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MB to GB Converter

Convert megabytes to gigabytes or gigabytes to megabytes using decimal prefixes, with the binary MiB and GiB difference explained.

Level: Grades 5–6

  • Common Core standard 5.NBT.A.2Explain patterns in the number of zeros of the product when multiplying a number by powers of 10, and explain patterns in the placement of the decimal point when a decimal is multiplied or divided by a power of 10. Use whole-number exponents to denote powers of 10.
Printable worksheet

MB to GB Converter

Know the answer you need? Pick an input to work backward.

Inputs

In megabytes for MB → GB, or gigabytes for the reverse.

Direction

Result

In gigabytes

0.5 GB

500 MB = 0.5 GB

1 MB equals
0.001 GB

See the step-by-step solution ↓

Quick reference: MB to GB
Quick reference: MB to GB
Megabytes (MB)Gigabytes (GB)
10.001
100.01
500.05
1000.1
2500.25
5000.5
7000.7
1,0001
1,5001.5
2,0002
4,7004.7
5,0005
10,00010

Step-by-step solution

  1. The official definition goes the other way: 1 GB is exactly 1,000 MB

    1 GB=1,000 MB

  2. So divide your megabytes by 1,000 to get gigabytes

    500 MB1,000=0.5 GB

  3. Or multiply by 0.001 instead. It gives the same answer, because 1 ÷ 1,000 = 0.001

    500 MB×0.001=0.5 GB

Test yourself

20 quick questions built from this calculator's formula: work out results, predict what happens when an input changes, and work backward from an answer. Every answer comes with the working.

What this calculator does

Turn megabytes into gigabytes, or gigabytes into megabytes, in one step. These units measure file sizes, phone storage, data plans and download limits. You might want to know how many 25 MB videos fit in 8 GB of free space. Or whether a 1,500 MB update is bigger than 1.4 GB.

This page uses decimal units, the ones storage makers, phone companies and most phone settings use. A megabyte (MB) is 1,000,000 bytes, and a gigabyte (GB) is 1,000,000,000 bytes. So 1 GB = 1,000 MB exactly. These are the SI units, the international metric standard.

Some software uses binary units instead, which count in powers of 2. Those are the mebibyte (MiB, 1,048,576 bytes) and the gibibyte (GiB, 1,073,741,824 bytes). They're often still labeled "MB" and "GB". Don't worry, the difference is explained below.

Where it's used

Why this math matters outside the classroom:

  • Phone data. Phone users who stream 300 MB of music a day use about 9,000 MB, or 9 GB, over a 30-day month.
  • Memory cards. A 64 GB card holds about 64,000 MB, or roughly 2,560 photos of 25 MB each.
  • Game patches. Gamers convert a 1,500 MB patch to 1.5 GB to compare it with their free drive space.
  • Travel data plans. Travelers on a 5 GB data plan work out that about 100 video calls of 50 MB each would fit.

Grade level and standards: Grades 5–6; Common Core State Standards for Mathematics 5.NBT.A.2. © Copyright 2010. National Governors Association Center for Best Practices and Council of Chief State School Officers. All rights reserved.

How to use it

  1. Enter a size in MB or GB.
  2. Choose MB to GB, or GB to MB.
  3. Read the result. The table lists common sizes for the direction you chose.

What the inputs mean

Value to convert
A data size in decimal megabytes (for MB → GB) or decimal gigabytes (for GB → MB).
Direction
Which way to convert.

Formula and method

GB = MB ÷ 1,000
MB = GB × 1,000

MB stands for megabytes and GB for gigabytes. The metric prefix mega means 10⁶ (a million) and giga means 10⁹ (a billion), so they're 1,000 apart. Converting just moves the decimal point three places.

In binary units the step is 1,024 instead: 1 GiB = 1,024 MiB. Mixing up the two systems causes most of the confusion.

Worked example

How many gigabytes is a 500 MB download?

  1. Start from the definition: 1 GB = 1,000 MB, so divide megabytes by 1,000.
  2. 500 ÷ 1,000 = 0.5.

Result: 500 MB is 0.5 GB.

Understanding the result

Quick shortcut: for MB to GB, move the decimal point three places left (4,700 MB → 4.7 GB). For GB to MB, move it three places right. This is exact for decimal units.

Why a new drive looks smaller: a drive sold as 500 GB holds 500,000,000,000 bytes. A computer that counts in binary units divides by 1,073,741,824 and reports about 465.66. It often labels that "GB", though it means GiB. Nothing is missing; the units differ by about 7%.

Don't confuse megabytes (MB, counted in bytes) with megabits (Mb or Mbit). A byte is 8 bits. So a 100 Mbps connection moves at most 12.5 MB per second, before any overhead.

Assumptions and limitations

  • MB and GB are decimal: 1 MB = 10⁶ bytes and 1 GB = 10⁹ bytes.
  • Sizes shown by software that uses binary units (MiB, GiB) need the 1,024-based factor. The data storage converter handles those.
  • Your real free space is smaller still. The file system takes some room for its own bookkeeping, and preinstalled software takes more.

Frequently asked questions

Is 1 GB 1,000 MB or 1,024 MB?

In the SI (decimal) system, which this page uses, 1 GB is exactly 1,000 MB. 1,024 belongs to the binary units: 1 GiB is 1,024 MiB. Some programs label binary units as GB and MB. That's why you'll see both answers.

How many GiB is 1 GB?

About 0.9313 GiB, because 10⁹ ÷ 2³⁰ ≈ 0.931323.

How many 4 MB photos fit in 1 GB?

1,000 MB ÷ 4 MB = 250 photos, not counting the space the file system uses for itself. Real photo sizes vary with camera settings and what's in the picture.

How this calculator is checked

Method: SI prefixes: mega = 10⁶, giga = 10⁹; IEC binary prefixes (mebi = 2²⁰, gibi = 2³⁰) described in content only. The calculation is covered by automated tests with known reference values and edge cases. Last updated 2026-10-18. Found a problem? Tell us.

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