Key takeaways
- App calls on Wi-Fi cost nothing extra, but your family needs the same app and internet
- Rogers sells 1,000 minutes to India and five other places for $5 a month (November 2026)
- Public Mobile sells 1,000 minutes to India and Pakistan for $15
- Without an add-on, standard rates can be $1.50 to $2.05 a minute
- Rogers 5G+ Popular and Ultimate include unlimited calling to 27 countries, including India
What are the ways to call India from Canada?
- Calling apps over Wi-Fi or mobile data.
- A long-distance add-on from your Canadian carrier, which gives a block of minutes or a lower rate.
- A plan that includes international minutes.
- Pay per minute at your carrier’s standard long-distance rate.
Calling apps such as WhatsApp, Viber, Messenger, FaceTime and Google Meet call other app users over the internet. On Wi-Fi they cost nothing extra. On mobile data, a voice call uses a small part of your plan’s data. Video calls use much more. App calls only work if the person you call has the same app and a working internet connection.
A carrier option is useful when you call a landline, an older phone, or a relative with weak internet.
Carrier options for India compared
Prices before tax, from each carrier’s website on November 5, 2026. Plans and add-ons can differ by province.
| Carrier | Option | Price | What you get |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rogers | Long-distance add-on | $5/month | 1,000 minutes to the US, India, China and Hong Kong, the UK, Mexico and Bangladesh |
| Rogers | U.S. & International add-on | $9/month | Preferred rate to India of $0.02 a minute, plus international texts |
| Rogers | 5G+ Popular or Ultimate plan | $85 or $95/month on Rogers’ newcomer page; $90 or $100 on its main plans page without home internet (after Auto-Pay discount) | Unlimited calling to 27 countries, including India |
| Public Mobile | India & Pakistan add-on | $15 | 1,000 minutes |
| Public Mobile | Canada-US-Mexico plans | $40 to $50/month | 1,000 international minutes a month to 7 places, including India (limited-time offer) |
| Freedom Mobile | Long Distance, 14 destinations | $10 or $15/month | 250 or 1,000 minutes to 14 destinations, including India |
| Freedom Mobile | World Saver | $5/month | Rate to India of $0.04 a minute |
| chatr | Pay per minute ($35 plan, Ontario) | $0.04/minute | Landline or mobile in India |
Standard rates to India without an add-on were $2.05 a minute at Rogers and $1.50 a minute at Freedom. Freedom’s add-on page lists the 14 destinations as Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, China, Germany, Hong Kong, India, Japan, Malaysia, Mexico, Singapore, South Korea, Taiwan and the United Kingdom.
Offer as of November 5, 2026. Public Mobile’s 1,000 international minutes on Canada-US-Mexico plans and Freedom’s 1,000 long-distance minutes a month for 24 months, for a new line or phone upgrade on a $35+ plan, are limited-time offers. Neither page listed an end date. Providers change offers often; confirm on the provider’s site.
How we handle offers. Prices and offers on this page come from each provider’s own website and were last checked on November 5, 2026. Providers change offers often, so confirm the details on the provider’s site before you sign up. No provider pays to be included here.
Worked example: 300 minutes a month
Ravi calls his parents in India for about 300 minutes a month on their regular phone. Here is what each option would cost him per month, before tax, using the rates above:
| Option | Calculation | Monthly cost |
|---|---|---|
| Rogers $5 add-on | 300 minutes fit in 1,000 | $5 |
| chatr pay per minute | 300 × $0.04 | $12 |
| Rogers $9 add-on | $9 + 300 × $0.02 | $15 |
| Public Mobile add-on | 300 minutes fit in 1,000 | $15 |
| Freedom World Saver | $5 + 300 × $0.04 | $17 |
| Freedom standard rate | 300 × $1.50 | $450 |
| Rogers standard rate | 300 × $2.05 | $615 |
The add-ons cost a small fraction of standard rates. You can only buy an add-on from the carrier you are with, so compare it together with your plan price. The international calling cost calculator works this out with your own numbers.
Which option fits your situation?
- Your family uses WhatsApp on home Wi-Fi: app calls may be enough. Keep a little spare data for calls away from Wi-Fi.
- You call a landline or an older phone often: an add-on with a block of minutes is usually far cheaper than standard rates.
- You already want a premium plan: Rogers Popular and Ultimate include India in their 27 countries. For a cheaper prepaid plan, see cheapest phone plans.
- You call several countries: check which add-on covers all of them. Rogers’ $5 add-on covers India and Bangladesh. Public Mobile’s plan offer covers India, Pakistan and the Philippines.
How to dial India from a Canadian mobile
chatr’s guide gives these steps:
- Enter + (press and hold the 0 key).
- Add India’s country code: 91.
- For a mobile number, dial the 10-digit number. For a landline, dial the area code without the leading 0, then the local number. Mumbai, for example, is +91 22.
If an add-on is on your account, these calls use its minutes automatically. Calls to countries outside the add-on are charged at standard rates.
Questions to ask before you buy an add-on
Before you add a long-distance option, check these points on the carrier’s page or ask in a store:
- Which countries are covered? Add-ons with similar names can cover different lists.
- Are calls to mobile numbers included, or only landlines? Rates can differ between the two.
- Is it monthly or one-time? Rogers and Freedom list their add-ons as a monthly price. Public Mobile lists its add-ons as a single price.
- Do unused minutes roll over? Public Mobile says unused minutes on its long-distance add-ons roll over to the next cycle, but the 1,000 minutes included with its plans expire at the end of each billing cycle.
- How is a call counted? Rogers says calls to mobile numbers are billed by the second with a 30-second minimum, and long-distance charges are rounded up to the next full minute.
- Is the price before tax? All prices on this page are before tax.
How to avoid surprise charges
- Check the country list. Rogers’ $5 add-on covers six places. Its 27-country list on Popular and Ultimate is longer.
- Know how minutes are counted. Rogers rounds long-distance charges up to the next full minute and says airtime charges also apply. Check your plan’s terms.
- Calls must start in Canada. Rogers, Freedom and Public Mobile add-ons cover calls made from Canada, not while you are travelling.
- Texts are often included. Rogers, chatr and Lucky plans list unlimited international texts, so a text home usually costs nothing extra.
If you also send money to India, compare costs in sending money to India.
Common questions
What is the cheapest way to call India from Canada?
Which Canadian plans include calls to India?
How much does it cost to call India without an add-on?
Do add-on minutes work when I travel?
Are texts to India free?
Sources
- Rogers: add-ons and long-distance rate finder
- Rogers: 5G+ mobile plans (footnote 16 lists the 27 countries)
- Rogers: plans for newcomers
- Public Mobile: plans and add-ons
- Freedom Mobile: international calling add-ons and rates by destination
- Freedom Mobile: add-ons and offer terms (1,000 long-distance minutes offer, MyTab)
- chatr: rate finder for the $35 plan (Ontario)
- chatr: prepaid plans
- Lucky Mobile: prepaid plans
- chatr: how to call India from Canada