How much data do you need?
Pick how many hours a day you will do each thing. We add it up and suggest a plan size. Takes a minute.
What uses data
Anything your phone does without Wi-Fi counts: background app updates, photo backups and voicemail included. Video is the big one — an hour of HD is about as much as a week of maps and messages.
If you will have hotel Wi-Fi most evenings, you can safely pick the plan one size down from the suggestion.
Common questions
It depends on how you use your phone while travelling. Light users who mostly use maps, messaging, email and browsing may only need 1–3GB for a short trip. If you use social media often, stream music, upload photos or watch videos, you may need 5–20GB or more. This calculator gives you a practical estimate based on your own habits.
1GB can be enough for a short trip if you mainly use messaging, maps, email and light browsing. It will not last long if you watch videos, use TikTok or Instagram heavily, make video calls, or upload lots of photos and videos. For most travellers, 1GB is best treated as a light-use or backup amount.
Some eSIMs support top-ups and some do not. This depends on the destination and provider. If top-ups are important to you, check the plan details before buying. If a plan does not support top-ups, you may need to purchase and install a new eSIM if you run out.
Some plans may reduce speed after a daily or total high-speed allowance is reached, especially on unlimited-style plans. Fixed data plans are usually simpler: you receive a set amount of data, and once it is used, the plan ends or requires a top-up if supported. Always check the specific plan details.
Use Wi-Fi for video, app updates and photo backups. Download offline maps, playlists and travel documents before you leave. Turn off video autoplay in social apps, avoid hotspot unless needed, and enable low data mode on your phone. These small changes can stretch your data much further.
No calculator can predict your exact usage, because app behaviour, video quality, background data and personal habits vary. Treat the result as a planning guide rather than a guarantee. If your estimate is close to a plan limit, it is usually safer to choose the next size up.