If you use MTN, you would be interested in finding and jumping on the cheapest MTN data tariff plan. Who wouldn’t? Especially considering the ever-increasing time we spend on the internet.

Data today is like a passport, an access card. It’s how we get access to the internet. And since the internet has become an integral part of our everyday lives, data is invariably essential. MTN, one of the four major networks in Nigeria, is an internet service provider, Which means they sell data bundles to their users. Since MTN users have to buy airtime and data, each tariff plan must be affordable to enable anyone to access the internet.

Almost everyone from the age of 15 is a netizen. We have something to do online every single day. Some of us need data to run businesses, while others use it to communicate across different channels. So, we can all agree that affordable data is necessary, especially considering how much some individuals or businesses might need to operate.

With this in mind, we’ll be unpacking everything we know about the cheapest MTN data tariff plans in 2024 in this article. Read through to find the best one for your personal or business needs.

Cheapest MTN data tariff plans

Understanding MTN Data Tariff Plans

In simple terms, data tariff plans are bundles of services around internet service provision. They’re data packages in the form of daily, weekly or monthly subscriptions and may include other benefits. Data tariff plans list different subscription packages and their respective costs.

Mobile Network Operators like MTN offer internet services in bundles to suit all their customers’ different needs.

How Do Internet Service Providers Measure and Bill Your Data?

You may have, at some point, bought a data bundle only for it to run out after what you consider a short time. It’s an annoying experience and leaves you wondering if these MNOs or ISPs suck the data with straws. If you’ve been trying to do the math on how they measure and bill your data, here’s how.

MNOs and ISP’s measure and bill your data usage through different methods, but the most popular one is Packet Charging.

Packet Charging refers to charges an ISP places on several data bits or packets. For example, if 10 kilobytes of data costs 1 kobo, your data bundle might be 10 megabytes for N10 (10 naira).

So the service provider monitors the data packets their server sends to your device. You may not be the one that requests access to data, but it still counts as data usage. That’s why some people prefer to turn off their phone data connection, especially if they cannot restrict background processes that require data.

All information about your data usage is sent to costing nodes. Think of these nodes as programmes that calculate the cost of a data session based on the pre-set costs each MNO or ISP uses for their service. So the programme knows that as soon as user A’s device uses 10kb, user A will be billed 1 kobo.

Note that this example used above is for post-paid or pay-as-you-go data plans. For prepaid data bundles, the amount of data a user’s device uses will be subtracted from the amount of data bits or packets reserved for that user. That’s if it doesn’t expire before the user can finish it.

Knowing the amount of data you need for personal or business use will help you choose the right data tariff plan for you in accordance with your budget.

Top 5 Cheapest MTN Data Tariff Plans in 2023

cheapest MTN data tariff plans

Everyone loves cheap deals, even those who can afford to pay full price times ten! We’ve done our homework to help you and your business and now present the best deals on the MTN network. See which of the top 5 cheapest MTN data tariff plans tallies with your data needs.

1. Daily Plan

The MTN Daily data plan is one of the cheapest data bundles that allows you use your data all day for 24 hours. It has 4 data bundles you can choose from depending on how quickly and briefly you want to use the internet.

  1. 40MB for N50.

To activate, send 114 to 312 or dial *312# and select the daily plans from the menu. Follow the prompts till you see the 4omb bundle.

  1. 100MB for N100.

To activate, send 104 to 312 or dial *312# and follow the prompts while selecting the daily data plan.

  1. Always-On 200MB for N60. (50MB during the day and 150MB at night).

Send 160 to 312 to activate. Alternatively, dial *312# and follow the prompt until you find this bundle.

  1. 1GB for N300

To activate, send 155 to 312 or dial *312# and follow the prompts under the daily plan.

Benefits of The MTN Daily Data Tariff Plan

  • Quick and cheap access to the internet.
  • Reduces the temptation of internet-related distractions for anyone who wants to cut down on online time

 

2. 2-Day Plan

If you thought the daily tariff was cheap, wait till you explore the 2-Day plan. This plan gives you data access to the internet for 48 hours non-stop. It has one bundle.

2.5GB for N500.

To activate, dial *312# and select Daily plan. Then follow the prompts till you land on the 2.5GB for 2 days bundle.

Benefits of The 2-Day Data Plan

  • It is good for those who need a sizeable amount of data for browsing the internet or downloading for a short period.
  • It is a reasonable option for anyone who wants short-term data access.
  • It is affordable.

 

3. Weekly Plan

The weekly plan offers you a reasonable amount of data for browsing and medium downloads for 7 days. Whether it’s little data for internet calls at night or youtube data access, there’s a bundle for you. This plan packs a whopping 8 bundles! There’s something for everyone. Let’s see what it entails.

  1. Always-On 450MB for N120 (120MB day + 330MB Night)

Text 161 to 312 to activate.

  1. 350MB + Youtube 350MB  for N300

Text 102 to 312 to activate.

  1. 750MB for N500

Text 142 to 312 to activate. Or dial *312#, pick the weekly plan and follow the prompts to swipe this bundle.

  1. 750MB + 1-hour Youtube Daily for N500

Text 750 to 312 to activate. You can also dial *312# and follow the prompts under the weekly plan.

  1. 750MB + 1GB for Youtube for N500. (Valid for 14 days)

Text 103 to 312 or dial *312# and select weekly plans to access this bundle.

  1. 1GB + Youtube 1GB for N500.

Text 142 to 312 to activate.

  1. 2GB + 200MB for Youtube daily at N1000.

Dial *312*105# to activate.

  1. 6GB for N1500.

Text 143 to 312 to activate, or dial *312# and select the weekly plan. Follow the prompt to get this bundle.

Benefits of the Weekly Plan

  • Wider variety of data for small to medium use cases, all available for 7 days.
  • Very affordable.
  • An affordable way to manage data usage weekly.

 

4. Monthly Plan

Many individuals who use data for personal, corporate, or business needs prefer a monthly plan because it gives them freedom and versatility for 30 days. Depending on the bundle you choose, you might have little to no use for some days and heavier than average use on other days. But you can decide when and how to use your data for a month. See the available bundles.

  1. 5GB + 2GB for Youtube at N1000

Text 106 to 312 to activate.

  1. 2GB + 6-HOUR (600MB) for Youtube Weekly at N1200

Text 130 to 312 to activate.

  1. 3GB + 4GB for Youtube at N1500.

Text 131 to 312.

  1. 5GB + 4GB for Youtube at NN2000.

Text 110 to 312.

  1. 6GB + 4GB for Youtube at N2500.

Text 147 to 312.

  1. 10GB +4GB for Youtube at N3000.

Text 148 to 312 to activate.

  1. Always-On 15GB (500MB daily allocation) at N3000.

Text 162 to 312 to get this bundle.

  1. 12GB + 4GB for Youtube at N3500

Text 107 to 312.

  1. 20GB + 4GB for Youtube at N5000.

Text 116 to 312 to get this bundle.

  1. 25GB for N6000.

Text 153 to 312 to activate this bundle.

  1. Always-On 45GB for N6000 (1.5GB daily allocation).

Text 163 to 312 to activate.

  1. 40GB for N10,000.

Text 117 to 312 to activate.

  1. 75GB for N15000.

Text 150 to 312 to activate.

  1. 120GB for N20,000.

Text 149 to 312 to get this bundle.

  1. 200GB for N30,000.

Text 111 to 312  to activate.

Benefits of the MTN Monthly Data Tariff Plan

  • Wide variety of options for any use case.
  • Relatively affordable.
  • A long validity period of 30 days.
  • You can roll over your remaining data to the next month by activating another monthly plan.
  • An excellent plan for both personal and/or business use.

Note: You can only rollover unfinished data for Always-On bundles when you repurchase the same bundle the next month.

5. 2-Monthly Plan

Getting a plan that takes your mind off worrying about renewing your subscriptions daily, weekly or monthly is a huge flex. This particular plan is for anyone whose data usage is average. One may argue that its affordability is relative, but the attraction has a data bundle for two months straight! 60 days of focusing on other bills and business.

  1. 30GB for N8000.

Text 119 to 312 to activate it.

  1. 100GB for N20,000

Text 118 to 312 to activate it.

  1. 160GB for N30,000

Text 138 to 312 to activate.

Benefits of the MTN 2-Monthly Data Tariff Plan

  • It is convenient for those who dislike recurrent short-term subscriptions.
  • Suitable for anyone who has little to average data usage monthly.
  • It is relatively affordable.

Let’s lay out these plans side by side and see how each compares to the other in data allowance and the cost of the bundles.

Comparison of MTN Data Plans in Data Allowance and Bundles

 

DATA TARIFF PLANS Data Allowance

(Range)

 Pricing (Range) Lowest Price & Highest Data Allowance Reason
Daily Plan 40MB – 1GB N50 – N300 1GB for N300 Better value for 24hrs
2-Day Plan 2GB – 2.5GB N500 for both 2.5GB for N500 Better value at the same price
Weekly Plan 450MB – 6GB N120 -N1500 6GB for N1500 Better value for 7 days, no restrictions.
Monthly Plan 1.5GB+2GB for YT – 200GB N1000 – N30,000 Always-On 45GB for N6000 (1.5G daily allocation) Lowest price for the most data in 30 days.
2-Monthly Plan 30GB – 160GB N8000 – N30,000 30GB for N8,000 Best value for the price in 60 days.

 

Note: The data bundles listed as having the lowest price for the highest data allowance were selected because they seem to provide the best value for any customer because of the validity period.

Factors To Consider When Choosing a Data Tariff Plan

Every person chooses a data tariff for reasons that suit them, whether it’s quick access to the internet for large downloads or steady access over a long period and minimum to average data usage.

But it still pays to consider a few things before activating any plan, especially if you want maximum value for your money. So, consider the following the next time you want to renew or change your MTN data tariff plans.

  1. Data Usage

Have you ever checked your data usage history to know how much data you consume daily, a week or a month? Are you the type of user that binges on Netflix movies 3 times a week and works on data-intensive projects on the remaining days of the week? Or do you just use your data for communication and work strictly?

Tracking how much time you spend online is crucial. That’s how you’ll find out your average daily/weekly/monthly data usage and be able to choose a commensurate plan.

  1. Validity Period

Before sending the shortcode, be sure that the allocated data allowance will be sufficient for the validity period you’re choosing and not wasted. If your weekly data usage is 2GB and you buy a 2GB bundle with a 2-day validity period, you won’t enjoy data access for the period you need to exhaust that amount of data.

So, check the validity period of any plan that seems appealing. It may be the perfect data bundle, but it doesn’t count if it expires before you can exhaust it.

  1. Budget

While some individuals may be free to rack up or tune down their data usage and, by extension, the budget for it, others may not. Take business enterprises, for instance. They may need a certain amount of monthly data and, therefore, have to create a budget to cover it.

However, if you can manipulate your data usage, ask yourself how much you’re willing to spend on data for a while and let it guide your subscriptions.

  1. Bonus Offers

The other factors are super important, but who doesn’t like a good incentive here and there? You can decide to forgo one plan or bundle for another simply because it offers a juicy bonus. MTN usually throws bonuses like talk time or extra data for specific social platforms (Youtube, Instagram, etc.)

So don’t be ashamed to scroll up or down searching for a plan or bundle with a little extra to go with it.

Additional Benefits and Features Of Data Tariff Plans

As you now know, a data subscription isn’t the only way to access the internet. You can use the PAY-G plan, which works just fine for some. But subscribing to a plan has extra benefits apart from data access itself, and they are as follows

  1. Data rollover

You can roll over any unfinished data you have in a bundle to the next subscription, provided you buy another bundle within the same plan. Usually, you can only do this within the grace period.

For example, if you buy a 1GB for N300 daily plan bundle and you do not exhaust it, you can roll over the data for the next 24 hours by buying a new bundle from the daily plan. It could be 200MB for N200 or 40MB for N50. Just do it before the grace period elapses.

  1. Bonus data on recharge.

As stated earlier, some data plans have bundles with extra data for specific platforms. An example is the 1GB weekly data bundle with an additional 1GB of data for Youtube.

  1. Separation of your talk time airtime and data

One big benefit of buying a data tariff plan is having dedicated airtime for voice calls and SMS. There’s no need to worry about combining calls, texts and data access in your airtime recharge.

How To Optimise Data Usage

So how do you stop you and your device from using much more data than you want to or can afford? You can employ some of these tips and tricks to maximise any data tariff you get on.

  • Calculate your actual data consumption. Do you send lots of emails or watch tons of tutorials on youtube? Know your average data consumption.
  • Buy data plans that cover the different aspects of the internet you surf each day or week.
  • For streaming services, reduce the video quality as much as possible without sabotaging your viewing experience, whether on Youtube, Netflix, Showmax or Amazon PPrime.

As a bonus, use these other tips to manage your data consumption

  • Set up a data consumption limit on your device. It will display your data consumption on your device dashboard and automatically interrupt your internet access once you reach your set limit.
  • Time your internet sessions for entertainment.

 

FAQs On MTN Data Tariff Plans

Q: What is an MTN data plan?

A: MTN data tariff plans are service packages that allow you to consume or spend an amount of data to access the internet at a fixed price.

Q: What is the cheapest MTN data tariff plan?

A: All the plans are relatively affordable. The cheapest plan for you may not be the cheapest for another individual. It depends on your data needs and budget.

Q: What is the code for MTN data plans?

A: The new ussd code you can use to check out all your data-related activities is *312#. You can find the specific codes for the various bundles underneath them

 

Conclusion

Data tariff plans are data packages you pay a fixed price for upfront for a set period. Mobile operators usually charge you for data access using a method known as packet charging.

In 2022, MTN awarded lots of data bonuses, including popular plans such as 24GB for N3500. But in 2023, the mobile network operator decided to go big by removing the old bonus plans and making a wider variety of data tariff plans available for its users.

Before you commit to a data plan, you must consider certain factors, including your budget, data needs, validity period and bonus offers. Therefore we encourage you to be smart about your choices, as the numerous plans can make it difficult to pick a plan that works. Start by monitoring your data usage to avoid unnecessary charges or wastage.