How much mobile data does a traveller need?
Choosing the plan size is the most common question we get. The simplest honest answer is to estimate from bitrates — the amount of data an activity uses per second — rather than from marketing labels. The table below converts typical bitrates into data per hour.
| Activity | Data used | How we estimate it |
|---|---|---|
| Music streaming at 320 kbps | ≈ 144 MB per hour | 320 kbit/s × 3,600 s ÷ 8 = 144 MB. At 160 kbps it is half that. |
| Standard-definition video | ≈ 0.7–1 GB per hour | Typical SD streaming bitrates are 1.5–2.5 Mbit/s. |
| HD video (1080p) | ≈ 2–3 GB per hour | Typical HD bitrates are 5–7 Mbit/s; 4K is far higher. |
| Video calls | ≈ 0.5–1.5 GB per hour | Depends on the app, resolution and number of participants. |
| Voice calls in messengers | ≈ 20–60 MB per hour | Opus-based voice codecs run at roughly 24–64 kbit/s. |
| Navigation with maps | ≈ 5–20 MB per hour | Much less if you download offline maps before the trip. |
| Messaging, email, light browsing | ≈ 50–150 MB per day | Photos and voice notes add up quickly; videos even more. |
Put together, a traveller who navigates, messages and browses but avoids video typically uses 0.3–0.5 GB per day — about 3 GB for a week. Add an hour of social video a day and the same week needs 8–10 GB. Apps also update themselves in the background, so switch off automatic updates over mobile data before you fly.
eSIM vs roaming vs a local SIM card
Roaming
No setup, but you pay your home operator’s roaming prices, often per day or per megabyte. Outside zones such as the EU’s “roam like at home”, costs can be very high.
Local physical SIM
Local prices, but you need to find a shop, queue, and in most countries show a passport. You also need a SIM tool and a spare slot.
Travel eSIM
Local-rate data bought online and installed by QR code before you leave. Your home SIM stays in the phone for calls and SMS.
No-KYC travel eSIM
Everything a travel eSIM offers, without accounts or identity checks. That is the gap NoIDeSim fills.
Why buying a SIM usually requires an ID
Most countries require mobile operators to register the identity of SIM card owners; GSMA research has counted well over 150 countries with mandatory SIM registration. For travellers this means a passport scan at the airport kiosk, a copy stored by a local retailer, and personal data held in another jurisdiction for years.
Prepaid data-only eSIMs sold by international distributors work differently: the distributor holds the operator relationship and the reseller delivers the profile digitally. NoIDeSim adds no identity layer on top — we only keep what is needed to deliver and support your order, as described in our Privacy Policy.
eSIM support on phones
Apple added eSIM to the iPhone XS and XR in 2018, and since the iPhone 14 (2022) US models have no physical SIM tray at all. Google Pixel phones support eSIM from the Pixel 3, and Samsung flagships from the Galaxy S20. Consumer eSIM follows the GSMA SGP.22 specification, which is why a profile from one operator installs on phones from any manufacturer.
The practical takeaway: if your phone is less than five or six years old and not carrier-locked, it almost certainly supports a travel eSIM. Use our phone check to be sure.
Our sources and limits
The data-use figures are approximations derived from typical bitrates and will vary with apps, settings and network conditions. Country and device facts come from public manufacturer and industry documentation. We update this page when our catalogue or the underlying facts change. Read how we build plans and prices in our Methodology.
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