PeterGreenberg.com » Internet Cafes International

Internet Cafes International

CyberCafe For budget travelers, an Internet cafe can be an inexpensive way to keep in touch with friends and family while on the road.

And thanks to the rapid global expansion of the Web, travelers now usually have plenty of communication choices available at Internet cafes, from email to VOIP.

Here we give you the inside scoop on where it’s cheap to email home — and where it’s not.

“TOURIST” CITIES VS. “REGULAR” CITIES

Tourists are undoubtedly significant users of Internet cafes, but does that mean that Internet cafes in tourist-oriented areas are necessarily more expensive than cafes in less-visited cities? Not necessarily…

PeterGreenberg.com looked at three countries around the world and compared prices for an hour of Internet time in cities considered “touristy” versus those that aren’t. In two of the comparisons, Cancun/Mexico City and Naples/Florence, there was a noticeable price difference. But even in the case of the Mexican cities, prices for touristy Cancun were only about 5-15% higher than in the less-visited capital of Mexico. On the other hand, the average price for the Internet in “touristy” Florence was actually found to be lower than that of Naples.

Interestingly, much of Cancun’s higher average price was the result of just two cafes that featured much higher prices than the average (about $4.50/hr. for these, compared to an average of about $2/hr. in Mexico). Both of these pricey cafes were, perhaps unsurprisingly, located right near the main cruise port - a major point-of-entry for an increasing number of Cancun’s tourists.

Below, you’ll find the price comparisons, including the number of cafes that were included to come up with the average price, as well as some of the highest and lowest prices in each city.

Naples vs. Florence neonkeyboard

Naples: Relatively small number of Internet cafes. (out of 4, average: $2.55)

Internet Napoli: 1.65 euro/hr. ($2.13)

Java Java Express: 3 euro/hr. ($3.87)

Florence: There are plenty of Internet cafes in this fast-changing market. Well, fast-changing judging by the amount of old, inaccurate information on most of the Internet cafe guides. (of 7, average: $2.15)

Internet Point: 1 euro/hr. ($1.30)

Il Cairo: 1.55 euro/hr. ($2.00)

CyberBeat: 3.20 euro/hr. ($4.15)

Mexico City vs. Cancun

Mexico City: The largest city in the Americas has plenty of Internet access points, but many tend to be business centers instead of cafes. (of 7, average: $1.95/hr.)

Xpresso Cafe: $1 USD/hr.

Emilios: $1 USD/hr.

Rent@Net: $2.50 USD/hr.

Cancun: Using the Internet isn’t too cheap in Cancun, but cruisers could save money over sending email at sea. Plus, there seem to be quite a few choices. Avoid the waterfront cafes and head inland for cheaper rates. (of 6, average: $2.15)

Digicenter PG: 15/pesos/hr ($1.38)

CyberCafe: 50 pesos/hr ($4.60)

Digital Access: 20 pesos/hr ($1.85)

Sao Paulo vs. Rio de Janiero

Sao Paulo: Brazil’s biggest city is a manufacturing hub and business center, but has relatively few Internet cafes — at least in the city itself. (of 5, average: $2.05)

BamNet: about $2.50 USD/hr.

Weebee Cyber Cafe: $1.25 USD/hr.

Rio de Janiero: Copacabana and Ipanema prove that where tourists go, expensive Internet cafes are sure to follow. But in visitor-friendly Rio, seeking out smaller, off-the-beaten path joints like Atomic LAN and Bananas Net could yield big savings. (of 7, average: $2.25)

The Internet Cafe: $4.00 USD/hr.

Bananas Net: $1.50 USD/hr.

Atomic LAN house: $1.25 USD/hr.

Overall, cities that attract a lot of free-spending tourists don’t necessarily have more expensive Internet cafes. In fact, the cash that tourists bring to a market seems to spur competition, with very tourist-heavy cities like Florence and Cancun offering far more access points than their relatively small populations might suggest.

FINDING INTERNET CAFES

Finding Internet cafes around the world has become pretty easy with these websites, most of which allow searches by city, country or region. Just make sure you check them out before you get to your destination in order to find a place to log on once you get there…

Cyber Cafes: http://www.cybercafes.com

Cyber Captive, the Cybercafe Search Engine: http://www.cybercaptive.com

Net Cafe Guide: http://www.world66.com/netcafeguide

AROUND THE WORLD

Even more important than having a specific Internet cafe in mind before you go abroad, though, is arming yourself with the right information. Use the websites above to get an idea of the number of options likely to be available, as well as some general pricing information. Most Internet cafe websites will have their prices prominently displayed, though not all of the sites are in English, or have English translations readily available.

In May 2006, Wired Magazine published a list of the average prices for an hour of Internet usage in cities around the world. They discovered that the most expensive Internet time was, not too surprisingly, found in New York City, where an hour averages about $12.80. According to Wired, the cheapest major cities to connect on average are Lima, Peru, and La Paz, Bolivia, where an hour of Internet time costs an average of about 38 cents.

But at 39 cents per hour, it was Bangkok that Wired judged to have the cheapest connection fees relative to local prices. Based on the latest gross domestic product measurements, thirty-nine cents amounts to just 1.7% of a Thai’s daily wage. In poorer La Paz, the 38 cents it takes to connect for an hour is equivalent to more than 5% of the average daily wage. So while La Paz and Lima may barely edge out Bangkok on a strict price-comparison basis, if you take into account local costs, it’s Bangkok that offers the cheapest public Internet prices.

Aside from the dirt-cheap prices in Bangkok, the survey held some other surprises, too, such as the fact that an hour of Internet time in London is only about $1.78– about 1 pound. That compares favorably to some cities that are usually considered significantly cheaper than London, like Prague ($3.31) and Budapest ($3.27).

Below are some average prices for an hour of Internet time around the world, according to Wired, arranged by continent to give you an idea of what you should be paying at Internet cafes around the globe.

THE AMERICAS

floatinghttp Montreal: $4.38