Mexico is one of those countries where it’s extremely easy to get a local SIM card. You can literally stroll into any OXXO store and ask for a SIM card and let them know how much credit you want on your card, and they’ll literally just hand it to you. There’s no control over who the owner of the card might be. Perhaps that’s the biggest reason why there are so many cases of people getting scammed through the phone. That’s a topic though for another and another website to be honest. When it comes to traveling through Mexico what’s the best way to get coverage? American travelers may even choose to keep their regular coverage that they get from home.
There are certainly benefits to not having to move around your SIM cards or getting an eSIM. For travelers coming from outside of North America their best bet will certainly be to get a local SIM card. We’re going to be exploring all of the different options that travelers are going to have at their disposal. There’s a good chance that there won’t be a clear winner in this scenario. At the end of the day, the best option for each traveler can be completely different. Just based on where they are coming from and what their current coverage situation is. Now that we got all of this out of the way , let’s look into getting an eSIM for Mexico or what other coverage options may be out there for you!
Keeping Your Local Coverage
This is going to be an option for a lot of the people that go to Mexico particularly from the US and Canada. Usually on this site we never want to talk about the “only” perfect way to get coverage. There are certainly good reasons to keep your local coverage when going to Mexico.
Pros
You’re going to be able to continue getting texts and calls on your regular number. This can be really important for people who need to stay in touch with their job or even people in their social circle. The other reality is that you could already be paying for the coverage on your regular plan. Many of the unlimited plans that American wireless service providers offer include this service. At times coverage is not going to be outright terrible. Especially if you stay within Mexico’s main cities and tourist destinations.
Cons
While coverage may not be down right terrible don’t expect 5G. Then again the same can be said about getting a local prepaid SIM card. So this negative aspect kind of cancels itself out. Perhaps a bigger issue though is that you want to read the fine print from your local service provider. A lot of times the service is “included”. The problem is there may be a cap on the amount of data or minutes that you can use while abroad. Once you reach that cap you’re going to be charged roaming fees. While it is somewhat true that most service providers have elevated the caps on their international coverage quite a bit over there’s still that possibility of getting hit with roaming fees. If you choose this option you want to make sure you monitor the amount of data that you’re using.
Getting An eSIM From A Digital Marketplace
This is technically the “easiest” way to get yourself local coverage. Getting a physical SIM card is very easy in Mexico, but in this situation you don’t have to go anywhere to get coverage. All you’re going to have to do is download the Airalo app and buy one of the eSIMs that they offer on the site. They have eSIM cards for Mexico. You just need to make sure that your phone is going to be compatible with the marketplace. The app is literally going to tell you whether or not your phone is compatible once you download it and enter the app. From there all you’re going to need to do is to pick the amount of data that you need and purchase that eSIM. Chorro Fon is the eSIM that gives you coverage in Mexico.
The downside to this particular option is that you’re buying mostly data-only eSIM cards. That can be a problem if you need to make a phone call to a restaurant for a reservation. You can get around that a bit now if you download WhatsApp. A lot of the restaurants in Mexico actually prefer that method of communication. Even for example at top resorts they’ll set you up in a WhatsApp group with your concierge. So it’s actually a good idea to have the app if you go to Mexico. Since it only takes up data you’ll be ok with one of these eSIMs. Also, you can still activate your regular SIM card to get coverage from your US provider if you need to receive texts or make a call.
Getting A SIM Card From A Local Store
In Mexico getting a local SIM card from an OXXO store is one of the easiest things that you’re going to be able to do. They are sold in many of the large scale supermarkets that are present throughout the country. All you’re going to need to do is for a “chip de telefono”. What the clerk is likely going to ask you is what company you want the SIM card to be from. Also, they’ll want to know how much credit you’re going to be looking to allocate to the SIM card. We always recommend using the Telcel network. It’s the oldest and the largest network in the country. That means you’ll have a better chance of getting coverage even in remote locations.
As far as credit goes, the other recommendation that we would throw out here is getting a plan for 200 pesos. That’s going to give you supposedly free social media access and about 3 GB of coverage for the whole month. Also, the plan includes minutes that you can use to call locally and internationally. If you run out of data you can always just head to any of these OXXO stores and buy more credit. All that they are going to ask you for is your number and again the amount of credit that you’d like. Think of like Jeopardy in saying more credit for 200 pesos or 100 pesos. The SIM card is going to grant you a local number that as we mentioned you’re going to be able to use to make calls.
You Probably Won’t Get 5G Coverage In Mexico
There are 5G networks in Mexico. The problem is most of the wireless service companies that hold these networks are seemingly not willing to allow their prepaid users to access these networks. This is something that could change any day now. Especially since as networks evolve we see for example 3G networks being discontinued to make way for more modern options. In fact, if we get word that Movistar, which is the other large network aside from Telcel, is offering 5G prepaid deals then they may be the better option to get coverage in Mexico. As things stand right now the best option is still the Telcel network. Even if they are not granting access to their 5G network.
Does this mean that the coverage speed that you’ll get in Mexico is bad? It’s truly a mixed bag if we’re being honest. That can be confusing to a lot of people coming particularly from European countries. You have to understand though that countries like Mexico or even worse Brazil are extremely large and feature hard to reach areas. This means that the local networks may not grant you reliable coverage particularly on the road. The network is going to be reliable enough within the major cities. That’s usually not going to be too much of a problem. Even in these cases though there could be certain residential areas that are further away from the city center where coverage is going to be spotty.
How Much Can You Expect To Spend On Coverage?
This is obviously going to depend on what you do to get coverage. With the SIM card from Telcel you could potentially spend anywhere from 200 to 400 pesos. At the current exchange rate that’s around 11 to 22 USD. You can get coverage for less with the local SIM cards. There’s a 100 peso plan that includes the SIM card. With an eSIM you could expect to spend pretty much around the same. That 20 dollar range for a month’s worth of coverage is not the worst price range in the world. With those 20 dollars in the local SIM card market travelers are going to be able to obtain decent coverage for a month.