Buy too little data and you run out on day four, hunting for Wi-Fi to load a map. Buy too much and you waste money. The good news: once you know how much each app uses, picking the right eSIM or SIM plan is easy.
Try the calculatorTravel Data CalculatorHow much eSIM data you need→How much data each activity uses
Typical figures per hour of use on a phone:
| Activity | Data per hour |
|---|---|
| Maps and navigation | about 0.02 GB (20 MB) |
| Web browsing and messaging | about 0.1 GB |
| Music streaming | 0.07–0.15 GB |
| Social media with video (Instagram, TikTok) | about 0.7 GB |
| Video in standard quality (480p) | about 0.7 GB |
| Video in HD (720p) | about 1.5 GB |
| Video in Full HD (1080p) | about 3 GB |
| Video calls | about 1–1.5 GB |
The pattern is clear: maps and messaging use very little; video uses a lot. Most of your data goes on short videos, streaming and video calls.
Three traveller profiles
| Profile | Typical day | Data per day |
|---|---|---|
| Light | 1 hour of maps, 1 hour browsing and messaging, a little social media | about 0.5 GB |
| Moderate | Maps, browsing, 1 hour of social media, some music, 30 minutes of video, a short video call | about 1.6 GB |
| Heavy | Lots of social media, 1.5 hours of HD video, music and video calls | about 4.6 GB |
How much to buy for your trip
These estimates assume you are on hotel or café Wi-Fi about 30% of the time and include a 15% safety buffer:
| Trip length | Light | Moderate | Heavy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 7 days | 2.7 GB (buy 3 GB) | 9 GB (buy 10 GB) | 26 GB (buy 30 GB) |
| 14 days | 5.3 GB (buy 10 GB) | 18 GB (buy 20 GB) | 52 GB (consider unlimited) |
| 30 days | 11.4 GB (buy 15 GB) | 38.5 GB (buy 50 GB) | 112 GB (buy unlimited) |
Your own habits matter more than any table, so run your numbers in the travel data calculator.
Tip: if you are a heavy user on a long trip, compare an "unlimited" eSIM with a large fixed plan — unlimited plans often slow down after a daily limit, so read the fair-use terms.
7 ways to make your data last
- Download offline maps before you leave — navigation then uses almost no data.
- Download shows and playlists on hotel Wi-Fi.
- Lower video quality in YouTube, Netflix and Instagram settings ("data saver").
- Turn off auto-play of videos in social apps.
- Stop app and photo backups on mobile data (iCloud, Google Photos).
- Use voice calls instead of video calls where you can.
- Turn off data roaming on your home SIM so it never uses expensive roaming data by accident.
Which plan should you buy?
For most trips, a travel eSIM is the cheapest and easiest option — you install it before you fly and keep your home SIM for calls and texts. See how much you would save compared with your carrier's roaming pass in the eSIM vs roaming calculator.
This article is general information, not personal financial, tax or legal advice. Rules and rates change — check the latest figures with an official source or a qualified adviser. Read our disclaimer.