For most people on a one to two week trip using maps, messaging and a moderate amount of video, 5GB is enough. The answer flips if you stream, take video calls, or tether a laptop — and streaming is the single variable that decides it.
Running the calculator for seven days at each of its three usage styles gives the following.
These are estimates from the same engine the calculator uses, based on how long you spend on each kind of activity rather than on individual apps. Streaming video dominates any total it appears in.
| Usage style | 7 days |
|---|---|
| Light — maps and messaging | 0.3 GB — a 1 GB plan covers it |
| Typical — maps, some video, a few calls | 3.0 GB — a 3 GB plan covers it |
| Heavy — video, calls and tethering | 10 GB — a 20 GB plan covers it |
Double the trip and the picture changes for the middle case, which is where most travellers actually sit.
These are estimates from the same engine the calculator uses, based on how long you spend on each kind of activity rather than on individual apps. Streaming video dominates any total it appears in.
| Usage style | 14 days |
|---|---|
| Light — maps and messaging | 0.5 GB — a 1 GB plan covers it |
| Typical — maps, some video, a few calls | 5.9 GB — a 10 GB plan covers it |
| Heavy — video, calls and tethering | 21 GB — a 50 GB plan covers it |
The gap between the light and heavy rows above is not a matter of degree — it is roughly thirtyfold, and almost all of it is video. An hour of streaming uses more data than a full day of maps, messaging and browsing put together.
So the honest answer to "is 5GB enough" is another question: will you watch anything on mobile data? If the answer is no, 5GB is generous. If it is yes, the number to look at is how many hours.
Comfortably, for typical use — maps, messaging, browsing and occasional video. A week of typical use lands around 3GB, so 5GB leaves headroom.
For light use, easily. For typical use it is close, and worth watching in the second week. For heavy use it will not last the trip.
Video, by a wide margin. Streaming for an hour uses more than a full day of maps and messaging, which is why two people on the same trip can differ tenfold.
Yes, and it is the easiest saving available. Downloading the city before you go removes most of the navigation load, and it works when you have no signal at all.
Most eSIM plans let you top up in the app, which is why running slightly short is an inconvenience rather than a problem. Check that before assuming you need the larger plan up front.