A new study has broken down just how much mobile data common travel activities consume — and the numbers may be higher than most people expect.
From uploading a single photo to Instagram (around 16 MB) to checking directions on Google Maps (10–15 MB for a short trip), the everyday actions travellers take on their phones quickly add up. A one-hour video call can use about 300 MB, while streaming music for an hour consumes around 157 MB. Uploading photos or videos is particularly costly on weaker connections, where slower speeds mean longer uploads and more data used.
The research, carried out by mobile data provider Saily, highlights the main culprits. Video calls and social media uploads top the list, while navigation apps and ride-hailing services steadily use data in the background.
A snapshot of a typical morning abroad illustrates how fast it adds up:
- Asking ChatGPT two questions: ~393 KB
- Five minutes on Google Maps: ~11.7 MB
- Posting a brunch photo on Instagram: ~16.7 MB
- A two-minute iMessage call: ~22.8 MB
- Booking a taxi on Uber: ~1.72 MB
And that’s before the day has properly begun. Add in TikTok uploads, streaming, and background app activity, and data allowances can drain quickly.
The quality of a roaming connection also plays a role. Weak or unstable networks often mean retries and longer upload times, which quietly increase overall consumption.
To stretch data further, the study suggests practical steps such as using Wi-Fi for large uploads, switching video calls to audio on weak connections, downloading maps or playlists in advance, and estimating usage with a data calculator before travelling.
The research was based on controlled testing, where background apps were closed, auto-updates disabled, and usage counters reset before each activity was measured.
