Choosing a mobile plan after moving: compare the actual allowance

Describe a normal usage month

Check your current data use and list the calls or messages you actually need. Add tethering or a second SIM only if those are part of your plan. Compare allowance, renewal period and restrictions rather than headline data alone. An unlimited label does not answer every question about speed, tethering or fair-use terms; read the specific offer.

Normalise the payment schedule

Keep activation, SIM or eSIM costs separate from recurring renewal. A 28-day plan is not a calendar-month plan. For illustration, using a 364-day convention, thirteen renewals of 10 total 130 a year, or about 10.83 per average month. That is not a local tariff, and actual billing follows the provider’s renewal dates rather than this planning average.

Confirm availability to you

Check coverage at home and work, accepted identification, payment methods and whether a contract is available to a newcomer. Do not assume a quoted resident offer is obtainable immediately. Roaming on your old SIM and local service are different products, so price the arrival period separately. The linked UK checklist offers questions to ask, not universal legal or roaming rules.

Sources and further reading

• Lifovra — methodology and limitations
• Ofcom — contract checklist (UK consumer guidance)