How Much eSIM Data Do You Actually Need? A Realistic Guide

Data sizes are hard to judge because apps behave very differently. These are realistic per-hour and per-day figures from normal travel use.

What things actually cost - Maps and navigation: about 5 MB per hour of active turn-by-turn. Very cheap. - Messaging with photos: roughly 10 to 20 MB per day. - Instagram or TikTok browsing: 200 to 400 MB per hour. This is the big one. - Video calls: around 300 MB per hour. - Music streaming: 60 to 100 MB per hour. - Netflix and YouTube: 1 GB or more per hour on high quality.

Daily totals for a typical traveler - Light: maps, messaging, occasional search. About 150 to 250 MB a day. - Normal: the above plus an hour of social media and some uploads. About 500 to 800 MB a day. - Heavy: constant social media, video calls home, tethering a laptop. 1.5 GB or more a day.

Choosing a plan Multiply your daily figure by the number of days, then subtract for hotel and cafe Wi-Fi, which usually covers evenings. A ten day trip at normal use lands around 5 to 8 GB in practice, not the 20 GB many people buy.

If you do run out, topping up an existing eSIM is faster than buying a new one, and your number and settings stay in place.