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How much mobile data do I need for my trip?
Pick the country and trip length, answer six habit questions, and get a low-to-high estimate in GB, the plug you need, and the eSIM plans that cover it.
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What "some" and "lots" mean
"Some" is about half an hour of navigation, video or browsing a day, an hour of social media or music, and a quarter hour of video calls. "Lots" is roughly three times that. Messaging, email and background app traffic are always included at 30 to 100 MB a day, and the trip length multiplies the daily figure. The rates behind each line, with the page they came from and the date it was checked, are on the methodology page.
Three things that change the answer most
- Video on mobile data. An hour of HD streaming is about 2.5 GB in AT&T's published figures, while the Netflix mobile app on its Automatic setting uses about 250 MB. Set the quality down, or download shows on hotel Wi-Fi, and video stops being the biggest line.
- Video calls. Zoom's recommended 1:1 bandwidth works out to about 540 MB an hour; Google Meet's top setting is about 3.2 GB. A daily call home on Wi-Fi costs nothing from the plan.
- Hotspot. A laptop on the phone's hotspot browses like a second phone, and laptops run updates. The checkbox adds a browsing allowance; it does not model video on the laptop.
Plug and voltage
The plug and voltage shown come from the IEC World Plugs list for the country you picked. A US plug (type A or B) fits without an adapter in only a few of the top destinations; voltage matters less, because nearly every phone and laptop charger accepts 100 to 240 V. Check the small print on the charger before you trust that. Each country's plug page says which it is.
Frequently asked questions
How much mobile data do I need for a week abroad?
Most travellers who navigate, scroll social media and browse for an hour or so a day land between 3 GB and 10 GB for a week. Streaming video or making video calls on mobile data can push that past 20 GB. The calculator above shows the low and high for your own habits.
Is 1 GB a day enough when travelling?
For maps, messaging, email, light browsing and social media without much video, 1 GB a day is usually enough. It is not enough for an hour of HD video or a long video call each day, which can use 1 to 3 GB on their own.
Does Google Maps use a lot of data?
No. Navigation uses roughly 5 to 10 MB an hour according to the carrier figure used here, so even heavy use adds little. Downloading the map area offline before you go cuts that further for driving directions.
Why is the estimate a range and not one number?
Because the published rates are ranges. A video call at 600 kbps each way uses about 540 MB an hour; the same call at Google Meet's top setting uses about 3.2 GB. The low end assumes modest settings, the high end the published maximums.
Should I buy more data than the estimate?
Buy at least the high end, rounded up to the next plan size. Most eSIM providers let you top up, so a plan that covers the high end with some margin is cheaper than running out and buying a second plan mid-trip.