How to get a prepaid SIM card in Mexico

Staying connected while traveling is a MUST nowadays. Even though we have the option of using an international provider, buying a local SIM card is always the most affordable solution. In this post, you will find a general comparison and our personal opinion about the best prepaid SIM card in Mexico for travelers – whether you will only be visiting for a short time or for a few months.

We will also guide you on where to get a SIM card if you will be arriving at Cancun International Airport.

Best brands of prepaid SIM cards in Mexico

Mexico has three main brands of internet providers: Telcel, AT&T, and Movistar. Along with the regular plans, all three of them also offer prepaid SIM card options with a variety of different plans.

As a general rule, the SIM cards sold are ready to use. You will get a universal SIM card, which can be used in any mobile phone – you need to simply put it in your device and activate it to start using it. Activation is often instantaneous and free.

What is included on Mexican prepaid SIM cards?

When you decide to buy a prepaid SIM card in Mexico with either Telcel, AT&T, or Movistar, you will have the following:

• Unlimited usage of most social media apps, such as Whatsapp, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.
• Available internet data – the packages usually offer data packages that can be used in all North American countries: Mexico, USA & Canada
• Minutes and SMS credit

Where to buy a SIM card in Mexico?

There are a few options of places where you can buy a SIM card once you land in Mexico:

• At the official stores from mobile providers, most larger cities have them
• At any Oxxo store – our recommended place for buying SIM cards as you will find Oxxo stores everywhere and they have some of the most affordable prices
• At supermarkets
• At large stores like Walmart and BestBuy

How much is a prepaid SIM card in Mexico?

You can find 1-day SIM cards for as little as MXN and a 30-day for 200 MXN. During our trip, we paid 220 MXN for a Telcel prepaid SIM card with unlimited data for 10 days, including several minutes for calls & messages, which we didn’t even use.

From our experience, we can say that the prices vary a lot depending on where you purchase your prepaid SIM card. We asked around a couple of shops and supermarkets we found in Cancun and were offered different packages and prices depending on the place, which was very unusual. The best and most consistent prices we found were on Oxxo shops, which are available in every city and in most gas stations around the country. Oxxo is like the Mexican version of 7/11 so you find them everywhere.

Check Telcel official website for updated prices.

Want to avoid the hassle of buying a local SIM card? Get an eSIM instead!

eSIMs are getting very popular among travelers because they are fully digital SIM cards, which means you don’t have to worry about going after a local SIM card once you arrive. You can get connected as soon as you land.

Check the eSIM options with Airalo, the provider we often use when traveling abroad.

Why do we recommend Telcel?

When you decide to buy a prepaid SIM card in Mexico, you will have to choose between Telcel, AT&T, and Movistar. While many tourists choose AT&T and Movistar for being recognizable brands in foreign countries, we decided to buy a Telcel SIM card and we highly recommend it.

Telcel is the leading internet provider in Mexico, with the most extensive coverage and very strong signal outside of big cities. Since we were going on a 10-day Mexican road trip, having a strong signal outside of major cities was a decisive factor for us.

Throughout our entire trip, we didn’t have any problems with the SIM card or the internet coverage. On the highway, in some very remote locations, there were times when we didn’t have a signal, but this is entirely normal. Even in Europe, it is hard to get the internet to work in remote locations – all you need to do is be prepared and load the GPS maps you will need beforehand.

Buying and activating the Telcel prepaid SIM card was also seamless. Once we inserted it into our phones, it worked straight away with an incredibly fast connection. Having unlimited social media usage was extremely useful, especially since we work constantly with Instagram open, which is a very demanding app.

All in all, I would rate our experience as 10/10 and would definitely recommend Telcel.

Where to get a SIM card if you are arriving at Cancun Airport?

If you want to buy your prepaid SIM card directly when you land at Cancun International Airport without paying a fortune, we recommend going to the nearest Oxxo store.

When you land at Cancun Airport, inside the arrival terminal, you will see a couple of shops offering prepaid SIM cards but do not buy from them. They are usually absurdly overpriced. Just for reference, inside the airport’s terminal, we were offered a SIM card for 50 USD for minimum data coverage while we paid only 220 MXN (approx 10 USD) for unlimited data in the Oxxo right outside the airport.

How to find the nearest Oxxo from the Cancun Airport?

The nearest Oxxo store from the Cancun Airport is located in a gas station by the side of the highway that leads to Playa del Carmen. Here is how to get there:

If you are renting a car at Cancun Airport, hop on the highway (you will immediately get in it once you drive out of the Airport, but you can also follow the signs that lead to Playa del Carmen). In less than 5 minutes, you will see a gas station to your right that has an Oxxo store. Even if your final destination is Cancun, this little detour will only take you 15 min max.

If you will be heading to Cancun, you can also drive to the city and stop at another gas station in town.

If you have a transfer organized to take you into town, you can ask for the driver to stop at the gas station – they are usually happy to help (even if they may be expecting a bit of money in exchange).

If you are using public transport, you will find a local Oxxo shop right in the center of Cancun when you get off the bus. You can also buy a prepaid SIM card in most supermarkets, tourist shops, or local cell phone stores in the center of Cancun.

Pro tip: The souvenir shops of some of the resorts in Cancun also offer the possibility of buying local SIM cards, but you can expect the price to be higher than in local stores.

We hope that this post has helped you plan your trip to Mexico and Cancun!

If you have experience with any other provider that could be of help to other travelers, we encourage you to post it in the comments below.

Have a good trip!

Fê & Edo