When I touched down in Spain, at the beginning of my adventure moving to a new country, I did what most anxious tech-dependent foreigners would do: I researched all the mobile services available in Spain, looking for the biggest data plan I could find. “I’m going to be working remotely!” I told myself. “Mum’s expecting a video call to tell her I’m ok!” Most importantly, I was desperate to continue streaming the new series I was hooked on, particularly if I was going to be at a loose end in the evenings, friends being somewhat scarce.
So, off I went and impulsively paid for a whole load of gigabytes that I didn’t end up using. On the other hand, I now know that, if I had done my research properly, I would have found a mobile package that offered oodles of GBs at an unbelievably low price compared to other mobile phone companies .
It’s a classic expat mistake. You arrive on foreign soil in dread of being disconnected from friends and family, without Google maps to find your way around an unfamiliar city, so you play safe and pay over and above what is necessary, particularly if you don’t shop around for the best deal.
In this sense, it’s important to understand that data usage in Spain differs from that in the UK and other countries. For a start, the lifestyle here is very different – you’ll inevitably be spending a lot more time out of the house – and Wi-Fi is generally widely available and surprisingly good, so you will probably need less data than you think.
Spain is different when it comes to mobile data needs
Wi-Fi Culture
Spain has one of the best fibre-optic networks in Europe. You’ll soon find that your home Wi-Fi is so fast that you’ll never have to use 5G indoors.
Fibre is Everywhere
Practically every bar, café or chiringuito has free, decent Wi-Fi. Spanish people rarely use their own data when a “café con leche” or a “cerveza” comes with a password.
Other public places with Wi-Fi
Plazas and parks in larger cities, and even some of the smaller ones, have Wi-Fi hotspots, though the speed of the connection is often restricted. Most museums and cultural hubs provide free Wi-Fi. With regard to public transport, Spain’s national rail network, Renfe, offers free Wi-Fi on its high-speed AVE trains and at major commuter (Cercanías) stations like Atocha in Madrid or Sants in Barcelona. Low-cost high-speed train rivals like Ouigo and Iryo also offer free Wi-Fi onboard, as do many intercity buses. In shopping centres and airports it’s also standard for WiFi to be on offer, though you will usually need to give some basic details (like an email address or phone number) and accept the terms.
WhatsApp is King
WhatsApp is the go-to app in Spain for keeping in contact with friends and family, and is also widely used at work. In fact, old fashioned phone calls tend to have been largely replaced by WhatsApp audio messages. Basically, if you live in Spain and don’t have WhatsApp, you are going to be the odd one out and might feel somewhat cut off from society. The good news is it’s incredibly efficient in terms of data use.
To sum up, in this scenario of widespread Wi-Fi connectivity, even if you don’t yet have fibre at home, you will often not need to use your mobile data, and the Gigabytes you have paid for will sit idle as your phone auto-connects intermittently to public Wi-Fi networks.
Typical mobile data usage scenarios (email vs streaming)
Let me help you do the maths, so you can choose a plan that fits your needs and saves you money. First, let’s have a look at what you might need your data for. Bear in mind that, once you get fibre installed where you eventually end up living, you will be mostly using your home Wi-Fi – which, by the way, is generally excellent in Spain and very affordable – so your mobile data will only be for when you’re out and about.
The Data Sippers:
- WhatsApp (Messaging): Consumes virtually nothing. A text message uses 1 KB, so you could send thousands for just 10MB. Voice notes use up roughly 5 KB per second (approx. 300 KB for a one-minute voice message). Photos consume 1 – 3 MB per image sent or received, depending on whether you send them in standard or HD quality. Voice Calls use 300 – 500 KB per minute (20 – 30 MB per hour), and video calls use 5 – 15 MB per minute (300 – 900 MB per hour, depending on your signal strength and resolution).
- Emails: a standard email consumes 10 – 50KB, while emails with attachments use a lot more (if you receive a 5 MB PDF report or a couple of high-res photos weighing the same, opening the email will immediately use 5 MB of your data).
- Google Maps: Surprisingly low on data, at 3 – 5 MB per hour. For example, driving from Málaga to Seville might use around 10MB. Careful, turning on Satellite View will multiply your data consumption.
- Spotify, Apple Music and other audio streaming apps (Standard Quality): About 40/50MB per hour of listening to your favourite tunes or podcasts.
The Data Guzzlers:
- YouTube, like Netflix, will use approx. 50 MB per minute/ 3 GB per hour in HD. If you reduce the resolution to Standard Definition (480p), you will use about 500 MB per hour.
- Video conference calls (Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet, WebEX, FaceTime): 1GB–1.5GB per hour. Teams uses 500-1.5 GB per hour depending on call type and quality (HD: 600 MB – 1.2 GB). FaceTime (HD) uses 300–480 MB per hour, while a group call will consume slightly more. Zoom Mobile gobbles up roughly 700–900 MB per hour for a standard group meeting, but if it’s a 1-on-1 video call, consumption drops to around 450 MB per hour.
How much mobile data do you need depending on your user type?
We typically need X GB for basic use and Y GB for remote work. Find out which expat type you are with this simple guide.
The Nibbler (light user)
This type of user uses their mobile phone to WhatsApp friends, follow Google Maps to the tapas restaurant they’ve been recommended, and catch up on the news while sipping their morning “cafe con leche”. They are patient and wait until they are at home or somewhere that offers Wi-Fi to watch a series.
My Advice: Don’t waste your money paying for unlimited data. You’re not going to need it. Go for a plan that offers a reasonable amount of GBs (around 50 GB is probably enough). That said, while most mobile phone providers’ cheaper packages include limited data allowances, Lobster’s 200 GB mobile plan offers loads of GB at a very reasonable price. So, if you are going to order more than you can eat, make sure it’s Lobster!
The Grazer (medium user)
Answers emails while on the go and uses their phone as a hotspot for the laptop when the café Wi-Fi isn’t great. They listen to podcasts while commuting to work and in the car.
My Advice: You need a safety net for possible tethering, but you don’t need to pay for data that would keep a whole co-working hub going. You’re probably not going to need more than 100GB per month
The Globber (heavy user)
Doesn’t yet have Wi-Fi at home. Watches Netflix on the metro or while lying on the beach. Uploads 4K videos to the cloud. Their phone is their primary internet connection.
My Advice: Shop for a plan that won’t bankrupt you. Lobster’s 750 GB mobile plan offers a massive data allowance that can take the place of a home broadband connection while you are looking for a permanent place to live.
Tips to reduce data usage
Let me give you a tip on how to scroll without exhausting your data plan, just in case you didn’t already know.
All you need to do is change the toggles in your app settings:
- TikTok: Go to Settings and Privacy > Data Saver and turn it on. This stops TikTok from pre-loading videos and reduces the resolution slightly.
- Instagram: Go to Settings > Media Quality > Cellular Data Use and turn on Use Less Cellular Data.
Why Flexibility is Key (The Advantage of Lobster)
A classic dilemma facing recent expat arrivals is whether it is better to go for a mobile phone contract or pay-as-you-go. As a rule in the past, Spanish mobile operators demanded “permanencia” (mandatory minimum contract period), though it is increasingly common for contracts to come without a lock-in period.
With Lobster, there is no lock-in period, as the plans operate on a 28-day rolling basis. This was a game-changer for me – and I’m sure it will be for most new expat arrivals to Spain – as it allowed me flexibility to adapt my needs as my circumstances changed. Soon after arriving, I signed up for the Large Mobile Plan because I was in temporary accommodation and had no home internet. This plan allowed me to tether my laptop to my phone whenever I wanted. After a month, I moved into my new apartment and had fibre installed and dropped down to the Small Mobile Plan (costing just €12.99). I didn’t have to pay a penalty fee. I just adjusted my data allowance to match my needs.
The Verdict: Start Small (or pay little for a lot with Lobster), and then Scale Up
If you are new to Spain, here is my money-saving strategy:
- Start with a mid-tier plan (or even Lobster’s Small Plan, which puts other companies’ cheaper deals to shame).
- Monitor your consumption. After two weeks, check your actual data consumption on the app.
- Adjust. Drop to Lobster’s Small Plan the following month. Or move up to its Large Plan if you need more GBs.
Data in Spain is generally cheaper than in the UK, but that’s no reason to throw your hard-earned money away. Pay for what you are going to use, not what you think you might use. And if you feel nervous about running out of data, make sure you don’t get stung with a heavy-duty package that costs an arm and a leg. Before you do that, check out Lobster’s plans.
Lobster plans data offerings
Ready to find the plan that fits you perfectly? View Lobster’s Data Plans Here.
