If you’re traveling around Mexico, you need an internet connection to use applications like WhatsApp and Google Maps. You’ll have to pay a costly bill if you use data roaming from your home carrier. But, if you want to enjoy your visit to Mexico City, Paraisos, or Cancun, a Mexico SIM card with unlimited data, will be a great option. And you’ll have no extra charges for international roaming when you return.
Another option (if your mobile phone is compatible) is an eSIM for Mexico. These have all the advantages of a physical SIM, and you can receive it immediately wherever you are. Discover the best physical and virtual SIM cards in Mexico and enjoy unlimited internet connection on your cell phone. Here’s our 2023 comparison of the best way to access the internet in Mexico.
Buy a Mexico virtual SIM card with unlimited data online.
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Where to buy a SIM card for Mexico?
Bienvenido a Mexico!!! Like other destinations, you have a variety of possibilities to stay connected as a tourist. There are more expensive alternatives, such as pocket wifi and international roaming. But today, we will introduce you to another option; you can buy prepaid SIM cards or virtual SIM cards for this country.
You can buy prepaid SIM cards from online stores; these generally offer delivery to many destinations with international shipping. Also, you can buy in person through local carriers such as Movistar, Telcel, or AT&T. We recommend buying your SIM card for Mexico before your trip. It has many advantages, and we will demonstrate it in this article.
(You may be interested in Best eSIM for the USA)
Easy to buy
The easy but also the best and most cost-effective way to buy your prepaid SIM card for Mexico before you arrive. A variety of online stores offer this type of service for Mexico. Plus, nothing is safer than purchasing from home and choosing the best option for you. Without the pressure of a country and context, you don’t know. Many reasons lead travelers to purchase their international SIM card before arriving and secure mobile internet on their adventures.
Although we recommend having a SIM card beforehand, some people prefer to believe in a physical store. In this sense, local operators in Mexico offer SIM cards for tourists, which you can find in branches, airports, and many small stores throughout the country.
Buy before you travel.
As we already told you, it is the easiest, safest, and often the most economical; to buy your Mexico SIM card with unlimited data before arriving. The online stores have many affordable plans for tourists in Mexico. Plus, their websites usually have entries in different languages, making them easy to use. In these stores, you can also find virtual SIM cards for Mexico City.
You can find a mobile internet option without paying excessive amounts. However, before choosing any stores to buy from, you must confirm how the prepaid SIM card will work in Mexico. Any international SIM card will connect to these local carriers’ networks. That is why you should not get carried away by the offers and ensure that their network in Mexico will give you good browsing speed and coverage.
Buy upon arrival
This option is just as it sounds; you must wait until you get to Mexico to look for a local SIM card option and get one. Sounds simple enough, right? The purchase process is not always the problem. The fact that local operators have more offers for residents than for tourists in the country. For this reason, it may not be easy to choose a plan, and you will probably end up with a service that does not suit your trip.
If we only talk about the SIM card as such, you must also consider the logistics involved. Once you are in Mexico, you have to look for a store where you can buy it. If you arrive through Mexico City’s Benito Juarez International Airport, you will find Movistar and Telcel stores in terminal 1, where you can purchase a SIM card. But not speaking Spanish can be a barrier to communicating to the seller what you want.
(You may be interested in Best eSIM for Canada)
Telcel, Movistar, and AT&T Stores in Mexico.
Mexico is a large country with a vast territory and several local operators working. There are about ten telecommunication companies. The three most important and the only ones with independent networks are Telcel, Movistar, and AT&T. Still, this guarantees many physical stores nationwide where you can buy local SIM cards for Mexico. Small “Quioscos,” as the locals call them, are small multistore where you can find these SIM cards frequently.
Of course, you should not forget all the situations we mentioned above and how it can be an arduous task to buy a SIM card as a tourist. These companies focus their services on residential customers. If you visit a not-so-touristic city in Mexico, finding a store can be slightly more complicated. But, in advance, you can check the updated Telcel Mexico plans.
How much does a SIM card cost to travel to Mexico?
Depending on where you purchase it, you might have to pay activation and registration fees but not elsewhere. Considering this, you could consider a price range of $10 to $40 for a local SIM card. In addition, many of these prepaid SIM cards will offer you unlimited calls and messages, but it will not be the same with mobile data, so if you run out of data, you will need to recharge more for it.
One thing we need to be clear about is that telecommunications in Mexico is not expensive. What can take you by surprise is that you can find different prices for the same data package for buying it in one place or another.
eSIM card for Mexico, a faster alternative
Now you can find SIM cards that work worldwide and do not require physical installation. These are the embedded SIM card or eSIM with which you only need a QR code to scan, and you are activating your service. Online stores like Holafly have virtual SIM cards for Mexico with unlimited data and many other destinations worldwide.
One of the main advantages of eSIM cards is that you can buy them before or during your trip to Mexico. Being completely virtual, they can reach you in a matter of minutes. Holafly also offers an alternative eSIM for North America, with which you will have coverage in Mexico, Canada, and USA.
It is the best option, but before you buy an eSIM, you should know a few things.
- You must confirm that your mobile phone is compatible with the technology because not all can use it. You can help with this list of phones.
- You must have an email address that you have access to because that is where the information for installing your eSIM will be sent.
- To buy an eSIM through Holafly online store, you must have one of the most common payment methods: credit and debit card, Paypal, or Google Pay.
- Finally, you must have an internet connection for the entire purchase and installation process. so it is recommended that you do this before arriving in Mexico.
Holafly online store
This is an excellent choice if you are looking for mobile internet during your travels. Holafly offers embedded SIM cards for Mexico and 160 other destinations worldwide. You can confirm all of them on their website. They also have regional solutions with which you will have coverage in more than one country, such as the eSIM for Europe, North America, or Asia.
With Holafly digital SIM cards, you can keep your local number and WhatsApp contacts. So it will be easy for your friends and family to communicate with you. We have told you that the purchase and installation process is easy. Plus, their website is available in several languages. Despite being simple, if you have any doubts or questions, you can use their multilingual customer service 24 hours a day.
Holafly has an advantage over other online stores by offering a dynamic top-up system. With this, you can extend any service you contract if you need more days of use without installing a new eSIM. At checkout of any service, you have several payment methods such as credit cards, debit cards, Paypal, G pay, and Apple Pay, among others.
Disadvantages of Holafly’s eSIM card
It can’t all be good news, and unfortunately, with Holafly’s virtual SIM card, you won’t have a local number in Mexico. By this, we mean that you will not be able to make analog calls once you are there; you can always use calling apps that use the internet, such as WhatsApp, Skype, or Telegram.
How can I shop at Holafly?
First, you must go to their website; you will find all the destinations and plans available there. After choosing one and taking it to the shopping cart, you can finalize the purchase by selecting one of the payment methods and entering your email and information. After paying, you will receive a QR code and short instructions to install your eSIM on your phone. You are now ready to travel to Mexico and have an excellent internet connection with Holafly.
How much does the eSIM for Mexico cost?
| Days | Amount of cellular data | Price (USD) |
| 5 Days | Unlimited Data | $19 |
| 7 Days | Unlimited Data | $27 |
| 10 Days | Unlimited Data | $34 |
| 15 Days | Unlimited Data | $47 |
| 20 Days | Unlimited Data | $54 |
| 30 Days | Unlimited Data | $64 |
| 60 Days | Unlimited Data | $84 |
| 90 Days | Unlimited Data | $99 |
Frequently asked questions about SIM cards for Mexico.
You can buy a prepaid SIM card for tourists (recommended), pay for data roaming, rent a pocket WiFi for Mexico, or connect to local WiFi networks for free.
The cost of roaming in Mexico depends on the offers provided by your mobile operator. They vary if you use a contract or pay as you go and if you are charged by megabytes downloaded. You should consider buying a prepaid SIM card for Mexico as an alternative to high costs.
When choosing a SIM card for Mexico, you should pay attention to value for money. Does it have unlimited data? Does it include a phone number, local calls, and SMS?
You can purchase these SIM cards before you travel, from online providers like Holafly, or when you arrive in Mexico at the airport and in local shops such as Walmart or Oxxo.
The price of a Mexico SIM card will depend on its data plan, days of validity, and whether it provides you with a phone number in Mexico. For approximately $30 you can receive a SIM card at home with unlimited data and local calls for 7 days of travel.
I am staying in Mexico for 5 months and want unlimited data, free calls to Canada and USA. I would like to try esim. Any suggestions?
Hello Rebecca. Unfortunately, at the moment the eSIM cards only include data plan. You can try using a SIM card prepaid for Mexico.
I have a Verizon phone, not compatible with esim (Holafly). I want unlimited data for 30 days and will be traveling around the Yucatan peninsula. Would you recommend the Telcel? My dual-sim slot in my phone only has the one sim slot because I have the other slot is filled with an extra memory card, so I can’t leave both my Verizon sim and a Yucatan sim in at the same time. Thanks.