When you’re picking a mobile plan you’re really looking at how much data you get each month. Apart from that one key factor, mobile SIM plans are pretty standard these days. You’ll get unlimited national talk, and text, and access to your provider’s 4G network.
Sure there are other tidbits here and there, some plans give you 5G access, others might come with international calls or roaming, some providers still hand out cheap movie tickets, but for the most part it all comes down to data. So how are you supposed to know how much mobile data is enough?
Of course the answer is different for everyone. No two people use their phones the exact same way. To help you figure out if your plan (of the plan you’re looking at) has enough mobile data for your needs, we’ve taken a look at some common data allowances. Below we break down just how much those allowances are worth in terms of time spent doing different online activities.
- 2GB of mobile data
- 5GB of mobile data
- 10GB of mobile data
- 15GB of mobile data
- 20GB of mobile data
- 30GB of mobile data
- 50GB of mobile data
- 100GB of mobile data
What can you do with 2GB of mobile data?
2GB of mobile data isn't a whole lot, especially when it needs to get you through the whole month. Here is what you 2GB of data will buy you across a range of popular internet activities.
| Netflix | YouTube | Spotify | Web browsing | |
| 2 hours | 2.5 hours | 2.5 hours | 46 hours | 33 hours |
While browsing the internet for 33 hours might seem like a lot, when you space that out over a month you get a little more than one hour per day. And that doesn't even take into account any other apps that you might use. Small data allowances such as this aren't for most people, but they can be a budget option for kids, or for people who spend the vast majority of their time connected to WiFi.
What can you do with 5GB of mobile data?
Not many people will be able to get by with just 5GB of data across the month, but it is a cost efficient SIM plan option. As a guide, here is what 5GB of data will yield across a range of popular internet activities.
| Netflix | YouTube | Spotify | Web browsing | |
| 5 hours | 7 hours | 5.5 hours | 115 hours | 83 hours |
Across a typical month of 30 days, 5GB of data would let you listen to around 3.8 hours of music or podcasts on Spotify. While that is an ample amount of tune time, the same 5GB only equates to about 2 minutes of YouTube per day. Depending on how you use your phone, you might be able to make 5GB last and save some cash on your phone bill while you're at it.
What can you do with 10GB of mobile data?
Plans with 10GB of data tend to be affordable options, and for people who spend quite a bit of time on WiFi can be a great budget option. Below is what 10GB of data will yield across a range of popular internet activities.
| Netflix | YouTube | Spotify | Web browsing | |
| 10 hours | 14 hours | 11.5 hours | 231 hours | 166 hours |
If you tend to only jump on 4G when you leave the house, and even then you don't do anything too data-intensive than 10GB of data might be enough. You could stream music for a whole 7.6 hour work day, every day of the month and just be bordering on your data allowance. You could also spend about half an hour scrolling through Instagram if that is your preferred poison.
What can you do with 15GB of mobile data?
Although every user is different, 15GB of data is likely to be enough for a good chunk of people, especially if you still work from home. This is how many hours you can widdle away on each of these internet activities with 15GB in the bank.
| Netflix | YouTube | Spotify | Web browsing | |
| 15 hours | 21 hours | 17 hours | 347 hours | 250 hours |
15 hours of Netflix in a month might be rookie numbers if you're deep in a binge, but to consume on a mobile device away from WiFi, it's decent. This data allowance would let you spend half an hour per day watching Netflix, or YouTube, or scroll through the web for over eight hours per day.
What can you do with 20GB of mobile data?
By the time you get to 20GB per month, a lot of people will be in the clear - some might even be bordering on excess data. Here is what 20GB of data will buy you across a range of popular internet activities.
| Netflix | YouTube | Spotify | Web browsing | |
| 20 hours | 27.5 hours | 23 hours | 463 hours | 333 hours |
At this point you could browse the internet aimlessly for a whopping 11 hours per day with a 20GB plan. Lets say you're an Instagram and Spotify addict - if you split the two right down the middle you could spend half an hour on IG, and eight hours listening to music every day.
What can you do with 30GB of mobile data?
Extrapolated data from the ACCC indicates that the average Australian uses 30GB of mobile data per month. If you're part of that club, here is what 30GB of data gets across some popular online activities.
| Netflix | YouTube | Spotify | Web browsing | |
| 30 hours | 41.5 hours | 34.5 hours | 694 hours | 500 hours |
30GB will get you a whole hour of Netflix per day, or over 23 hours of Spotify each day. You could pretty much have your headphones in constantly. Chances are that 30GB will give you more than enough data to get through the month, and an extra buffer just in case you get stuck in a YouTube hole.
What can you do with 50GB of mobile data?
50GB of data will be enough data for you to browse the web 24/7 for the entire month, and you'll still have data left over at the end. Take a look at how much time you can spend on these popular apps below.
| Netflix | YouTube | Spotify | Web browsing | |
| 50 hours | 69 hours | 57.5 hours | 1,157 hours | 833 hours |
Even though we are always connected to the internet, we're not actively browsing at all hours of the day and night... Well maybe sometimes we are. With 50GB you can have your Spotify, and hotspot your friend's Spotify on repeat for almost the entire month. We are definitley getting to the realm of excessive data usage, but also if you want to spend over two hours per day on Instagram, who are we to tell you no?
What can you do with 100GB of mobile data?
100GB of data is a lot of data. Some people use this as their home broadband limit. Generally speaking, if you've got a plan in excess of 100GB of data then you're highlighting the excess part. Here is what you can do with 100GB of data.
| Netflix | YouTube | Spotify | Web browsing | |
| 100 hours | 139 hours | 115 hours | 2,314 hours | 1,666 hours |
With 100GB you can spend almost four hours per day on YouTube, or support two more people in streaming music 24/7. If you're on a 100GB plan then you'll never need to worry about data, but you also might be using too much. We're big advocates for not paying for data that you don't use. If you don't spend four and a half hours on Instagram every day then you might consider scrolling back up and looking at some plans with less data that will save you some money.
Anula Wiwatowska
Offsite Editorial Lead | Instagram
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