Buying data is guesswork until you know what your apps burn. Here are honest figures, then three traveler profiles to match yourself against.
What common apps consume
- Google Maps navigation: ~5–10 MB per hour (offline areas: nearly zero).
- WhatsApp texting: negligible; voice calls ~0.5 MB/min; video ~5 MB/min.
- Instagram / TikTok scrolling: the budget killer — 100–200 MB per 20-minute session.
- Spotify streaming: ~50 MB/hour (normal quality).
- YouTube / Netflix: 700 MB–3 GB per hour depending on resolution.
- Email, banking, translation: a rounding error.
Three traveler profiles
Light — 1–3 GB per week
Maps, messaging, a few photos to the family chat, restaurant lookups. Download offline maps and city guides before flying and 1 GB can stretch a full week.
Standard — 5–10 GB per week
Everything above plus daily social media, photo backups and the occasional video call home. This is where most people land; 1 GB/day unlimited-style plans also fit here.
Heavy — 15 GB+ or unlimited
Hotspot for a laptop, streaming in the evenings, posting Reels from the beach. Look at high-cap or daily-unlimited plans instead of paying for overage twice.
Rules of thumb
- Estimate, then add ~30% — trips never go as planned.
- Two weeks+? Daily-allowance unlimited plans usually beat giant fixed bundles.
- Traveling as a couple? One generous plan + hotspot often beats two small ones.
Plans from 1 GB to unlimited, priced up front: check your destination.
