eSIM basics
How much travel data do you need? A calculator, not a guess.
Data bundles are sold in gigabytes, but nobody thinks in gigabytes. Set how you actually use your phone abroad, get an estimate for your trip, then compare it with what your own carrier charges per day.
By rufly editorial. Updated 1 September 2026. 8 min read.
How much travel data do you actually need?
Set your trip length and how you use your phone away from wifi. The result is an estimate, not a promise, built from typical app data draws at standard quality.
Copy the daily rate or day pass price from your own plan, in any currency. We will not guess it for you.
Estimated for this trip
11 GB
About 1.1 GB a day across 10 days.
You sit right where capped bundles get expensive. Unlimited usually costs less than topping up twice.
See unlimited plans by countryNo account needed. Billing starts when the eSIM connects.
What the numbers are built from
The calculator adds up typical draws for each activity at standard quality settings. Rounded per hour figures look like this, and they are the ones worth memorising before a long transfer.
| Activity | Estimated data |
|---|---|
| Maps, turn by turn | About 5 MB to 10 MB per hour of navigation |
| Instagram or TikTok scrolling | About 100 MB to 200 MB per 30 minutes |
| YouTube at 480p | About 300 MB per hour |
| YouTube or Netflix at 1080p | About 1.5 GB to 3 GB per hour |
| WhatsApp video call | About 300 MB per hour |
| Spotify at normal quality | About 70 MB per hour |
| Web browsing and email | About 20 MB to 60 MB per hour |
| Photo backup to the cloud | About 3 MB to 6 MB per photo |
Estimates only. Real use swings with video quality, network speed and how often you find wifi.
Four ways travellers get the number wrong
- 1
Counting home habits, not travel habits
At home you sit on wifi most of the day. On a trip you are outdoors, navigating, translating menus and sending photos, so cellular use often triples.
- 2
Forgetting the arrival day
Landing is the heaviest hour of the trip: maps, ride hailing, check in messages and a boarding pass or two, all before you reach the hotel wifi.
- 3
Ignoring background sync
Photo backup and app updates quietly upload in the background. Turn cellular backup off, or add a gigabyte for a week's photos.
- 4
Buying the smallest bundle then topping up
Two top ups usually cost more than one flat unlimited plan, and the second one always lands when you are standing in a station with 3% battery.
When unlimited is the cheaper answer
The break even point is usually around 500 MB a day. Below it, a small bundle can win. Above it you are either rationing data or paying twice, and a flat trip price removes both problems. rufly plans are unlimited for the length of the trip, priced once, with billing that starts when the eSIM first connects rather than the day you buy it.
If you are driving, the same maths applies with a heavier maps line: our Italy, Spain and USA road trip guides cover coverage gaps and setup per country. Choosing between a worldwide and a single country plan is covered in the global eSIM guide.
How to use less data abroad
- Download offline maps and a translation language pack before you fly.
- Cap streaming quality to 480p and download playlists on hotel wifi.
- Switch photo and video backup to wifi only for the trip.
- Send photos in standard rather than high quality in messaging apps.
- Use the hotspot deliberately, in short bursts, not as an all day office.
Questions travellers ask
- How many GB do I need for a two week trip?
- Most travellers land between 500 MB and 2 GB a day once maps, messaging, photos and the odd video call are counted, so a fortnight sits roughly between 7 GB and 28 GB. Set your own habits in the calculator rather than trusting an average, because hotspot use and video are what push the number up.
- Does Google Maps use a lot of data?
- Navigation is light per minute but adds up over a driving holiday. Budget around 60 MB to 400 MB a day depending on how many hours you navigate. Downloading offline maps at your hotel removes most of that.
- Is unlimited travel data worth it, or is a bundle cheaper?
- If your estimate is under about 500 MB a day, a small bundle can be cheaper. Above that, capped bundles usually need a top up mid trip, and two top ups typically cost more than one flat unlimited plan. Unlimited also removes the job of watching a data meter on holiday.
- Why does the calculator ask me for my roaming rate?
- Roaming charges change often and differ by plan, country and contract date, so quoting a figure for your carrier would be guesswork. Typing the daily rate from your own plan gives you a comparison you can trust.
- Does an eSIM use more data than a physical SIM?
- No. An eSIM is just a digital version of the SIM profile, so data use is identical. What changes your consumption is the apps you run and the video quality you allow, not the type of SIM.
- Can I use the estimate for hotspotting a laptop?
- Yes, set the hotspot row in the calculator. Tethering a laptop is the single fastest way to burn through a bundle, which is why hotspot friendly unlimited plans matter if you work while travelling.