Data usage calculator
Not sure how much mobile data you'll need on your trip? Our mobile data usage calculator can help! Pick what activities you do on the internet and for how long, and we’ll estimate it for you.
Estimate your data usage in hours
Ever wondered how much data you scroll away every day? Use our calculator to find out!
Pick a profile that matches your habits
Select how much time you spend on each activity per day
Social media
Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X (Twitter)
Quad HD video (1440p at 60 FPS)
YouTube, Netflix
Full HD video (1080p at 60 FPS)
TikTok, Instagram reels, YouTube Shorts
Music
Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music
Navigation
Google Maps, Apple Maps, Waze
Web browsing
News, online shopping
Emails and messaging
Gmail, WhatsApp, Messenger
Video calling (VoIP)
Zoom, Google Meet, Facetime
Downloading and updating apps
App update data
Your estimated data usage
Monthly
0 GB
No data
What is mobile data usage?
Mobile data usage is how much internet you're burning through when you're not connected to Wi-Fi. It's the cellular data your phone pulls from network towers instead of your home router. Every scroll through Instagram, GPS search for the nearest cafe, or video call home eats into your mobile data allowance. For travelers, it’s pretty important since you're often relying on cellular data networks instead of Wi-Fi connections.
What is mobile data usage?
Mobile data usage is how much internet you're burning through when you're not connected to Wi-Fi. It's the cellular data your phone pulls from network towers instead of your home router. Every scroll through Instagram, GPS search for the nearest cafe, or video call home eats into your mobile data allowance. For travelers, it’s pretty important since you're often relying on cellular data networks instead of Wi-Fi connections.
How to calculate data usage
Figuring out how much data you'll actually need doesn't have to be guesswork. Our data usage calculator takes the mystery out of planning by showing you exactly what your digital habits cost in terms of mobile data.
Pick a preset profile that matches your usage style or select "Personalized" to input exactly how much time you spend daily on different activities like social media, streaming, or navigation. The calculator will show your estimated monthly data usage and give you an approximate idea of what plan size actually makes sense for your trip.
How to calculate data usage
Figuring out how much data you'll actually need doesn't have to be guesswork. Our data usage calculator takes the mystery out of planning by showing you exactly what your digital habits cost in terms of mobile data.
Pick a preset profile that matches your usage style or select "Personalized" to input exactly how much time you spend daily on different activities like social media, streaming, or navigation. The calculator will show your estimated monthly data usage and give you an approximate idea of what plan size actually makes sense for your trip.
How we calculate your data usage
How do we figure out how much data you'll need? It all comes down to what you do online!
Here’s a peek at how much data common internet activities typically use per hour:
- ActivityData per hour
- Using social media150 MB
- Streaming movies in 2K (1440p at 60 FPS)1 GB
- Streaming movies in full HD (1080p at 60 FPS)1 GB
- Streaming music100 MB
- Standard navigation10 MB
- Browsing the web50 MB
- Messaging / Email4 MB
- Making HD video calls1 GB
- Updating an app300 MB
* Please keep in mind that these numbers are estimates based on typical file sizes. Your data usage may vary.
Frequently asked questions
Connect to Wi-Fi when available. Hotels, cafes, and airports offer free Wi-Fi access, but be cautious with public networks since they might be less secure.
Download content for offline use. Download Google Maps for your commute route, Spotify playlists for flights, and TV show episodes on Netflix for train rides while you're still on Wi-Fi.
Lower streaming quality. We suggest switching Netflix to standard definition and Spotify to normal quality — you'll barely notice the difference but save 60-70% of your data. It’s the same for other streaming apps, too.
Enable data saver modes. Most phones have built-in settings that compress images and limit background apps automatically.
Use Saily's security features. Saily’s web protection blocks malicious sites while the ad blocker reduces data usage by more than 28% by preventing bandwidth-heavy ads from loading.
Turn off automatic updates. Schedule app updates and photo backups for Wi-Fi-only times to avoid surprise data drains while traveling abroad.