Aynet
Plan

Free tool

Travel data calculator: how much data do I need?

Set your trip length and how long you use each app on a normal day. The estimate updates as you go, with one plan size at the end.

days
A normal day on mobile data, away from Wi-Fi
  • 45 min a day

    Google Maps or Apple Maps with directions on

  • 1 h a day

    WhatsApp and similar: texts, photos, voice notes, audio calls

  • 45 min a day

    Instagram, TikTok, Facebook: mostly short videos

  • 20 min a day

    YouTube, Netflix and other video at the phone's default quality

  • 10 min a day

    WhatsApp, FaceTime, Zoom or Meet with the camera on

  • None

    Browsing, email and documents on a laptop through your phone

How much data do you need for a week of travel?

About 6.0 GB for 7 days of normal use, which fits a 10 GB plan. That assumes, each day, 45 minutes of maps, 60 minutes of messaging, 45 minutes of social media, 20 minutes of video and 10 minutes of video calls, plus a 15% margin.

Social media and video move the number most: every extra hour of streaming a day adds about 2.1 GB a week, and an hour of scrolling Instagram or TikTok adds about 5.0 GB.

How the data calculator works

Each activity has a data rate in MB per hour, taken from the app makers’ help pages where they publish one. The calculator multiplies your minutes a day by that rate and by your days, adds them up and adds 15% for background use.

  • Maps: 10 MB an hour. EE puts map navigation at 100 to 200 KB a minute; a WhistleOut test measured less. Offline maps cut it close to zero.
  • Messaging: 24 MB an hour. An audio call on WhatsApp uses about 0.3 to 0.5 MB a minute (Orange Travel); a text is about 1 KB and a photo 0.1 to 1.5 MB.
  • Social media: 720 MB an hour. WhistleOut measured about 720 MB an hour on Instagram and 840 MB on TikTok at default settings; photo-only scrolling uses far less.
  • Video: 300 MB an hour. Netflix says its automatic mobile setting gives about 4 hours per GB, and WhistleOut measured about 300 MB an hour on YouTube. HD can reach 3 GB an hour.
  • Video calls: 540 MB an hour. Zoom recommends 600 kbps each way for a high-quality one-to-one call, about 540 MB an hour. Orange Travel measured 5 to 6 MB a minute on WhatsApp video.
  • Hotspot: 150 MB an hour. Boost Mobile puts hotspot browsing and email at about 60 MB an hour; we allow more for full desktop pages and background sync. Video calls on the laptop use far more.

The recommended size is the smallest plan we sell that covers the total. Our plans come in 1, 3, 5, 10, 20 and 50 GB (checked 2026-09-29); most run for 30 days. If you go over, you can top up the same eSIM.

How to use less mobile data abroad

  • Download offline maps and your shows on Wi-Fi before you fly.
  • Turn off automatic app updates and photo backup on mobile data.
  • Set video apps to data saver or standard quality on mobile.
  • Check your phone’s data use screen after the first day and compare it with your estimate.

Not sure your phone takes an eSIM? Use the eSIM compatibility checker.

Travel data questions

How much data do I need for a week abroad?

Between about 1.7 GB and 16.1 GB for 7 days, depending mostly on video. With our default day (maps, messaging, 45 minutes of social media, 20 minutes of video and a short video call) the calculator gives 6.0 GB, so a 10 GB plan. Social apps and streaming are what push the number up.

How much data does Google Maps use?

About 10 MB an hour with navigation on, based on EE's figure of 100 to 200 KB a minute. Download an offline map of the area on Wi-Fi first and the app uses almost none.

How much data does a video call use?

About 540 MB an hour for a one-to-one call at the quality Zoom calls high, and similar on WhatsApp video. An audio-only WhatsApp call uses about 24 MB an hour.

How much data does streaming video use on a phone?

About 300 MB an hour at the default mobile quality. Netflix says its automatic mobile setting gives about 4 hours per GB, while HD can use up to 3 GB an hour. Download shows on Wi-Fi before you leave and they use no data at all.

How much data does Instagram or TikTok use?

About 720 MB an hour of scrolling, because the feeds are mostly video that plays and preloads. That is why social media is often the biggest line in the estimate. Turning off video preloading on mobile data in Instagram's settings cuts it.

Can I use my phone as a hotspot on an eSIM?

Where the plan lists hotspot, yes; check the plan before you buy. A laptop on hotspot uses data much faster than a phone, around 150 MB an hour for browsing, email and documents, because it loads full desktop pages and syncs in the background.

What happens if I run out of data?

You can top up the same eSIM from My eSIMs, no new QR code needed. That is why we recommend the smallest size that covers your estimate rather than the largest.

Why is there a 15% margin?

Phones use data in the background: app refreshes, photo previews, messages with images, pages you open without thinking. The margin covers that so the estimate does not fall short on the last day.

Sources for the data rates

Rates checked 2026-09-29. Real use varies with the app, the video quality and the network.