Planning a trip to Mexico, flying to Mexico City airport and looking for the best way to get connected. Don’t waste money on expensive roaming charges and buy a local prepaid sim card at Mexico City Airport. In this guide I will tell you everything you need to know with up to date information where tourists can buy a sim card for Mexico, the best 4G/5G network, up to date prices as per May 2023, my recommendation and even info about international and e-sim cards for Mexico.
Buying a local prepaid sim card for Mexico on arrival at Benito Juarez International Airport is convenient, easy and quick and it makes traveling to Mexico so much more convenient. Also important is that after doing my research for the best Mexico sim card in 2023 I can tell you there is NOT much difference if you buy a sim card at the airport or in the city center of Mexico City.
Traveling onwards to Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Costa Rica, Panama or may be the USA, New York, Miami or Canada? You might be interested in my article about international travel sim cards and I tell you the best sim card for traveling in Central and North America.
In recent years I have spent more than 8 months in Mexico divided over 3 different trips. Mexico is more than just Cancun or Cabo San Lucas. The country has so much to offer and my list of 20 Amazing Places To Visit in Mexico will astonish you. Go off the beaten path, you won't regret it! I lately drove more than 4,000 kilometer through the country and discovered almost 20 different Mexican States.
Being online makes traveling so much easier: use Google Maps to find places and get directions, translate Spanish to English, stay up to date with the latest travel restrictions, etc.
May you have missed the opportunity to buy a prepaid sim card at Mexico City airport and still looking for the best way to get connected then check out my complete guide for buying a sim card for Mexico in 2023, including e-sim cards.
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My recommendation
Traveltomtom recommends a Telcel prepaid sim card for Mexico. The best sim card deal at Mexico City Airport can be found at the 7-Eleven at Puerta 8.
However, if you want to arrive in Mexico prepared you can always buy a sim card for Mexico online. Check out my list of the best international sim cards for traveling abroad in 2023. The best ones all cover Mexico. These sim cards will be shipped to your home address before your trip.
Wanna make it yourself super easy? Get an e-sim card for Mexico! Especially for people that needs just a couple Gigabytes to have internet on their phone for email, navigation, ordering taxis an e-sim card for Mexico is to cheapest way to stay connected on your holiday.
Best e-sim cards for Mexico
The easiest way to stay connected when traveling to Mexico is an e-sim card. You arrange everything directly online and within just a couple clicks you are connected without swapping a physical sim card or visiting a shop. You order online, receive a QR code, follow the steps and you are all set in just 2 minutes.
Check out the following e-sim card plans for Mexico:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $8 USD
- 2 GB data for 15 days = $15 USD
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $21 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $32.50 USD
Click here to directly order an e-sim card for Mexico online.
The above Chorro Fon e-sim cards are data-only and valid only in Mexico. They operate on the 4G/LTE network of Movistar and AT&T.
There are also international e-sim cards that are valid in more than 70 countries including Mexico:
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $24.90 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $34.90 USD
- 6 GB data for 15 days = $39.90 USD
Click here to order an international e-sim card for your trip to Mexico.
You can also still buy a physical sim card for Mexico. For example: 10 GB data for 14 days = $49.90 USD. Click here to order this Mexico sim card online or see all the offers and info.
International Airport Benito Juarez
The Mexico City Airport (MEX) is very easy to navigate. There is basically one very long hall for both the International and Domestic Arrivals divided in Puerta (Doors) from 1 to 10.
Whenever you walk out of arrivals you will see the numbered doors straight away. In and between the doors you will find loads of shops, restaurants, banks and ATM’s, car rental companies and money exchange boots.
Mobile internet providers in Mexico
There are 3 main mobile internet operators. Telcel is the biggest mobile internet operator in Mexico, followed by Movistar and AT&T.
At Mexico City Airport there is only an official Telcel store, there is no AT&T or Movistar store. When buying a Mexico sim card, Telcel is you best option! Why? Read my full article on best Mexico sim card in 2023.
Where to buy a sim card at Mexico City Airport
There are a couple different shops selling prepaid Mexico sim cards for tourists:
- Puerta 3 - MOBO shop - only AT&T prepaid sim card
- Puerta 5 - MOBO shop - only AT&T prepaid sim card
- Puerta 5 - 2nd floor - Official TelCel store - only open from 9.00 - 19.00
- Puerta 6 - OXXO - only Telcel prepaid sim card
- Puerta 7 - MOBO shop - only AT&T prepaid sim card
- Puerta 7 - OXXO - only Telcel prepaid sim card
- Puerta 8 - 7Eleven - only Telcel prepaid sim card
Prices Mexico sim card for tourists in 2023
At Mexico City Airport you can only buy an AT&T or a Telcel prepaid sim card. The prices for the AT&T sim cards are fixed. You get them at all the MOBO shops. All the below prices are up to date as per May 2023.
At the time of research in May 2023 $1 USD = $18 MXN and $1 MXN = $0.055 USD.
AT&T prepaid sim card for tourists
See the picture above for the up to date prices.
All prepaid AT&T Mexico sim cards come with unlimited texting and calling to and from Mexico and the USA as well as free social media like: Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, Twitter, WhatsApp.
The best buy for AT&T at Mexico City Airport is:
- 200 pesos ($9) = 3 GB data - unlimited social media apps and sms + calling - 30 days.
Telcel prepaid sim card for tourists
The same counts for Telcel Mexico prepaid sim cards: unlimited texting, calling + social media apps.
Prices for the prepaid Telcel sim cards at Mexico City Ariport are roughly the same at OXXO and 7ELEVEN however OXXO charges 150 pesos ($7) extra to activate it for you. NOT NEEDED, you can easily do it yourself!
OXXO Mexico Airport Telcel prepaid sim card
If you are looking for a specific Mexico sim card package then head to the OXXO convenient stores as they offer a whole selection, see below.
Remember that Oxxo charges you 150 pesos ($7) extra just for putting it in your phone basically!
7Eleven Mexico Airport Telcel prepaid sim card
At the 7Eleven at the Puerta 8 they offer the following TELCEL prepaid sim card:
- 200 pesos ($9) = 3.2 GB data - unlimited social media apps and sms + calling - 30 days.
Best Mexico sim at Mexico City Airport in 2023
Telcel Mexico has by far the best network coverage, so that would be my number 1 reason to stick to Telcel over AT&T, but on top of that the most value for money is also given by Telcel.
For the best Mexico prepaid sim card for tourists at Mexico City Airport go to the 7Eleven shop at Puerta 8. They make sure for $9 you are connected to the internet in just 3 minutes.
Once you have bought the sim card you simply put it in your phone. Switch off your phone and restart it. Your new sim card is activated and will work immediately without changing any settings.
Also a last reminder that you can order an e-sim card for Mexico or get yourself an international sim card for Mexico for $49.90 and get 10 GB data for 14 days.
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Order a sim card for Mexico online
There is also the possibility to buy a prepaid sim card for Mexico online. These international travel sim cards are valid in multiple countries including Mexico. You order them online and they will be shipped to your home address. You put these pre-activated sim cards in your phone and it is plug an play when you arrive in Mexico.
Check out the following international prepaid sim card for Mexico:
- 10 GB data for 14 days = $49.90 USD
Click here to order this international prepaid sim card for Mexico directly online.
How to get from Mexico City Airport to the city
Luckily Mexico City is blessed with Uber and some other taxi apps. Anywhere around the city your Uber fare from Mexico City Airport to your hotel should not be more than $8.
You can also take the metro, but I would not recommend that as an Uber is very affordable and they are always around 24/7.
Worried that you won’t have an internet connection upon arrival in Mexico City Airport? Don’t worry there is accessible free internet at Mexico City Airport that actually works pretty good. Definitely good enough to order an Uber.
But hey you won’t need this of course! As this whole blog is to help you buying a Mexico sim card straight on arrival! :)
Mexico sim cards and traveling around Mexico
As I have done multiple trips in more than 25 of the 32 states in Mexico I can tell you there is a lot of difference between the Mexico mobile internet operators. Don’t get fooled by more value for money. When traveling to off the beaten path tourist attractions in Mexico, good network coverage is all that matters.
Check out my complete guide for the best Mexico sim cards in 2023.
If you stick to the best tourist places to visit in Mexico then all of the mobile internet operators in Mexico have fairly good network coverage.
Can I use my USA sim card in Mexico?
Yes you can! For Americans there is no need to buy a Mexico sim card for tourists as US sim cards can be used in Mexico without any extra charges!
BUT…
From my experiences traveling with Americans in Mexico, it is so SLOW it would creep the shit out of me. Often there is no network coverage and on top of that the data speed is limited to 3G on overseas data plans. Therefore also my advice to Americans traveling to Mexico, just buy a sim card at Mexico Airport, it will save you a lot irritation.
Want to be fuelled with wanderlust then go hop over to my Instagram profile @traveltomtom and find me traveling around the world trying to visit every country in the world. As of May 2023 I have visited more than 155 countries.
Enjoy your trip to Mexico!
