Mobile internet in Mexico: What is the best option?

If you will be traveling soon, specifically to the country of tacos and beautiful beaches, then something you must be wondering is how to get mobile internet in Mexico. Let us tell you that nowadays there are a lot of alternatives for staying connected to the internet during your travels. 

So we, who know what it’s like to worry about having internet during our trips, will be telling you below everything you need to know to get all the alternatives to having mobile internet during your trip to Mexico. As well as help you identify which one will be the best option for you. Read on to find out!

Mobile internet in Mexico

Let us tell you that nowadays there are many alternatives to get mobile internet in Mexico during your trip. Among them are the common SIM cards that can be plugged into your cell phone and maintain an internet connection, as well as the new technology of eSIMs. 

On the other hand, if you prefer to stay connected to your local operator, you can also do so through international roaming in Mexico. And why not, when you arrive in Mexico, you will find many local carrier stores with which to purchase some internet service. Also, nowadays pocket wifis are very popular among travelers. And, in case you are on a low budget, you will surely be able to find free wifi places. 

Mexico internet providers

Next, we will be talking about each of the above-mentioned Mexico internet providers to get mobile internet in Mexico. We will also talk about their advantages, disadvantages, and costs. So that by the end of reading this article, you will know which alternative aligns with your needs. 

Prepaid SIM Card for Mexico

The SIM card or Subscriber Identity Module is a small plastic card that you have to insert into your cell phone or smartphone and with which you can stay connected to the internet during your travels. 

Currently, there are different ways to acquire these SIM cards, either in physical stores when you land in the country you are traveling to, or through virtual stores. Each of these options has its advantages and disadvantages. So here we will tell you a little about the physical stores in Mexico where you can purchase a SIM card. And also about a very famous virtual store that offers these SIM cards, which is Holafly. 

AT&T Mexico 

You can buy AT&T SIM cards in authorized stores, supermarkets (Walmart), and authorized resellers. Their rates range from less than 2 dollars to 50 dollars and they offer from 10MB to 7GB.

Telcel Mexico 

Telcel offers you SIM cards with the best prices, which you can buy and recharge in official stores. The pre-paid Sim cards can cost you from 2 USD to 26 USD to give you from 20MB to 1.5GB.

Movistar México

This company offers SIM cards for short trips of 1, 2, 3, and 7 days. You can buy and recharge them in specialized stores, supermarkets, and authorized resellers.

Holafly SIM Card for Mexico

As we mentioned above, you can also buy International SIM cards in virtual stores. Holafly gives you the possibility to use the data SIM card for Mexico, and they also make the shipping. Here are their prices and data variants:

After knowing its prices and the amount of data that Holafly’s SIM card for Mexico offers you, let’s tell you about the positive points and disadvantages of this SIM card.

Advantages of the Holafly SIM card for mobile internet in Mexico

Holafly’s data SIM card for Mexico has a series of advantages that, for sure, you will like and will be very useful:

• Insert the SIM card in your cell phone upon landing, activate “Data Roaming”, and you will have internet.
• Keep your WhatsApp number to continue using this app.
• Share your data with other mobile devices
• Customer support 24 hours a day, in the Holafly online store chat. In addition, there is mail and WhatsApp support.
• Your cell phone will connect to Movistar or AT&T Mexico networks.

Disadvantages of Holafly’s SIM card for internet in Mexico

This physical SIM card to have internet in Mexico, despite having several advantages, also has its negative points. See these aspects in cons of this SIM card:

• It does not include SMS, received or sent.
• No incoming or outgoing calls.
• It is not a rechargeable SIM card.

International eSIM for traveling to Mexico

The International roaming eSIM is a device 90% smaller than a nano-SIM, which comes installed in the hardware of the phone. They are sold in digital stores, and the best one for this type of virtual SIM card, without a doubt, is Holafly’s virtual store. 

eSIM Mexico by Holafly

Their data eSIM for Mexico has these prices and variants:

After knowing the prices and available data plans of the eSIM Mexico to have mobile internet there, let’s talk about its advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages of Holafly’s eSIM for mobile internet in Mexico

An eSIM, digital SIM card is a device that will surprise you with its positive points of use. In this case, Holafly’s eSIM for Mexico has these advantages:

• Easy configuration through a QR code.
• Support 24 hours a day, through the virtual chat of the store. Likewise, you can be attended by email and WhatsApp.
• You keep your WhatsApp, without any inconvenience.
• Internet speed is high, as it is done in 4G LTE networks.
• It is possible to share your mobile internet with more devices.
• You can use the eSIM and SIM card at the same time (of course, your local operator will charge you for roaming).

Points against Holafly’s eSIM to have mobile internet in Mexico

There are several advantages of Holafly’s eSIM for mobile internet in Mexico, but below we will show you the disadvantages or negative points of this virtual chip:

• It is an eSIM only for mobile internet.
• No local or international calls.
• It does not include text messages, incoming or outgoing.
• You cannot recharge or extend the validity of the eSIM.

Also, please note that the eSIM for Mexico is not compatible with all current smartphones. For this reason, the following is a list of cell phones that are suitable for using virtual eSIM:

iPhone XS, XR onwards, including iPhone SE 2 (2020). Oppo Find X3 Pro, Reno 5A. Motorola Razr (2019). Motorola Razr 5GHuawei Mate 40 Pro. Google Pixel 3, 3a. Google Pixel 4, 4 XL, 4a, 5. Samsung Galaxy S20, S20+, and S20 Ultra onwards. Galaxy Fold, Fold 2, and up. Samsung Galaxy Note 20 on. Samsung Galaxy Z Flip onwards. Huawei P40, P40 Pro.

Roaming in Mexico with your local operator

International roaming is still an option for mobile connectivity, but its popularity has decreased over the last few years. This service is activated directly with the national operator, so you can use mobile data, SMS, and voice. For these benefits, your operator will charge you certain fees for use. 

AT&T

If you are an AT&T user, with this one you will be able to activate the roaming option on your trip to Mexico. AT&T has a plan called AT&T International Day Pass, which allows you to have unlimited high-speed data, make calls, and send and receive text messages for 10 USD per day.

However, AT&T also allows you to stay connected with pay-per-use data. With this plan, the price for data usage is $2.05 USD per MB. It is important to know that AT&T is also a Mexican carrier, so you probably have a very good network in Mexico. 

T-Mobile

If you are a T-mobile user and use their roaming service in Mexico you will be charged around $15 USD per MB. But if you count with Simple Gold plans you could have unlimited text and 2G data at no extra cost, but some qualifying credit is required.

It is very important that you always keep these prices in mind because if you don’t manage your daily internet usage carefully you could have a huge bill at the end of the month.

Vodafone

With this European operator, you’ll be able to use international roaming in Mexico. Vodafone currently charges from 7 to 15 USD per megabyte used (including VAT), which is a little expensive, so if you don’t use this service we recommend you keep it turned off so you don’t get a surprise bill.

Pocket Wifi for Internet in Mexico

Pocket WiFi is a device that you can rent or buy, to have Internet access wherever you take it. So if you are traveling to Mexico, and wish to rent one of these Pocket WiFi, then we recommend the following two providers, such as Cello Mobile and XOXO WiFi.

Cello Mobile is one of the best American companies in the market that provides Pocket WiFi. In total, you will have to pay $104.93 dollars for a whole week of use. The shipping is between 20 to 40 USD. You’ll also have to pay for an insecure, which is 14.99 USD more. The last thing to know is that if you lose the equipment you’ll have to pay 75 USD to the company. 

A different option comes from Europe. The cost of XOXO WiFi service for Mexico is around $60 per week of rental with 500MB per day. The price is quite affordable, however, the service is not completely unlimited. The sipping is around 30 USD, but only for some European countries. Finally, the company does charge a penalty for loss, and that fee ranges from $135 to $159. 

Free WiFi

This is the last option you have to get internet in Mexico. We are referring to free WiFi, which is available in certain public places such as parks, squares, and some commercial establishments such as shopping malls, restaurants, and bars.

However, in order to use free WiFi networks in Mexico, you will have to register certain data on web pages to be able to use the network. On the other hand, you must stay close to the coverage site, otherwise, you will no longer have access to the internet. There are Wifi free search engines, such as Wi2 or Navitime, that let you know the places with WiFi, the best times, and even the internet speed.