Fibre vs cable vs DSL prices in the Netherlands (2026 data)

Fibre is slightly more expensive than cable and clearly more expensive than DSL. Internet without TV costs a median €35.58 a month in year one on fibre, €34.03 on cable and €23.50 on DSL (Kiesbeter Internet Price Index, 29 September 2026, n = 434). At the same speed class the gap between fibre and cable is €2.64 to €7.51 a month. DSL is cheaper only because it is much slower: per Mbit/s it is the most expensive connection, at a median €0.2585 per Mbit/s a month against €0.0678 for fibre and €0.0476 for cable.

A median €35.58 for fibre, €34.03 for cable and €23.50 for DSL per month in the first year. Fibre is therefore €1.55 a month more than cable and €12.08 more than DSL at the median.

Source: Kiesbeter Internet Price Index, 29 September 2026, n = 434 subscriptions without TV; monthly price in year one.

Three out of four internet-only offers in the comparison are fibre. That share says something about the range of offers, not about how many households have which connection. Based on ACM data for early 2026, fibre has become the most-used fixed connection in the Netherlands; see fibre or cable internet.

Yes, a little. Within the same speed class fibre costs a median €2.64 to €7.51 a month more than cable, and the gap grows with speed.

Source: Kiesbeter Internet Price Index, 29 September 2026, n = 434 subscriptions without TV; monthly price in year one.

Up to 100 Mbit/s, fibre costs a median €6.35 more than DSL. In the 101–500 Mbit/s class DSL is actually the most expensive, but that figure rests on only 6 subscriptions. The cable groups above 500 Mbit/s are small too (14 each), so read those differences as indicative.

Cable, at a median €0.0476 per Mbit/s a month, followed by fibre at €0.0678. DSL costs €0.2585 per Mbit/s, almost four times as much as fibre. Per 100 Mbit/s that is €4.76 for cable, €6.78 for fibre and €25.85 for DSL (medians).

Source: Kiesbeter Internet Price Index, 29 September 2026, n = 434 subscriptions without TV; monthly price in year one divided by maximum download speed.

Cable looks cheaper per Mbit/s mainly because of the mix: there are no cable plans up to 100 Mbit/s in the comparison, while fibre has 68, and slow plans are always expensive per Mbit/s. Price per Mbit/s also ignores upload. Fibre usually uploads as fast as it downloads; Ziggo's cable plans upload 25 to 120 Mbit/s depending on the plan (Ziggo). Don't pick on the lowest price per Mbit/s if you'll never use that speed.

• Fibre if it reaches your address and you upload a lot, work from home or game. The premium over cable is a few euros a month.
• Cable if there is no fibre, or a cable plan at your speed is clearly cheaper. For downloading and streaming cable is just as good.
• DSL only if nothing else reaches you. KPN is replacing its copper network with fibre; if you're on DSL, ask whether fibre is coming to your street.

What reaches your address is shown on our internet comparison. Which providers work on which network: internet providers in the Netherlands explained. All prices at a glance: how much does internet cost in the Netherlands. Dutch version with the same data: is fibre more expensive than cable or DSL (in Dutch).

The figures come from the Kiesbeter Internet Price Index, which we recalculate every night from the subscriptions in our comparison. For this article these definitions apply:

• Connection: the first network the provider states for the subscription. DSL is ADSL and VDSL over copper; 5G and other wireless connections form their own group, which is empty in this edition.
• Speed: maximum download speed, in four classes: up to 100, 101–500, 501–1000 and more than 1,000 Mbit/s.
• Price per Mbit/s: for each subscription the year-one monthly price divided by the maximum download speed; then median and average per connection, rounded to four decimals.
• Without TV only: we compare connections on internet-only plans (optionally with a landline) so TV packages don't distort the result.
• Which subscriptions: every available internet package in Kiesbeter's comparison on 29 September 2026: 1,360 subscriptions from 10 providers. That covers internet only (optionally with a landline), internet + TV, and internet + TV + calling. SIM-only and TV-only plans are not included.
• Monthly price in year one: the total cost of the first 12 months as stated by the provider, including one-off costs such as connection fees and after deducting cashback, divided by 12. We do not recalculate those totals ourselves.
• Median and average: the median is the middle price: half of the subscriptions are cheaper, half are more expensive. Outliers affect it less than the average. Groups with fewer than 5 subscriptions get no median or average.
• Unweighted: every offer counts once, however many customers it has. The figures describe what new customers are offered, not what Dutch households pay on average on their current bills.
• Limitations: only providers in Kiesbeter's comparison; the national range of offers, not what is available at your address; promotional prices often change from month to month. Variants of the same plan on different networks count separately.