Guides · Updated September 2026

Mexico eSIM: Telcel and AT&T coverage, prices, and the OXXO alternative

Data for a trip to Mexico: the two networks our eSIM uses, what it costs, and when the cheap Telcel SIM from a corner shop is the better deal.

Mexico is easy for data. Telcel covers nearly the whole inhabited country, AT&T Mexico is strong in the cities and the north, and SIMs are sold in every OXXO convenience store. The eSIM's job is to have you connected at the airport instead of at the second OXXO you find.

The networks

Our Mexico eSIM connects to Telcel and AT&T, the two largest networks, and uses whichever is stronger. Mexico City, Cancún and the Riviera Maya, Guadalajara, Oaxaca, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and San Miguel are all well covered with 5G in the big cities. Rural Chiapas, the Copper Canyon and stretches of highway are Telcel-only or nothing.

What it costs

The OXXO option

A Telcel Amigo SIM from an OXXO or a Telcel store costs a couple of hundred pesos and a prepaid package of a few gigabytes is not much more. Per gigabyte it is cheaper than any eSIM. The catches: you need to find the shop and do the top-up in Spanish or via the app, the SIM has to go in the phone (no good on eSIM-only iPhones), and there are periodic pushes toward registering lines with ID, so check the current rules if you go that way.

For a week or two, the eSIM is the simpler tool. For a winter in Oaxaca, buy a Telcel SIM once you are settled.

Landing

Cancún and Mexico City airports have good coverage in the terminals. Turn off Airplane Mode, set data to the eSIM, Data Roaming on for that line, and order a ride from an app before you reach the taxi touts. Traffic exits through an international gateway, so a few websites may show you a US or other version; GPS apps are unaffected.

Common questions

Does it work in Tulum and on the Riviera Maya?

Yes. The coast from Cancún to Tulum is well covered by both networks. Inland cenotes and the road to Bacalar have gaps.

Do I get a Mexican number?

No. Data only. WhatsApp, which is what everyone in Mexico uses, works over it.

Can I use it across the border in the US?

No. Buy the US plan for that; both can be on the phone at once.