How much data
for your trip?

Three starting points for 7 days

These are illustrative Ease budgets for one person, not customer measurements or guarantees. Check your apps and allow some headroom: usage varies widely even within the same scenario.

For a short layover, 100–500 MB may cover a few specific tasks. For a whole holiday, think of this as a backup connection, especially if apps automatically download photos and videos.

Where the gigabytes go

Messages, maps, taxis

A text chat is different from a feed full of clips. Routes, images, satellite layers and attachments change usage. Maps downloaded in advance can reduce downloads while travelling.

Music
≈45–150 MB/hour

Calculated for a 96–320 kbit/s stream using Spotify's audio quality levels. This rounded audio estimate excludes overhead, video and lossless streaming. Caching and downloaded tracks change actual usage.

HD video
up to 3 GB/hour

One example from Netflix's help centre: its playback settings list Medium at up to 0.7 GB/hour, HD at up to 3 GB/hour and 4K at up to 7 GB/hour. These are not universal rates for video services; the mobile app also offers separate data-saving modes.

Video calls and hotspots

Count both uploads and downloads. Call resolution, participant count, cloud syncing and laptop updates affect the total. Check a short session in your own apps for a more useful estimate.

Estimate for your own trip

1. 01

   Check a few days of usage

   Choose the relevant SIM and period in your phone's data statistics. On iPhone, check when the statistics were last reset. If you are usually on Wi-Fi at home, previous mobile usage may underestimate what you will need abroad.

   Where to find the counter: iPhone · Google Pixel. Other Android menus vary.

2. 02

   Multiply by days and add headroom

   Ease suggests allowing another 20–30% for unexpected downloads. For example, 0.5 GB per day × 7 days × 1.2 = 4.2 GB. In this scenario, start comparing plans with at least 5 GB, if available for your destination.

3. 03

   Consider your busiest day

   A long journey, meetings or hotspot use can exceed the daily average. A total allowance absorbs that usage from one shared balance; a daily plan may reach its daily limit.

Calculations here use 1 GB = 1000 MB. Your phone and the network may measure usage differently, so check the terms and remaining allowance for your actual plan.

A total package or gigabytes per day?

5 GB for 30 days

You have 5 GB for the whole validity period, not each day. Usage can be uneven: more on the road, less when Wi-Fi is available. Both the data allowance and expiry date apply.

1 GB per day for 7 days

The daily allowance resets according to the plan's rules. It is not a flexible 7 GB pool: do not assume you can use it all on day one or roll over unused data unless the terms explicitly allow this.

What does “then up to 512 Kbit/s” mean?

If a plan includes 1 GB of high-speed data per day and then up to 512 Kbit/s, the connection continues after the first gigabyte at a reduced speed until the allowance resets. Text messages are usually less demanding than video and large files, but network conditions still affect the experience.

512 Kbit/s is a speed, not an extra allowance. An “unlimited” plan with this condition does not mean unlimited high-speed data. Check the allowance before the slowdown, the reduced speed, tethering and duration. The network sets the reset time; it is not necessarily midnight in your local time zone.

For a daily plan in Ease, you choose the number of days and see the total before placing an order. Top-ups, tethering and what happens after the allowance runs out depend on the specific package, rather than being the same for every eSIM.

Keep your data for the trip

• Download essentials over Wi-Fi. Maps, tickets, music and supported offline video. Google's offline maps have limits: they are not available everywhere, and offline mode lacks live traffic, walking, cycling and public transport directions.
• Turn off automatic media downloads on mobile data. Particularly in messaging apps and feeds. Lower video quality and save cloud photo backups for Wi-Fi.
• Enable data-saving settings. On iPhone, Low Data Mode limits background activity; Apple explains its effects. On Android, check Data Saver and background-data controls; essential apps may need an exception.
• Prepare your laptop before tethering. Pause large updates and syncing, and check connected devices. First confirm that your plan allows hotspot use.

Data saving and roaming settings are different. Your travel eSIM may need data roaming enabled. Our iPhone and Android guides explain installation and data-line selection.

Check your allowance in Ease

Open the profile in My eSIMs to see available usage, status and validity information. Refresh data requests updated statistics; it does not add gigabytes. Reporting can be delayed.

Look at both the balance and the expiry date. Plenty of data does not extend validity, and plenty of days does not restore used gigabytes. Check when the plan starts and its activation deadline before installing it.