How much data do I need for a trip?
Updated 12 November 2026
About 0.5 GB a day for maps and messages, 1 GB a day with social media and photos, 2 GB a day if you watch video or share your connection. For a week that is about 4, 7 or 14 GB.
Data for every trip length
| Trip | Light (0.5 GB a day) | Medium (1 GB a day) | Heavy (2 GB a day) |
|---|---|---|---|
| 3 days | 2 GB | 3 GB | 6 GB |
| 5 days | 3 GB | 5 GB | 10 GB |
| 7 days | 4 GB | 7 GB | 14 GB |
| 10 days | 5 GB | 10 GB | 20 GB |
| 14 days | 7 GB | 14 GB | 28 GB |
| 21 days | 11 GB | 21 GB | 42 GB |
| 30 days | 15 GB | 30 GB | 60 GB |
These are the amounts findbestesim uses to rank plans: a plan only counts for your trip if it lasts every day and carries at least this much data.
What uses the most data
- Messages and email use very little: a text is a few kilobytes, a photo a few hundred.
- Maps use a few megabytes an hour while you navigate, less with offline maps.
- Social media with videos that play on their own can use half a gigabyte or more an hour.
- Video streaming uses roughly 1 GB an hour in standard quality and several in high definition.
- Video calls use roughly half a gigabyte to over 1 GB an hour.
- Sharing your connection with a laptop adds whatever the laptop downloads, updates included.
How to use less
- Download offline maps of the places you visit before you leave.
- Turn off automatic app updates and photo backup on mobile data.
- Set streaming apps to download on Wi-Fi only.
- Pick a plan you can top up: if you run out, you add data instead of buying a new eSIM.
Questions
Is 1 GB enough for a week?
Only for maps and messages with care. With social media and photos, plan on about 7 GB for a week.
How much data do I need for a month abroad?
About 15 GB with light use, 30 GB with normal use and 60 GB with heavy use. Above that an unlimited plan is often cheaper.
What happens if I run out of data?
The plan stops working until you top it up or buy another one. Many providers let you add data from their app.
Also as Markdown: /blog/how-much-data-do-i-need-for-a-trip.md. How the ranking works: How we rank.