Tips
How much data do maps, Instagram and WhatsApp actually use?
September 19, 2026 · 4 min read
The short answer
Navigation and messaging use far less than people fear; video and social feeds use far more. Maps costs roughly 5 MB an hour, WhatsApp text almost nothing, Instagram around 300 MB an hour and streaming video up to 1 GB. Most two-week trips fit in 5 to 10 GB.
Real numbers per hour, so you can size a plan instead of guessing at it.
Roughly what each hour costs you
These are typical figures, not promises: quality settings and signal strength move them around. They are close enough to plan with.
Maps and navigation
- Per hour
- ~5 MB
- Notes
- Downloading the area first makes it almost nothing
WhatsApp, text only
- Per hour
- ~1 MB
- Notes
- Photos and voice notes cost far more than words
Web and email
- Per hour
- ~20 MB
- Notes
- Depends heavily on images
Music streaming
- Per hour
- ~70 MB
- Notes
- Download playlists on hotel Wi-Fi instead
Instagram or TikTok
- Per hour
- ~300 MB
- Notes
- Autoplaying video is what empties a plan
Video calls
- Per hour
- ~400 MB
- Notes
- Audio-only calls are a fraction of this
Netflix or YouTube
- Per hour
- 600 MB - 1 GB
- Notes
- Lower the quality and this halves
What that means for a trip
A fortnight of maps, messaging, a few searches and the occasional photo upload lands between 3 and 5 GB. Add a daily scroll through a social feed and you are nearer 10 GB.
If you plan to watch video on the move, size the plan for the video and treat everything else as rounding.
Common questions
Does using maps abroad need a lot of data?
No, and it is the single most common overestimate. Navigation is about 5 MB an hour, and downloading the map area in advance makes it close to nothing.
What happens if I run out of data?
The connection stops rather than charging you more, which is the point of a prepaid travel plan. You can buy another plan in a couple of minutes and install it alongside the first.
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