2026 |
| AT&T Unlimited Ultra | $45/mo for 6 months, then $60 | Included | 30+ countries, India not named | unverified | Extra | 8 Oct 2026 |
| Verizon Unlimited Plus | $60/mo with AutoPay, $70 first month | Global Choice for 1 country a month | One chosen country, India not named | unverified | Extra | 20 Oct 2026 |
A country count is not a country list. Total's page says the MAX 5G, MAX 5G BYO and ALL ACCESS plans include unlimited calling to 200+ countries; the page we read does not name India. US Mobile's help page says international calling reaches 200+ countries and is included on Premium, Flex, By-the-Gig and annual Starter; the monthly Starter and Light plan need a $3 add-on, and India is not named in the article. Visible+ Pro prints 500 minutes a month to 85+ countries; India is not named. Boost prints 100+ countries. AT&T's guide prints 30+ countries. Verizon's Unlimited Plus gives Global Choice for one country a month, which can be a way to name your own country, but the page does not name India.
If India or China is the call you make every week, ask the carrier for its country list before you buy. A 200+ count can include India and still have a different minute limit for India than for Canada.
If you are calling Mexico or Canada
| Plan | Price | What is included | Taxes | Checked |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Visible | $25/mo | Unlimited talk and text to Mexico and Canada | Included | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Cricket Select | $35/mo with AutoPay, $40 first month | Unlimited calls and texts to Mexico and Canada | Included | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Cricket Smart | $45/mo with AutoPay, $50 first month | Unlimited calls and texts to Mexico and Canada, plus usage in Mexico and Canada | Included | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Verizon Unlimited | $50/mo with AutoPay, $60 first month | Mexico and Canada talk, text and data | Extra | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Metro by T-Mobile | $40/mo, $20/mo for 6 months with $120 due today | One plan block includes Mexico and Canada calling and 5GB of roaming data | Included | 20 Oct 2026 |
| Total ALL ACCESS | $60/mo with AutoPay | Unlimited calling and texting to Mexico, plus 200+ countries | unverified | 20 Oct 2026 |
Mexico and Canada are the easy rows. Visible at $25 is the cheapest unlimited data line here with calls to both, and its taxes are included. Cricket Select is $35 and also includes both. If you need roaming in Mexico or Canada rather than calling from the US, Cricket Smart and Metro add usage abroad; read the roaming limit before you treat the call line as a travel line.
The cheapest route, by what you need
A few hundred minutes a month, cheapest entry. Tello's 300-minute plan is $5 a month. It gives 300 minutes to 60+ countries including India landlines, and the minutes are shared with US calls. That is about 1.7 cents a minute if you use all 300, before taxes.
Unlimited calls to India or China, with data. Straight Talk Silver is $45 a month, includes unlimited data and 15GB of hotspot, and prints India and China by name. It is the only row here that combines the two named countries with unlimited calling.
A large country count at the lowest price. Total MAX 5G BYO is $25 a month with AutoPay and prints 200+ countries. US Mobile Premium is $44 at renewal and prints 200+ countries, with international calling included. Visible+ Pro is $45 and prints 500 minutes to 85+ countries. None of the three names India on the page we read.
Mexico or Canada only. Visible at $25 is the cheapest row with unlimited calls to both and taxes included. Cricket Select at $35 is the next step if you want Cricket's network.
What "included" does not mean
A country count is not a country list. The carrier can include 200+ countries and still put India in a different minute tier. Ask for the country row before you buy.
Free calls can be landline-only. Tello's free list marks some destinations as landline-only. A call to a mobile in India can fall outside the free allowance and use Pay As You Go credit.
International minutes can share the US minute balance. Tello's 300-minute plan gives 300 total minutes, not 300 US minutes plus 300 international minutes. Read the plan's minute line.
A promo price is not the renewal price. US Mobile's $20 Premium price renews at $44 after 6 months. Straight Talk Silver's $42.50 is the first three months with AutoPay; $45 is the ongoing price. Total MAX 5G BYO's $25 is the AutoPay price.
Questions
Which plan is cheapest for calls to India?
Tello's 300-minute plan is the lowest monthly entry at $5, with India on its free list and landline caveats. Straight Talk Silver is the cheapest row with unlimited calling to India and China by name at $45, and it includes unlimited data.
Which plan is cheapest for calls to China?
Straight Talk Silver names China and includes unlimited international calling. Tello's free list names India in the read we have; China is not confirmed on that page. The other rows print country counts, not China.
Can I call India on a 200+ country plan?
The page does not name India, so treat it as unverified until you open the carrier's country list. Total MAX 5G BYO, US Mobile Premium, Visible+ Pro, Boost and AT&T Ultra all print a count rather than a named India row.
What is the cheapest way to call Mexico or Canada?
Visible at $25 includes unlimited calls and texts to both, with taxes included. Cricket Select at $35 is the next cheapest row on this page.
Do I need a separate international calling app?
The rows above are the carrier's own international calling. A data-only eSIM does not include a US number or carrier calling; the four routes for a working phone are on SIM, eSIM or a US prepaid plan.
Do these plans work for bank codes from home?
This page is about outbound calls. A bank code needs a number the bank will text, which is a separate question on bank OTP abroad.
Where the rest of the decision lives
The most data by definition is on US phone plans with the most data. The student version of this decision is on US phone plans for international students. The named-plan comparison is on compare US prepaid plans. The credit-check, SSN and ID questions are on getting a US phone plan without an SSN.