Mobile Data Usage Calculator
Estimate how many GB of mobile data you use per month from daily hours of browsing, social media, video streaming, music, video calls and gaming — and the data plan size that fits.
How it works
GB per month = Σ (hours per day × GB per hour) × days · rates: browsing 0.1, social video 0.5, video 0.3 / 0.7 / 3 / 7 (low / SD / HD / 4K), music 0.072 (160 kbps), video call 0.5, VoIP voice 0.04, gaming 0.08 GB/h
Video is what eats a data plan: Netflix states about 0.3 GB per hour at its lowest setting, 0.7 GB at standard definition, up to 3 GB in HD and up to 7 GB in 4K, and short-video apps behave similarly. Music at 160 kbps is 160,000 × 3,600 ÷ 8 = 72 MB per hour, and voice calls over apps use only a few tens of MB. The other rates are typical averages; your apps may use more or less, so check the usage screen on your phone after a month and adjust the hours. Wi-Fi use does not count.
Worked example
1 h browsing × 0.1 = 0.1 GB, 1 h social media × 0.5 = 0.5 GB, 0.5 h SD video × 0.7 = 0.35 GB, 1 h music × 0.072 = 0.072 GB, 0.25 h video calls × 0.5 = 0.125 GB and 0.5 h app calls × 0.04 = 0.02 GB: 1.167 GB per day × 30 days = 35.0 GB per month. With a 10% margin a 40 GB plan fits.
Sources: Netflix Help Center — How to control how much data Netflix uses · Spotify Support — Audio quality
Frequently asked questions
How much mobile data do I need per month?
Light users (messaging, maps, some browsing) manage on 3–5 GB; regular social-media users need 15–30 GB; daily video streaming on mobile data easily takes 50 GB or unlimited.
How much data does an hour of video use?
About 0.3 GB on data-saver settings, 0.7 GB in standard definition, up to 3 GB in HD and up to 7 GB in 4K (Netflix figures). Set streaming apps to save data on mobile.
How much data does WhatsApp use for calls?
Voice calls use roughly 0.5–0.7 MB per minute (about 40 MB per hour); video calls use 5–10 MB per minute (300–600 MB per hour) depending on quality.
How much data does music streaming use?
At 160 kbps, about 72 MB per hour; at 320 kbps (very high quality) about 144 MB. Downloading playlists on Wi-Fi uses no mobile data later.
How can I reduce my data usage?
Turn on data saver in the phone and in video apps, disable autoplay, download music and videos on Wi-Fi, and restrict background data for apps you rarely use.
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This calculator is for educational purposes. Double-check important results before acting on them.