How much data do travelers use? Top package: 10 GB for 30 days, 36% of eSIMs ran out of data
Across 640 eSIM SOS orders from 31 Aug 2026 to 24 Oct 2026, the most popular package is 10 GB for 30 days (29% of packages), median 5 GB. 36% of ended eSIMs ran out of data (the sample leans towards 3 GB packages), and extra data was bought for 13% during the same trip.
- for 30 days: most popular package, 29%
- 10 GB
- median package bought
- 5 GB
- of ended eSIMs ran out of data
- 36%
- bought more data for the same trip
- 13%
Exported 25 Oct 2026 · packages: 609 · ended eSIMs: 247
What travelers buy and who runs out — by country
| Country | Orders | Median package | Most popular package | Ran out of data | Bought more | Used per eSIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turkey | 210 | 10 GB | 10 GB for 30 days45% | 45% | 15% | 3.1 GBn = 80 |
| Belarus | 55 | 3 GB | 3 GB for 15 days41% | 26% | 11% | 2.4 GBn = 19 |
| Georgia | 53 | 3 GB | 3 GB for 15 days37% | 34% | 11% | 2.5 GBn = 29 |
| Egypt | 38 | 5 GB | 5 GB for 30 days38% | 24% | 17% | 2.6 GBn = 17 |
| China | 36 | 5 GB | 3 GB for 15 days30% | not enough data | 7% | not enough data |
| Kazakhstan | 24 | 3 GB | 3 GB for 15 days57% | not enough data | 7% | not enough data |
| Thailand | 21 | 10 GB | 10 GB for 30 days43% | not enough data | 26% | not enough data |
| United Arab Emirates | 20 | 5 GB | 20 GB for 30 days22% | not enough data | 35% | not enough data |
| Armenia | 18 | 3 GB | 3 GB for 15 days44% | not enough data | not enough data | not enough data |
| Japan | 17 | 10 GB | 10 GB for 30 days41% | not enough data | not enough data | not enough data |
| Vietnam | 17 | 5 GB | 5 GB for 30 days33% | not enough data | not enough data | not enough data |
| Indonesia | 16 | 10 GB | 10 GB for 30 days38% | not enough data | not enough data | not enough data |
| Other destinations (44) | 115 | 5 GB | 1 GB for 7 days29% | 23% | 7% | 3 GBn = 31 |
"Ran out of data" is the share of connected eSIMs whose validity has ended that were used up completely. "Bought more" is the share of eSIMs topped up or repurchased during the same trip. "Used per eSIM" is the median over the same eSIMs, a lower bound; n is their number. "Not enough data" means fewer than 15 observations. Country names link to their plans.
How much data to buy for a trip
- The most popular package is 10 GB for 30 days: 29% of packages. The median package is 5 GB.
- 36% of eSIMs whose validity has ended ran out of data completely: the package was not enough, and real demand was higher. This share comes from a sample with more 3 GB packages (38% vs 27% of all orders), so across all orders it is likely lower. Extra data was bought for 13% of eSIMs during the same trip.
- Among countries with usage data, data runs out most often in Turkey: 45% (80 eSIMs).
- The median usage per eSIM is 3 GB, but it is not a norm, only a lower bound. Short packages are overrepresented in the sample (its median package is 3 GB vs 5 GB across all orders), and where data ran out, usage was capped by the package size.
- Takeaway: buy one size up from your estimate, or top up the same eSIM in the Telegram mini app — if the eSIM supports top-ups, with no new QR code, while the plan is valid.
How we calculated
- Source: paid eSIM SOS orders from 31 Aug 2026 to 24 Oct 2026 on the website, in the Telegram mini apps and on marketplaces: 640 orders. Excluded: manually issued, test and owner's orders, and the export day.
- Data amount and validity are based on 609 packages, excluding top-ups and trials. The median package is a real package, not an average of two.
- Usage comes from the eSIM provider at the time of export; our database does not store it. We count only connected eSIMs whose validity has ended (247), per eSIM: if a traveler bought a second eSIM for the trip, each is counted separately.
- The usage sample leans towards short and early packages (its median package is 3 GB vs 5 GB across all orders); 15-day packages make up 38% of it vs 26% of all orders. The share that ran out of data comes from the same sample with more 3 GB packages (38% vs 27% of all orders), so across all orders it is likely lower.
- Where data ran out, real demand was higher than the package, so the median usage is understated.
- An earlier study (8 Oct 2026, in Russian) found a median of 1.1 GB over 55 eSIMs for 31 Aug – 7 Oct 2026, 52 of them 1–3 GB packages. The sample is now 4.5 times larger and includes bigger packages, so the estimate is more precise. Its daily pace covered the first ten days, here it covers the whole elapsed validity, so those figures differ too.
- We do not know trip length. Daily usage is usage divided by the days of package validity elapsed since the first connection (486 eSIMs, median at least 0.2 GB). A trip can be shorter than the package, so this is a lower bound.
- "Bought more" means a top-up of the same eSIM (available since 21 Oct 2026) or a new eSIM for the same country by the same buyer within the previous one's validity; two payments less than 2 hours apart count as a purchase for two people. Base: 500 eSIMs of buyers with a known contact (marketplaces do not share contacts).
- Countries with fewer than 15 orders and multi-country packages are grouped into "Other destinations". Figures based on fewer than 15 observations are not published: "not enough data".
- Aggregates only: no IDs, contacts or amounts. No personal data is used.
How to cite
License CC BY 4.0: free to use with a link to this page.
eSIM SOS, "How much data do travelers use", data for 31 Aug 2026 – 24 Oct 2026, esimsos.net/en/how-much-data-do-travelers-use
Exported 25 Oct 2026. More of our data: open dataset (Russian).
FAQ
How much mobile data does a traveler use per trip?
There is no single norm. According to eSIM SOS data for 31 Aug 2026 – 24 Oct 2026, the most popular package is 10 GB for 30 days, the median package is 5 GB, and 36% of eSIMs whose validity has ended ran out of data completely. This share comes from a sample with more 3 GB packages (38% vs 27% of all orders), so across all orders it is likely lower. The median usage per eSIM is 3 GB (247 eSIMs), but that is a lower bound: the sample leans towards short packages, and where data ran out, usage was capped by the package size.
Which package do travelers buy most often?
The most popular package is 10 GB for 30 days (29% of packages), the median is 5 GB. 36% of eSIMs whose validity has ended ran out of data, and extra data was bought for 13% of eSIMs during the same trip, so buy with a margin or top up the same eSIM. The share that ran out of data comes from the same sample with more 3 GB packages (38% vs 27% of all orders), so across all orders it is likely lower.
How much data do travelers use in Turkey?
The most popular package is 10 GB for 30 days (45%), the median package is 10 GB. 45% of eSIMs whose validity has ended ran out of data (80 eSIMs). This share comes from a sample with more 3 GB packages (31% vs 18% of all orders), so across all orders it is likely lower. The median usage per eSIM is 3.1 GB, a lower bound.
Where does this data come from?
From paid eSIM SOS orders on the website, in the mini apps and on marketplaces, plus the eSIM provider's usage data as of 25 Oct 2026. We publish aggregates only: no contacts, IDs or amounts; countries with fewer than 15 orders are grouped into "Other destinations".