What each allowance is designed to cover

3 GB

Short and light

Maps, messaging, email, payments, and occasional photos for roughly 3–5 days.

5 GB

Light week or regular short trip

More navigation, social updates, translation, and a small video buffer.

10 GB

Regular one- to two-week use

Daily maps and social use, practical travel apps, and occasional video.

20 GB+

Heavy or hotspot use

Frequent video calls, streaming, uploads, laptop work, or unreliable Wi-Fi.

Unlimited

Heavy use without a data meter

Useful when heavy on-phone use is certain. Check hotspot and fair-use terms separately.

The activities that change the answer

Maps and messagingUsually modest, but all-day navigation and media-heavy chats add up.
Social mediaAutoplay video and frequent uploads consume more than text browsing.
Streaming and callsVideo quality and call duration can move a trip into the heavy range.
Hotspot sharingLaptops can trigger updates, backups, and higher-quality media without warning.

Use a range instead of a universal answer

ChinaSIMGuide’s calculator combines trip days with five activity levels and adds a 10% buffer to the high estimate. It is a planning model, not a measurement of your phone.

Calculate my data range

See the coefficients and limitations →

Reference point

Airalo’s current China plan guide says 1–10 GB can cover many trips of up to two weeks, but that provider-level range still depends on your actual usage. Use it as context, not as a substitute for your own estimate.

Airalo: current China eSIM plan guideProvider editorial · reviewed 9 Aug 2026 ↗