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Data calculator: how much data for your trip?
Choosing an eSIM plan without knowing how much data you use means either overpaying or running out at the worst moment. This tool estimates your needs from your usage and trip length, then points you to matching plans.
Your estimate
Trip length7 days
Rough estimate: real usage depends on video quality, network and your apps.
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How much each activity uses
Here is typical consumption per day for average usage. These are the values that power the calculator.
| Activity | Per day (average) | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Messaging (WhatsApp, SMS) | 20 Mo | Very light |
| 20 Mo | Light, unless attachments | |
| Maps / GPS | 20 Mo | Light: ≈ 5-10 MB/h |
| Web browsing | 80 Mo | Search, articles |
| Social media | 450 Mo | TikTok ≈ 900 MB/h, Insta ≈ 380 MB/h |
| Music streaming | 150 Mo | Spotify ≈ 40-150 MB/h |
| Video calls | 350 Mo | WhatsApp ≈ 300 MB/h, Zoom more |
| Video streaming | 1.2 Go | SD ≈ 0.7 GB/h, HD ≈ 1.5-2.5 GB/h |
| Photos / cloud | 80 Mo | Backup, sharing |
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1 GB, 5 GB, 10 GB: what it really means
To get your bearings, here is roughly what you can do with each amount of data over a trip.
1 GBAbout 5 days of light use: messaging, maps, email and a little web. Or barely 1 hour of HD video.
5 GBA relaxed week: social media, music and browsing, with a few short videos. The comfortable minimum for a city break.
10 GBTen well-connected days: daily social, GPS, music and the odd video. The most common choice.
20 GBTwo weeks without a worry: regular streaming, video calls and sharing photos every day.
50 GB+Heavy use or a long stay: remote work, daily streaming, tethering. At this level an unlimited plan is often better value.
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What kind of traveller are you?
The frugal traveller1 to 3 GB / weekMessaging, offline maps, a few photos. Hotel Wi-Fi does the rest.
The connected traveller5 to 10 GB / weekDaily social media, music, GPS and a few videos. The most common profile.
The digital nomad20 GB+ / weekRemote work, video calls, streaming. An unlimited plan is often the best fit.
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3 habits to use less data
- Video is by far the biggest drain: dropping to 480p instead of 1080p cuts usage by 3 to 4 times.
- Download maps, playlists and shows on Wi-Fi before you leave, so you don't stream them on data.
- Turn off autoplay on social media: it's a silent data sink.
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How to track your data usage while travelling
To avoid nasty surprises, keep an eye on your usage right in your phone's settings.
On iPhone: Settings > Cellular. You can see usage per app. Reset the statistics at the start of your trip to start from zero.
On Android: Settings > Network & Internet > SIM (or Data usage). You can set an alert, or even a limit, to be warned before you run out.
Frequently asked questions
How much data for a week's trip?
For typical use (messaging, maps, social media, a few photos), expect around 200 to 300 MB per day, so 1.5 to 2 GB per week. If you watch videos or make video calls, it can rise to 5 GB and more. The calculator above refines this based on your usage.
How much data does Google Maps use?
GPS navigation stays light: about 5 to 10 MB per hour of navigation, rarely more than 30 MB a day. You can cut it further by downloading offline maps before you leave.
How much data for Netflix or YouTube?
Video streaming is the heaviest: about 0.7 GB per hour in standard quality, and up to 3 GB per hour in HD. One hour of video a day for a week is already 5 to 10 GB.
Is the estimate reliable?
It's a ballpark, not an exact measure. Real usage depends on video quality, the network and your apps. We add a safety margin to avoid running out, it's better to slightly overestimate.
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