I recently signed up for a cell phone plan. The cheapest deal I could manage was $50/month, plus taxes and fees, and involved a 3 year contract commitment. That’s $1800 over the term of the contract. And I got to pay a substantial chunk of the price of the phone, as well.
If I let myself be talked into the various bells and whistles offered as add-ons to the monthly plan, I’d be paying nearly $100/month. For a phone.
[Wireless North took a look at cell phone plan rates in a few countries](http://wirelessnorth.ca/2010/08/27/its-2010-and-canadians-pay-the-highest-cell-phone-bills-in-the-world/) and it looks like the feeling of being taken for a ride is probably pretty common here in Canada.