Most travelers buy far more data than they use — or run out on day three. The difference is almost always video. Here are honest numbers from typical phone use.
What each app really uses
| Activity | Approx. data |
|---|---|
| Google Maps navigation, 1 hour | 5–10 MB |
| WhatsApp messages, a full day | 5–20 MB |
| WhatsApp voice call, 10 min | 5 MB |
| Video call, 10 min | 50–100 MB |
| Instagram / TikTok scrolling, 1 hour | 500 MB–1 GB |
| YouTube or Netflix in HD, 1 hour | 1.5–3 GB |
Simple rules
- Weekend city break: 1–3 GB.
- One week, normal use: 3–5 GB.
- One week, lots of social media: 10 GB.
- Two weeks or more, or a family hotspot: 20 GB or unlimited.
Stretch every gigabyte
- Download offline maps of the city in Google Maps before you fly.
- In WhatsApp, turn off auto-download of videos on mobile data.
- Set Instagram to Data saver and Netflix to download episodes on hotel Wi-Fi.
Not sure? Start small. You can add another plan for the same country in seconds, without changing anything on your phone.
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