YouTube has emerged as a worldwide phenomenon, boasting millions of daily users who watch and upload videos. It serves as a fantastic platform for entertainment, knowledge, and learning. As per recent data, YouTube garners over 2 billion monthly active users, with an average viewing time of 40 minutes per session. For many, it’s a preferred pastime, particularly during travel. In this article, we’ll delve into the data consumption of YouTube and how you can optimize your travel experience using eSIM.

Before delving into the specifics of YouTube’s data usage, let’s first examine some intriguing YouTube statistics. As per a recent study, YouTube ranks as the second most frequented site globally, following Google. It registers more than a billion hours of content viewed daily. Furthermore, over 70% of YouTube’s watch time originates from mobile devices, making it a vital platform for mobile users.

While journeying overseas, individuals frequently resort to YouTube to discover prime tourist spots, dining establishments, and off-the-beaten-path treasures. YouTube is abundant with travel videos that can aid in planning your trip and enhancing its enjoyment. In addition, many people turn to various travel enthusiasts on YouTube for advice, tricks, and inspiration. Therefore, it’s crucial to estimate the data you’ll expend on apps like YouTube and accordingly prepare your travel data plan.

Does YouTube use data?

Similar to any other app, YouTube necessitates either WiFi or mobile data to function. It cannot operate offline or without an internet connection. Hence, it’s vital to comprehend the amount of data YouTube consumes to prevent depleting your data or incurring unexpected charges.

How much data does YouTube use?

YouTube bandwidth usage depends on several factors, such as video quality, length, and device settings. Typically, the higher the video quality, the more data it uses. Moreover, longer videos use more data than shorter ones. According to many studies, a 5-minute YouTube video at standard quality (480p) uses approximately 45MB of data, while the same video at high quality uses around (1440p) 450MB of data. Therefore, if you’re watching a lot of videos on YouTube, it’s essential to keep track of your bandwidth usage to avoid getting a shock at the end of the month.

YouTube data usage by quality (video resolution)

To give you a better understanding of how much data YouTube uses, let’s take a look at a chart that shows YouTube data usage by quality (video resolution) :

Video quality	Data usage per minute	Data usage per hour
144p	1.3MB	80MB
240p	3.3MB	200MB
360p	5.0MB	300MB
480p	8.3MB	500MB
720p (HD)	25MB	1.5GB
1080p (FHD)	50MB	3GB
1440p (QHD)	90MB	5.5GB
2160p (4K UHD)	233MB	14GB
4320p (8K FUHD)	900MB	54GB

As you can see, the higher the video quality, the more data it uses. Therefore, it’s crucial to adjust your video quality settings according to your data plan.

According to the experts, a one-hour YouTube video at standard quality uses approximately 500MB of data, while the same video at high quality uses around 5GB of data. It is important to have a data plan that suits your needs if you are a constant YouTube video steamer.

Frequently asked questions about YouTube data usage

There are several frequently asked questions about YouTube bandwidth usage. Let’s take a look at some of them:

Does YouTube use more data than Netflix?

In most cases, YouTube uses more data than Netflix, since Netflix uses 3GB with 1440p quality content in an hour compared to YouTube uses around 5.5GB. However, the actual amount of data usage varies depending on several factors such as video quality, running time, and settings.

How much data does YouTube live streaming use?

The amount of data YouTube live streaming uses depends on video quality, hours of streaming, and device settings. However, according to Android Authority, YouTube live streaming at 720p uses approximately 2.7GB of data per hour. YouTube live streaming uses more data than just watching normal videos, so you need to be aware of data usage while watching live streaming.

How do I check my YouTube bandwidth usage on the YouTube app?

You can check your YouTube bandwidth usage on the YouTube app by following these steps:

1. Open the YouTube app and tap your profile picture on the right top
2. Tap on
3. Tap on
4. Tap on
5. Check your data usage for the past 30 days

Why is my YouTube data usage so high?

Your YouTube bandwidth usage may be high because of several reasons like video resolution, watching time, and settings. Moreover, if you’re using YouTube in a place where there’s weak WiFi connectivity, your device may switch to mobile data, resulting in higher data usage. It is necessary to check YouTube and your device settings to avoid unexpected high amounts of data usage.

How does YouTube’s data usage compare to other streaming services?

YouTube uses more bandwidth than other video or music streaming services such as Netflix and Spotify. The actual amount of data usage varies depending on the quality of the video, length of the video, and settings, but it is good for people to be careful while using high data-consuming services.

Does using Youtube use a lot of data?

One common question among YouTube users is whether using the platform consumes a lot of data. The answer is yes, as watching videos on YouTube requires a considerable amount of data. Several different factors such as setting, resolution and video-watching patterns can affect data usage. Watching YouTube videos of low-standard quality can consume under 500MB of data an hour, while the same video of high quality can consume up to 54GB of data, which is surprisingly a lot. It’s crucial to keep track of your YouTube bandwidth usage and use the platform in a cost-saving way, especially when traveling abroad.

How to track YouTube data usage?

It’s essential to keep track of your YouTube bandwidth usage to avoid running out of data or getting unexpected bills. You can track your YouTube bandwidth usage on Android and iPhone by following these steps:

How to use YouTube in a cost-saving way while traveling abroad?

If you’re traveling abroad and using YouTube, it’s essential to use it in a cost-saving way. Here are some tips:

Change video quality

As we’ve seen earlier, the higher the video quality, the more data it uses. Therefore, you can change your video quality to save data. To do this, tap on the three dots on the video screen, select , and choose a lower quality.

Set lower default quality setting

You can also set a lower default quality setting for all videos. To do this, tap on your profile picture, select , select , and choose a lower default quality.

Disable autoplay & playback

Disabling autoplay and playback can also save data. To do this, tap on your profile picture, select , select , and turn off “Autoplay” and “Play next”.

Try YouTube Premium

YouTube Premium allows you to watch ad-free videos, download videos for offline viewing, and use YouTube Music. Moreover, it offers a free trial period, so you can try it out before subscribing. If you are running out of data, then subscribing to Premium might be a more reasonable way to use it.

Use WiFi & Turn off cellular data

Using WiFi instead of cellular data can save you a lot of data. Therefore, it’s essential to look for WiFi or use your hotel’s WiFi whenever possible. Moreover, you can turn off your cellular data when you’re not using it to save data. However, just turning off your cellular data and using only WiFi is not an ideal solution, especially if you want to access YouTube anytime.

Use eSIM

Opting for a prepaid eSIM is a savvy approach to economize and conserve data when journeying internationally. eSIM allows you to acquire a data plan tailored to your requirements, which you can utilize across various countries without the need to swap your physical SIM card. It enables not just YouTube, but also smooth usage of Spotify and other entertainment apps with eSIM.

Final Thoughts

In conclusion, YouTube is an excellent source of entertainment, information, and education, especially for travelers. However, it’s essential to understand how much bandwidth YouTube uses and how to use it in a cost-saving way, especially when traveling abroad. By adjusting your video quality, disabling autoplay and playback, using WiFi, and using a prepaid eSIM, you can make the most out of your YouTube experience without running out of data or getting unexpected bills. Therefore, if you’re planning to use YouTube while traveling, make sure to consider these tips and enjoy your trip to the fullest!

Here are some indicative prepaid eSIM card prices: