Not sure whether you need 3 GB or 90 GB a month? You're not alone. Too little, and you run out before the month is over. Too much, and you're paying for data you never use.
This guide breaks down exactly how much data common activities use, so you can pick a plan that actually fits how you use your phone.
How much data do I need per month?
It depends entirely on how you use your phone, and the gap between a light user and a heavy streamer is much bigger than most people expect. Someone who mostly texts, browses and scrolls social media can comfortably get by on 1 to 3 GB a month. But video is where things add up fast: just one hour a day of Quad HD video (YouTube, Netflix) at around 3 GB per hour works out to roughly 90 GB a month on its own.
Here's a rough guide to help you find your starting point:
| User type | Typical daily habits | Monthly data needed |
| Light user | Messaging, calls, occasional browsing, light social media | 1 to 3 GB |
| Moderate user | Regular social media, music streaming, maps, some browsing | 5 to 10 GB |
| Streamer | 20 to 30 minutes of short-form or HD video daily over mobile data | 15 to 30 GB |
| Heavy streamer | 1 hour or more of Quad HD video daily over mobile data, plus social and calls | 50 to 90 GB or more |
If most of your video watching happens at home over Wi-Fi, your needs will look a lot more like the moderate row, since it's specifically video streamed over mobile data that drives the biggest numbers.
How much data do common activities use?
Here's roughly how much data an hour of use costs for the most common phone activities:
- Social media (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, X): around 150 MB per hour
- Short-form video (Reels, Shorts, TikTok) in full HD: around 1 GB per hour
- Video streaming in Quad HD (YouTube, Netflix): around 3 GB per hour
- Music streaming (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube Music): around 50 MB per hour
- Navigation (Google Maps, Apple Maps): around 10 MB per hour
- Web browsing: around 100 MB per hour
- Email and messaging (Gmail, WhatsApp, Messenger): around 4 MB per hour
- Video calling (Zoom, Meet, FaceTime): around 500 MB per hour
- App downloads and updates: around 300 MB per hour of active downloading
Add these up based on your own daily habits to get a rough monthly estimate, then round up a little for safety.Â
Factors to consider when choosing a mobile plan
Budget: Decide on a number before you start comparing plans. If your budget is tight, you'll likely need to compromise on data quantity rather than call/SMS benefits.
Prepaid vs. subscription: With prepaid, you pay upfront and renew every 30 days, so it's easy to adjust as your needs change. Subscriptions bill you after usage and often lock you into longer contracts.
eSIM or physical SIM: eSIMs are increasingly standard, offering less waste, stronger security, and easier setup, provided your phone supports one (most phones bought in the last few years do). Physical SIMs remain the safer choice for older devices.
Coverage: Choose an operator with reliable coverage where you actually spend time, whether that's home, work or school, not just strong marketing claims. A coverage map is the fastest way to check before committing.
Bundled benefits: Roaming data, international calling, and data rollover can add real value beyond the base data allowance. Not essential, but worth comparing.
Our most popular prepaid plans
Once you know roughly which data tier fits you, the next step is matching it to a prepaid plan.
| Plan | Lyca Smart S | Lyca Smart XL | Lyca Smart Max |
| Best for | Light users | Streamers to heavy streamers | Heavy streamers and beyond |
| Price | NOK 99 | NOK 99* | NOK 499 |
| Monthly data | 1 GB | 60 GB* | Unlimited |
| National calls & SMS | Unlimited | Unlimited | Unlimited |
| International calling | 100 minutes | Unlimited | 500 minutes |
| Roaming data | 1 GB | 28 GB | 62 GB |
| eSIM support | Yes | Yes | Yes |
FAQ
How many MB is 1 GB?
1 GB equals 1,024 MB technically (binary), though mobile operators commonly round this to 1,000 MB for simplicity.
How much is 1 GB?
In terms of smaller units, 1 GB is equal to around 1,024 megabytes (MB). In terms of larger units, 1 GB is equal to around 0.001 terabytes (TB). In everyday use, 1 GB is enough for roughly 20 minutes of Quad HD video streaming, an hour of short-form video, several hours of web browsing, or hundreds of hours of messaging and email. Usage varies a lot depending on the activity.
What is a gigabyte?
A gigabyte (GB) is a unit of digital data storage, used to measure things like mobile data allowances, file sizes, and storage capacity. It sits between megabytes and terabytes in size.
What's the difference between gigabyte and megabyte?
A gigabyte is roughly 1,000 times larger than a megabyte (1 GB is approximately 1,000 MB, or 1,024 MB technically). The scale runs from kilobyte (KB) to megabyte (MB) to gigabyte (GB) to terabyte (TB), with each step roughly 1,000 times the last.
Important info: Estimates in this article are approximate and may vary depending on device, settings and network conditions.