How much data do I need for my trip?
Set your trip length and how you use your phone in a normal day. The calculator adds a safety margin and shows the cheapest ETravelSim plan that covers it.
Most travellers use 500 MB to 1 GB a day. A week of maps, WhatsApp, a little Instagram and a few photo uploads comes to 4 to 7 GB. If you stream video or share a hotspot with a laptop, plan on 2 GB a day or more, and an unlimited plan usually costs less than a fixed one that size.
Data usage calculator
Move the sliders to match a typical day. Figures update as you go.
What actually uses the data
The numbers below are what we see on real trips, measured on iPhone and Android with normal settings. Video is the one that moves the total. Everything else is small until you add it up over a week.
| Activity | Per hour of use | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Maps and navigation | 15 to 30 MB | A full day of walking directions is under 100 MB. Downloading a city for offline use costs 100 to 300 MB once, then almost nothing. |
| WhatsApp and messaging | 1 to 5 MB | Text is close to free. A 30 second video in a group chat is 5 to 15 MB each way. |
| Instagram, TikTok, Facebook | 400 to 800 MB | Autoplay video is the reason. Twenty minutes on the bus every morning is 1 to 2 GB a week. |
| YouTube, Netflix, Prime | 500 MB at 480p, 1.5 GB at 1080p | One episode at 1080p on the hotel Wi-Fi costs nothing. The same episode on the eSIM costs more than a day of everything else. |
| Video calls | 300 to 600 MB | A 15 minute FaceTime home each evening is about 100 MB a day. |
| Voice over WhatsApp or FaceTime | 30 to 50 MB | Cheap. An hour of calls a day fits inside 1.5 GB a month. |
| Spotify, podcasts | 60 to 150 MB | Download playlists on Wi-Fi before the flight and this drops to zero. |
| Browsing, email, booking sites | 40 to 80 MB | Reading and booking is light. Image heavy sites and auto playing ads push it up. |
| Photo backup | 3 to 5 MB per photo | iCloud and Google Photos upload in the background. 50 photos a day is 200 MB. Turn off backup over mobile data if you are on a 1 GB plan. |
| Hotspot for a laptop | 200 to 400 MB | Email and documents only. A laptop that syncs OneDrive or runs updates can eat 2 GB in an hour. |
Measured ranges on iOS 18 and Android 15 with default app settings. Your apps may differ.
Three real trips, three answers
Four days in Dubai, couple, no laptop
Maps to the mall and back, WhatsApp with family, Instagram in the evening, a short FaceTime each night. About 700 MB a day each, so 3 GB per person over four days with the margin.
Dubai 3 GB plan covers it with room to spare. One phone can also share a hotspot with the other if you want one plan instead of two.
Ten days in Italy, solo, working two mornings
Normal tourist use plus a laptop on hotspot for two half days. The hotspot sessions add 1 to 2 GB on their own, so this lands around 10 to 12 GB.
Italy 20 GB plan is the safe choice. Unlimited for 10 days costs about the same, but the Italy unlimited plan doesn't allow hotspot, so the fixed plan wins here.
Three weeks in the USA, family of four
One phone with a plan, three devices on its hotspot, kids streaming in the car. This is 3 to 5 GB a day with no ceiling.
USA 50 GB plan at $49.99 is the sensible buy, with a second plan ready if it runs out. The USA unlimited plan doesn't allow hotspot, and for three weeks you'd need the 30-day plan, which costs more than 50 GB.
If you are between two sizes
- Unlimited beats a big fixed plan when the trip is under two weeks. For the USA, 7 days unlimited is $21 and 20 GB is $22. If you stream, take unlimited. If you need hotspot, take the 20 GB: the USA unlimited plan doesn't allow it.
- Buy small and recharge. Most ETravelSim eSIMs can be topped up on the same eSIM, with no new QR code. A few can't: Japan and Vietnam eSIMs need a new eSIM, and the North America 20 GB plan can't be topped up. Check the product page before you buy small.
- Hotel Wi-Fi does the heavy lifting. Set video apps to Wi-Fi only and download maps, playlists and shows the night before. Most people who buy 20 GB use under 8.
- Watch iCloud and Google Photos. Background backup over mobile data is the most common reason a 5 GB plan is gone in three days. Turn it off in the app settings before you fly.
Questions people ask before choosing a size
Is 1 GB enough for a week?
Only for maps, messages and email with video turned off everywhere. It suits a short business trip or a backup line. For a holiday with photos and social apps, 5 GB is the realistic floor for a week.
How much data does Google Maps use per day?
Between 20 and 100 MB with normal use. Walking directions for a full day of sightseeing rarely passes 60 MB. Download the city for offline use on Wi-Fi and navigation then uses almost nothing.
Does an unlimited plan really have no limit?
Most standard unlimited plans give you 4 GB a day at full speed, then keep you online at 1 Mbps until the allowance resets 24 hours later. A few destinations work differently: Japan and Thailand unlimited plans have no daily cap, China and Hong Kong slow to 128 kbps after 3 GB a day, and Truly Unlimited plans have no cap at all. The exact rule is on each product page. Hotspot on unlimited plans depends on the destination. The fair use policy has the detail.
Can I check how much I have used?
Yes. The ETravelSim app shows remaining data and days for every eSIM on your account, and the balance check page works without the app. Your phone's own data counter also works if you reset it on the day you land.
What happens when the data runs out?
The connection stops until you top up. On most eSIMs a recharge from the app or the website applies to the same eSIM within minutes, with nothing to scan again. Japan and Vietnam eSIMs need a new eSIM instead.
Short version
A normal week abroad needs 5 to 7 GB. Streaming or a shared hotspot pushes you to 20 GB or unlimited. Pick a destination in the calculator above and it names the plan and the price.