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    Travel eSIM Data Calculator

    Estimate how much mobile data you'll need for a trip, and which eSIM plan size to buy.

    days
    Hours a day on mobile data (not Wi-Fi)
    About 10 MB an hour; downloading offline maps first saves most of it
    Text messages use almost nothing; photos and voice notes use more
    Instagram, TikTok and Facebook with videos autoplaying
    Normal quality; high quality uses about twice as much
    WhatsApp, FaceTime or Zoom
    YouTube or Netflix on a phone screen
    Full HD streaming
    ResultIncludes 15% extra for updates and background use—Data for the trip—Suggested plan—Per day

    How your data estimate is worked out

    Data a day × days away, plus 15% spare, rounded up to a plan size.

    1. 1

      Add up a day

      Social
      1 h × 400 MB
      + 2 more = 530 MB

    2. 2

      Times the trip

      530 MB × 7 days
      = 3,710 MB

    3. 3

      Add 15% spare

      3,710 MB × 1.15
      = 4,267 MB

    4. 4

      Pick a plan size

      4,267 MB ÷ 1,024
      = 4.2 GB
      → 5 GB plan

    Read more: typical data use and ways to use less

    Most of your data goes on video. An hour of scrolling video-heavy social media can use more data than a week of maps and messaging. These are typical amounts per hour:

    ActivityTypical use per hour
    Maps & navigation10 MB
    Web, email & messaging60 MB
    Social media400 MB
    Music streaming70 MB
    Video calls500 MB
    Video, standard quality1 GB
    Video, HD3 GB

    The formula

    data a day = hours of each activity × MB per hour, added up
    trip total = data a day × days × 1.15 (15% spare)

    Worked example

    A 7-day trip with 1 hour of maps (10 MB), 2 hours of web and messaging (120 MB) and 1 hour of social media (400 MB) a day uses 530 MB a day. Over 7 days that is 3,710 MB. Adding 15% spare gives 4,267 MB, or about 4.2 GB, so a 5 GB plan covers it.

    Ways to use less data

    • Download offline maps, playlists and shows on Wi-Fi before you leave.
    • Turn off video autoplay in social apps, and set streaming apps to lower quality.
    • Turn off automatic app updates and photo backups on mobile data.
    • Use hotel and café Wi-Fi for video calls.

    Choosing a plan

    Travel eSIMs usually come in 1, 3, 5, 10 and 20 GB sizes, with unlimited plans for heavy users. If you're between two sizes, the larger one is usually cheaper than topping up later. Check that your phone supports eSIM and is unlocked before you buy.

    Estimates only. Real use depends on your apps, settings and how much you use Wi-Fi.