The Price of Staying Online: How Connectivity Costs Impact Platform Workers in Latin America

A freelancer is working at his computer, with his hand on his chin and a thoughtful expression on his face. — Platform workers and remote online workers often have to cover the costs of their own connectivity.

How do connectivity costs impact the cost of living for platform workers?

For platform workers, electronic devices are crucial not only as work tools, but also for productivity and earning potential. This dependence on technology affects delivery and transport service workers, as well as remote workers, and is a key factor in coping with the rising cost of living.

One cost that self-employed workers must bear is that of an internet connection for their mobile devices or Wi-Fi access for working online.

To get a sense of the impact of these costs, WageIndicator collected data on the mobile phone and internet expenses of self-employed workers in three Latin American countries: Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.

How has inflation progressed in Argentina, Brazil, and Mexico?

Let's provide some context for this data. In Argentina, the second country in Latin America with the highest inflation after Venezuela, this figure has remained high since 2022, when it reached 94.8%, the highest rate since 1991. However, in 2023, inflation reached a new record high of 211.4%, the highest in three decades.

In 2024, the annual inflation rate fell to 117.8%, a decrease of 93.6% compared to 2023. As of June 2025, cumulative inflation stood at 15.1%. The year-on-year variation (June 2024 vs June 2025) was 39.4%.

Meanwhile, Brazil has not experienced major inflationary spikes in recent years. It closed 2024 with an annual inflation rate of 4.27%, just below the 2023 rate of 4.62%. The annual CPI variation rate in June 2025 was 5.2%.

Finally, inflation was higher in Mexico in 2022, reaching 7.82%. However, in the following years it fell to 4.56% in 2023 and 4.21% in 2024. So far this year, the figure stands at 4.32%.

How much did self-employed workers spend on connectivity?

Of the countries surveyed, Argentina had the highest rates for both mobile data plans and home internet connectivity. In 2023, the average monthly cost of mobile data plans was 12,528 Argentine pesos. This increased to 21,462 pesos in 2024, before dropping to 18,000 pesos in 2025.

However, the trend for Wi-Fi connections was different, with average monthly costs of $17,331 in 2023, rising to $30,942 in 2024, and reaching $33,919 in 2025.

Cost of Living for Gig Workers — Variation in data plan and Wi-Fi costs over the years in Argentina, Brazil and Mexico.

In Brazil, the monthly average expenditure on mobile data plans was 61 reais between 2022 and 2024, rising to 65 reais in 2025.

The average cost of Wi-Fi remained at 106 reais between 2022 and 2024, but increased to 123 reais per month in 2025.

In Mexico, mobile data and Wi-Fi costs were low in 2022 and 2023, but began to rise towards the end of 2024, reaching a monthly average of 463 and 510 Mexican pesos in 2025.

What are the key takeaways from this?

This demonstrates that work-related costs are an inevitable aspect of working on platforms and remotely online. These costs should always be considered when analysing this type of work and determining the minimum acceptable pay to live decently.

This is the idea behind the Living Tariff, a newly developed concept designed to help workers set and negotiate fair rates.

You can learn more about the Living Tariff and try it out here.

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