Updated · 4 min read
Buying too little data is annoying; buying far too much wastes money. These estimates help you choose a plan size. Real use varies with your apps, video quality and how much Wi-Fi you have at your accommodation.
Rough usage per activity
- Messaging (text and photos): low, often well under 100 MB per day.
- Navigation and maps: moderate; download offline maps to cut it further.
- Social media with videos: high, easily 0.5–1 GB per day or more.
- Video calls: high, roughly several hundred MB per hour depending on quality.
- Streaming video or hotspot for a laptop: very high; check unlimited plans and their fair-use rules.
Starting points by trip type
- Weekend city break with hotel Wi-Fi: 1–3 GB.
- One-week beach holiday: about 3–5 GB.
- Two-week round trip with lots of navigation: 10–20 GB.
- Remote work or sharing with family: 20 GB and up, or unlimited.
Make your data last
- Download offline maps and playlists before you leave.
- Turn off automatic photo and video backups over mobile data.
- Set social apps to lower video quality on mobile data.
- Check remaining data in your account and top up if needed.
Unsure? Pick a mid-size plan. Many plans can be topped up later, which is cheaper than paying for a large plan you never use.
Frequently asked questions
Is 1 GB per day enough?
For maps, messaging and moderate social media, usually yes. Heavy video use or a hotspot needs more.