International Roaming

Roaming in Mexico: Plans, pricing, and alternatives

Roaming in Mexico can be expensive, depending on your carrier and plan. Here are your options, including a digital alternative, to staying connected.

When planning a trip to Mexico, one of the most essential factors is staying connected. A reliable, high-speed connection will be handy when navigating, communicating with locals, finding great places to eat, and keeping friends and family updated on your travels.

Roaming in Mexico with your home provider might be expensive, especially if you’re unaware of the plans or passes offered. This guide will cover everything you need to know about roaming in Mexico with your home provider from the USA, UK, or Canada, including a digital alternative – an unlimited data travel eSIM.

In this article

Do I need roaming in Mexico?

Yes, roaming with your home provider is one way to stay connected and get mobile internet in Mexico. The good news is that many leading mobile operators in the USA and Canada offer free roaming or roaming-inclusive plans that cover Mexico. Depending on your plan and carrier, you will need to activate an international data plan/pass.

Roaming charges in Mexico

Roaming charges in Mexico vary depending on your provider and whether you’re on a roaming-inclusive monthly plan or opt for a travel pass. Not all providers offer free roaming in Mexico and Canada. It’s definitely worth double-checking with your provider. In any case, roaming charges will range from ~£5–7 GBP, ~$5–50 USD, or ~$16–18 CAD.

Roaming charges in Mexico for US travelers

The USA’s main mobile operators include T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon. Each offers data roaming options for trips to Mexico. With each provider, you generally have three options: a roaming-inclusive monthly plan, an international travel pass, or pay-as-you-go roaming.

T-Mobile roaming in Mexico

If you’re on any of T-Mobile’s international roaming-inclusive monthly plans, including:

Experience Beyond Go5G Next: 256Kbps (15 GB of high-speed data in Mexico)
Experience More, Go5G Plus, Max, and One Plus: 256Kbps (30 GB of high-speed data in Mexico)

You can enjoy unlimited data (with speed caps) and texting in Mexico.

Other T-Mobile roaming options for Mexico include international passes:

One-day International Pass: $5 for up to 512 MB
10-day International Pass: $35 for up to 5 GB
30-day International Pass: $50 for up to 15 GB

If you’re not on a roaming-inclusive plan and choose not to buy an international pass, you’ll have to pay T-Mobile’s pay-as-you-go roaming rates, which are $0.25 a minute for calls and $0.01 per MB.

AT&T roaming in Mexico

AT&T’s international roaming-inclusive monthly plans for Mexico include:

AT&T Value Plus VL (unlimited talk, text, and data)
AT&T 4GB (unlimited talk and text and 4 GB data)

If you’re not on any of these plans, you can opt for AT&T International Day Pass, which costs $12 a day and allows you to use unlimited text, existing data, and talk allowances.

Pay-per-use rates (if no pass is activated):

$3 per voice minute
$0.50 per text
$2.05 per MB

Verizon roaming in Mexico

Verizon’s international roaming services offer a Monthly Plan ($100 per month) for roaming in Mexico. The plan includes unlimited data (with a 20 GB speed cap), 250 voice minutes, and unlimited text.

A Verizon travel pass for Mexico costs $6 daily and includes unlimited data, talk, and text.

Pay As You Go rates for roaming in Mexico are:

$2.05 per MB
$0.99 per minute
$0.50 per sent text
$0.05 per received text

Roaming charges in Mexico for UK travelers

If you’re traveling from the UK, chances are your home provider is EE, Three, Vodafone UK, or O2. Each provides roaming options for Mexico, varying in allowances and prices.

EE roaming in Mexico

EE’s international roaming-inclusive monthly plan, Full Works, includes Mexico as an eligible destination. Prices for these plans depend on your data limits and any offers available with EE at the time.

You can also opt for an EE travel pass for Zone 1 (£5/day or £25/week) to use your UK allowances in Mexico

EE doesn’t offer pay-as-you-go rates for destinations outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland, so if you’re not on a roaming-inclusive plan, you must buy data add-ons to use your phone in Mexico.

O2 roaming in Mexico

Mexico is part of O2’s international roaming Travel Inclusive Zone. If you’re on an O2 Ultimate plan, you can add the Travel Inclusive Zone Ultimate Bolt On and use your phone as usual while abroad.

If you’re not on the O2 Ultimate plan but still a pay-monthly customer, you can opt for a Travel Pass for £7/day to roam in Mexico with your UK allowances.

Without a pass, you’ll pay O2 pay-as-you-go roaming charges in Mexico at the following rates:

£7.20 per MB
£3 per voice minute
£1 per text

Three roaming in Mexico

Three’s international roaming services offer two roaming-inclusive monthly plans:

Three Your Way Value (28 days of free roaming a year)
Three Your Way Complete (56 days of free roaming a year)

However, each plan limits data roaming to 12 GB monthly. This can be tricky to navigate, especially if you travel frequently. A monthly travel eSIM subscription, such as Holafly Plans, might be a better solution.

If you’re not on these plans, you can choose one of Three’s Go Roam Around the World passes for Mexico:

Go Roam Around the World 3-day pass for £12.50
Go Roam Around the World pass 7-day pass for £30
Go Roam Around the World pass 14-day pass for £60

Three’s pay-as-you-go rates apply only if you don’t have a roaming-inclusive monthly plan or travel pass in place:

10p per MB
35p per text
£1.40 per minute

Vodafone UK roaming in Mexico

Vodafone UK’s international roaming-inclusive monthly plans include Unlimited Max Global roam with roaming services in Mexico.

If you’re not on this plan, you can opt for a roaming pass instead:

£7.86 a day to use your existing balance of calls, texts, and up to 25 GB of data.

If you don’t have either of the abovementioned roaming options, you’ll automatically be charged pay-as-you-go rates if you try to use mobile data, make calls, or send messages in Mexico:

12p per MB of data usage
8p per text
36p per voice minute

Roaming charges in Mexico for Canadian travelers

If you’re traveling to Mexico from Canada, Bell, Telus, and Rogers offer various roaming options to stay connected and use your phone abroad. Keep reading for quick overviews on each provider.

Bell roaming in Mexico

Bell’s international roaming-inclusive plan, Roam Better, offers roaming features in Mexico and 200 other countries and destinations.

If you’re not on this plan, you can settle for a roaming pass for Mexico and the Caribbean:

7-day Travel Pass for $70

Otherwise, you’ll be subject to pay-per-use rates:

$8-16 per MB of data
$2.50-4 per voice minute
$0.99 per text

Rogers roaming in Mexico

Rogers international roaming services offers roaming options in three categories:

Roam Like Home

If you’re on this roaming-inclusive monthly plan, you can use your existing allowances in Mexico for $16 CAD per day for 20 days. After 20 days pass and you’re still in Mexico, you can use Roam Like Home for free.

Travel Pass

14-day Mexico Travel Pass: $70 to use your existing allowances
30-day Mexico Travel Pass: $80 to use your existing allowances

Pay-per-use

$3 per minute
$0.75 per text
$15 per 10 MB

Telus roaming in Mexico

Telus international roaming plans include Easy Roam. If you’re on any Telus monthly rate plan, you can use this roaming option to stay connected in Mexico.

You’ll have to pay $16 CAD daily for unlimited talk and text, and to use your existing data allowances.

If you’re not on any monthly plans, you can opt for an Easy Roam Travel Pass for Mexico:

7-day pass for $640 (unlimited call and text + existing data allowance)

Otherwise, you’ll be subject to Telus’ pay-per-use rates:

$1.60-7 per voice minute
$0.75 per SMS sent
$5-10 per MB of data

How to avoid roaming charges in Mexico

When you travel abroad to Mexico, it’s easy to rack up unexpected roaming charges, especially if you’re not cautious. Whether you’re there for a short trip or an extended stay, properly managing your phone and data usage can help you stay connected without overpaying.

Here are some practical tips and alternatives to avoid high roaming charges:

Turning data roaming off will help prevent your device from connecting to international networks and adding to your phone bill.
Opt for a local Mexico SIM card to enjoy local rates, but also means swapping SIM cards and losing access to your main number.
Use a pocket WiFi device. A pocket WiFi for Mexico is a small, portable hotspot with fixed data usage fees. However, it can be pretty expensive, and you’ll need to carry an extra gadget and keep it charged. Opt for Holafly Plans, the digital version of a pocket WiFi device, instead.
Connect to free public WiFi to save on mobile data, but connections can be slow and less secure.
Use messaging services like WhatsApp, iMessage, or Messenger to stay in touch.
Monitor your usage regularly and set alerts for when you’re nearing your allowance limits, especially when using data-heavy apps.
Grab an unlimited data travel eSIM, a stress-free alternative to traditional SIM cards. An eSIM for Mexico gives you instant internet access when traveling internationally and peace of mind from arrival. All you need is an eSIM-compatible phone!

Holafly eSIM for Mexico: Get unlimited data for less

What if there was a way to avoid roaming charges and stay connected without worrying about limited data allowances? This is where Holafly’s eSIM for Mexico comes in.

Unlike traditional international plans, physical SIM cards, or extra devices, Holafly eSIMs are designed to give you peace of mind from the moment you land. Here are a few reasons why:

Instant connection: Enjoy internet access as soon as you land at your destination without worrying about connecting to other international networks.
No roaming worries: Forget surprise fees, usage limits, or blocked service.
24/7 customer support: Holafly’s multilingual team is ready to support wherever your trip takes you.

And the flexibility to match your plan to your vacation! Starting at $6.90 per day for unlimited data, choose your own plan duration, so you never have to pay for more than you need.

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Mahnoor Bangush

SEO Content Writer

Born and raised in Queens, New York, I'm a Psychology graduate with a passion for writing that I've been nurturing since 2019. Over the years, I've enjoyed creating meaningful content across various niches, including sports, hospitality, and career development. At Holafly, I focus on crafting useful and inspiring pieces to make your adventures more effortless. One of the best perks of this role? Creating travel content always seems to inspire my next vacation destination!

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