Less than most guides tell you. Across 278 of our own travel eSIMs, the median customer used 96 MB per day. The average was 158 MB, and even heavy users at the 90th percentile stayed under 350 MB a day.
That means for a one-week trip:
- 1 GB covers a typical traveller — maps, messaging, occasional browsing
- 3 GB is comfortable if you post photos and videos daily
- 5 GB or more only if you stream video or work off mobile data
The common advice of "1 GB per day" reflects home usage on Wi-Fi-free devices, not travel. Most hotels, cafes and airports still give you Wi-Fi for the heavy things. Buy small, and top up if you are wrong — that is cheaper than paying for data you never use.