How much data do I need?
Pick what you’ll actually do on your device and how long you’re away. The estimates use typical per-activity data rates — the table at the bottom shows the numbers.
How many days?
What will you do most days?
Your estimate for 7 days
13.5 GB
~1.6 GB per day, with a 20% safety margin included
Our advice: a 20 GB whole-trip plan
That covers your estimate with room to spare. If your plans might change — more video, hotspotting a laptop — per-day or unlimited plans are the safer pick.
Find plans for my destination
The numbers behind the estimate
Typical mobile data use per activity. Real use varies with app settings and video quality — that’s why the estimate adds a 20% margin.
| Activity | Assumption | Data per day |
|---|---|---|
| Maps & navigation | 1–2 h of walking or transit directions | 0.2 GB |
| Messaging & email | WhatsApp, iMessage, mail — always on | 0.1 GB |
| Social feeds | 1–2 h of Instagram, TikTok, X | 0.9 GB |
| Photo uploads & backup | 30–50 photos to cloud or stories | 0.4 GB |
| Music & podcasts | 2 h of streaming audio | 0.2 GB |
| Video streaming | 1 h of YouTube or Netflix in HD | 1.5 GB |
| Video calls | 30 min of FaceTime or Zoom | 0.4 GB |
| Laptop hotspot | A few hours of work, no big downloads | 1 GB |
Common questions
How much data does a normal trip actually use?
Most travellers who stay off video use 0.5–1.5 GB a day — maps, messages, social and photos. Video streaming or hotspotting a laptop is what pushes it past 2–3 GB a day; that’s when unlimited plans start to win.
Whole-trip, per-day or unlimited — which should I pick?
Under about 1 GB a day, a whole-trip allowance is cheapest. Steady daily use suits per-day plans. Above 2 GB a day, or if you can’t predict your use, unlimited removes the worry.
What uses the most data by far?
Video — streaming in HD is around 1.5 GB per hour, more in 4K. Turning video quality down to 720p roughly halves it. Maps and messaging are almost negligible by comparison.
Does the eSIM use data in the background?
A little — app refresh, mail sync and cloud backup add up to roughly 100 MB a day. Turn off automatic photo backup over mobile data if you’re on a small allowance.