Short answer: it varies a lot from traveller to traveller. On fixed data plans, the median was 155 MB per day of validity. 44% of eSIMs used less than half their plan, but 28% ran out. And usage is highly concentrated: the top 10% of eSIMs accounted for 43% of all data.
This is data from 187 real eSIMs belonging to 155 MolaHop customers, activated between April and November 2026 and already finished. Below we explain how we measured it and what its limits are.
Key findings
- Fixed plans (121 eSIMs): median of 155 MB per day of validity. The middle half of eSIMs used between 59 and 559 MB a day.
- How much of the plan gets used: the median is 71%. 44% used less than half, and 28% ran out.
- Unlimited plans (66 eSIMs): median of about 1.5 GB a day. A quarter of eSIMs used more than 2.2 GB a day.
- A few use a lot: the top 10% of eSIMs accounted for 43% of all data.
How much of each plan gets used
This table looks at total data, not daily figures, to avoid the problem of validity days that aren’t travel days (explained below). It leaves out the 7 eSIMs that were topped up, because a top-up changes the plan size, and the 5 on 50 GB plans; that’s why it adds up to 109 eSIMs, not 121.
| Plan | Validity | eSIMs | Data used (median) | Ran out |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 GB | 7 days | 23 | 0.28 GB | 30% |
| 3 GB | 15 days (almost all) | 28 | 1.78 GB | 29% |
| 5 GB | 30 days | 20 | 4.98 GB | 50% |
| 10 GB | 30 days | 18 | 4.47 GB | 17% |
| 20 GB | 30 days | 20 | 11.11 GB | 10% |
Each row has fewer than 30 eSIMs, so treat them as a guide, not exact figures. Also, once someone runs out they can’t use more, so on the plans that ran out most often, some travellers’ real usage was higher.
What the data says for choosing a plan
- 7-day plans: with 1 GB, almost a third of eSIMs ran out.
- Plans of about 15 days: with 3 GB, the median used was 1.78 GB, and 29% ran out.
- 30-day plans: with 5 GB half ran out; with 10 GB, 17%; with 20 GB, 10%.
- Usage is very uneven: a minority uses far more than everyone else. If you usually use a lot, this data won’t help you much: look at a large or unlimited plan.
To work it out for your own usage, try our how much data do I need calculator.
By destination
Only two destinations have a large enough sample to give a figure:
| Destination | eSIMs | Median per day of validity |
|---|---|---|
| Turkey, fixed plans | 64 | 165 MB |
| Russia, fixed plans | 25 | 112 MB |
With fewer than 30 eSIMs, the Russia figure is only indicative.
How we measured it
- Where the data comes from: the usage our eSIM provider records for each eSIM. No surveys.
- Which eSIMs are included: only real eSIMs that had already expired or run out, so usage was final. We excluded test eSIMs, fraudulent ones, eSIMs never activated, eSIMs still in use and refunded ones.
- “Per day of validity”: we divided usage by the days from activation until the eSIM expired or ran out.
- Privacy: we publish only aggregate figures. Nothing in this article identifies any customer.
What this data doesn’t tell you
- A day of validity isn’t a day of travel. If someone uses a 30-day eSIM on a 5-day trip, their usage is spread over 30 days. That’s why daily figures for long plans come out low, and why the main table uses total data.
- These are our customers, not the average traveller. Turkey and Russia make up 70% of the sample. Without them, the median across all eSIMs rises from 263 to 584 MB a day.
- Some customers appear more than once. 25 customers account for 57 of the 187 eSIMs.
- Plan size and length go together. Almost all 1 GB plans last 7 days and the 5, 10 and 20 GB plans last 30, so we can’t separate the two effects.
- It covers one season. 93% of the eSIMs are from August to November 2026.
- Some eSIMs were barely used. 21 used less than 10 MB, most of them unlimited. We left them in; without them, the unlimited median rises from 1.5 to about 1.9 GB a day.
- Top-ups may be under-represented. Many topped-up eSIMs hadn’t finished yet, so they’re not in the study.
We’ll update this study as we get more eSIMs and more destinations.
FAQ
How much data does a trip use per day? On our fixed data plans, the median was 155 MB per day of validity. On unlimited plans, it was about 1.5 GB a day.
How many GB do I need for a week? On our 7-day plans with 1 GB, almost a third of eSIMs ran out. If you’re not sure how much you use, work it out with the calculator.
How many GB do I need for a month? On 30-day plans, with 10 GB the median used was 4.47 GB and 17% ran out. With 5 GB, half ran out.
Do people buy more data than they need? Some do and some don’t: 44% of eSIMs on fixed plans used less than half, but 28% ran out.
Where does this data come from? From 187 real eSIMs belonging to 155 MolaHop customers, activated between April and November 2026 and already finished, with usage recorded by our eSIM provider.
