# Travel data calculator

> Estimate how much mobile data your trip needs from the hours you spend on maps, messaging, social media and video, then see the cheapest eSIM plans that cover it.

Page: https://esimnest.com/data-calculator/ · Data as of: 2026-10-01 · Prices: US dollars

The calculator runs in the browser on the HTML page. Enter the days of your trip and the hours a day you use each activity; it adds up the use, adds a buffer and lists the cheapest plans that cover the trip for the destination you choose.

## Planning figures

| Activity | Megabytes per hour | Light (hours a day) | Everyday | Heavy |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Messaging and email | 20 MB | 1 | 1.5 | 2 |
| Maps and navigation | 40 MB | 0.5 | 0.5 | 1 |
| Web browsing | 150 MB | 0.25 | 1 | 1.5 |
| Social media | 250 MB | 0 | 1 | 2 |
| Music streaming | 75 MB | 0 | 0.5 | 1 |
| Video calls | 600 MB | 0 | 0 | 0.5 |
| Video streaming (standard quality) | 700 MB | 0 | 0 | 1.5 |

The figures are rounded planning numbers, not measurements. The estimate adds 20% to the trip total and rounds up to a tenth of a gigabyte. Per-day plans are compared with the need per day; they can be bought for up to 30 days.

## Questions

### How much data do I need for a week abroad?

With the calculator's planning figures, a light week needs about 0.7 GB, an everyday week about 4 GB and a heavy week about 18.3 GB, each including a 20% buffer. These are estimates built from rounded figures, so replace them with your own if you know them.

### Which activities use the most data?

In the calculator's figures, video streaming and video calls use the most per hour (700 and 600 MB), then social media, which mixes photos and short videos. Messaging and maps use little.

### Should I choose a per-day plan or a fixed-allowance plan?

A fixed plan gives you one allowance to spend over its validity, which suits uneven use. A per-day plan resets its allowance every day, which suits steady use and lets you pick the exact number of days, up to 30. The calculator compares each kind in the way it works.

### Does using my phone as a hotspot change the estimate?

It can change it a lot. Laptops and tablets download updates and stream video in ways a phone does not, so if you plan to share the connection, add hours of browsing or video for those devices, and check that the plan allows hotspot sharing on its destination page.

### Why does the calculator show a regional or global plan as the cheapest?

It compares every plan that covers your destination: local, regional and global. A regional plan that includes your destination can cost less than a local one for the same allowance. The calculator also shows the cheapest plan that covers only the destination you chose.