Quick answer
Stay on Wi-Fi most of the day, and a 10 GB to 50 GB plan is enough. Stream video on the bus, hotspot a laptop, or share the phone with kids off Wi-Fi, and just take unlimited 5G at €12.99. Do not pay Tesco Elevate or Eir Connect for the privilege. Those intros jump.
Coverage still comes first. Walk the rooms with Wi-Fi off, then buy the cheap SIM on that host. Network map: best mobile network in Ireland.
What actually burns data
| Use | Rough monthly need | Typical plan |
|---|---|---|
| Maps, chat, email, Wi-Fi at home | 3 to 10 GB | Tesco €10 SIM, Sky 10 GB, Lycamobile Data S |
| Social video, some commute streaming | 20 to 50 GB | An Post €12.99 (50 GB, 4G), Sky unlimited if you want rollover |
| Student, no home broadband, lots of campus Wi-Fi | Around 100 GB | 48 Student 100 GB at €10.99, 4G, college email |
| Hotspot, 4K-ish commuting, family sharing off Wi-Fi | Unlimited | 48, Clear or GoMo at €12.99 |
| Calls abroad more than Irish video | Data is not the point | Lycamobile country bundles, not GoMo |
Those GB ranges are rules of thumb, not a lab. A single evening of hotspot video will blow a 5 GB SIM. A month of WhatsApp will not.
Plans that actually match, August 2026
| Retailer | Plan | Data | From | Why it is here |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tesco Mobile | €10 SIM Only | 5 GB | €10 | 5 GB. Fine for maps and WhatsApp if you live on Wi-Fi. |
| Sky Mobile | 10 GB | 10 GB | €10 | €10, 12-month, unused data rolls in Piggybank. |
| An Post Mobile | Prepay €12.99 | 50 GB | €12.99 | 50 GB on 4G. The €15 plan has less data (25 GB). |
| 48 | Student 100 GB | 100 GB | €10.99 | €10.99 with a college email. 4G, not 5G. |
| 48 | Unlimited 5G | Unlimited | €12.99 | €12.99 rolling. The default once video and hotspot show up. |
| Clear Mobile | Unlimited 5G | Unlimited | €12.99 | Same €12.99 on Vodafone radio. Count the activation fee. |
| GoMo | GoMo Mobile | Unlimited | €12.99 | Same €12.99 on Eir radio. eSIM, app only, €12.99 activation fee. |
| Lycamobile | Unlimited Plus | 100 GB | €10 | 100 GB then 256 kbps. Not a full-speed unlimited SIM. |
When unlimited is the cheaper mistake to avoid
A 5 GB SIM looks cheap until you hit the cap in week two and buy add-ons. Unlimited at €12.99 from 48, Clear or GoMo is the floor for anyone who cannot honestly stay under 50 GB. 48 posts a plastic SIM and has no activation fee. GoMo has eSIM but a €12.99 activation fee up front. Clear has the same fee on Vodafone radio.
Skip Tesco Elevate (€15 then €30) and Eir Connect (€14.99 then €29.99) unless you like paying twice. Skip Lycamobile "unlimited" if you wanted full speed after 100 GB.
Three-way: 48 vs GoMo vs Clear. Students: best mobile for students. Switch: how to switch mobile.
