Key facts
- COVERAGE
- Mexico
- NETWORKS
- AT&T, Telcel
- PLAN TYPE
- Data only
- IP ADDRESS LOCATION
- United Kingdom
- DELIVERY
- QR code by email
How it works
- 1Choose a plan and pay.
- 2Scan the QR code we email you. You can install it before you fly.
- 3When you land in Mexico, turn on data roaming for the Spidot line.
Questions about the Mexico eSIM
Which networks does it use?
Do I get a local phone number?
Can I use it outside Mexico?
How do I install it?
Will my phone work with an eSIM?
Does my US phone plan already include Mexico?
Can I use Uber and DiDi with a data-only eSIM?
Will I have data at cenotes and Maya ruins?
Is the eSIM useful on a cruise stop in Cozumel or Costa Maya?
Can I use the same eSIM for my next trip to Mexico?
Will my bank texts still reach me?
Mexico eSIM guide: mobile data for travellers
Mexico is huge and varied. In a single trip you might eat your way through the markets of Mexico City, swim in the cenotes around Tulum and Valladolid, explore the Maya ruins of Chichén Itzá or Palenque, wander the colonial streets of Oaxaca, San Miguel de Allende and Guanajuato, and finish on a Pacific beach in Puerto Vallarta, Sayulita or Puerto Escondido. Cancún and the Riviera Maya draw millions of visitors, while Baja California, Chiapas and the Copper Canyon reward travellers who go further.
Distances are long, plans change, and much of daily life runs through your phone: ride-hailing, maps, restaurant bookings and WhatsApp messages with hosts and tour operators. A Spidot eSIM gives you mobile data in Mexico without buying a local SIM, and your own SIM stays in the phone for calls and texts. This guide covers choosing a plan, setting it up, coverage across the country and practical tips for staying connected.
eSIM, roaming or a local SIM in Mexico
How you get online in Mexico depends on where your home SIM is from and how long you are staying.
Roaming with your home SIM
Some US and Canadian plans include Mexico in their allowances, sometimes with reduced speeds or daily limits, while others charge per day. For travellers from the UK, Europe, Australia and elsewhere, Mexico is usually an expensive roaming destination unless your operator offers a specific pass. EU Roam like at Home rules do not apply outside the EU. Check your operator's terms for Mexico before you go.
A Mexican prepaid SIM
Prepaid SIMs are sold in convenience stores, operator shops and some airport kiosks. Registration requirements for mobile lines in Mexico have been changing, and buying a SIM may involve showing ID and completing registration steps, which can take time and may be in Spanish. A local SIM makes sense for long stays where a Mexican number is useful; for a holiday, it means an errand on arrival and taking out your home SIM.
A Spidot eSIM for Mexico
With Spidot you buy a Mexico plan online, get the QR code by email right after payment and install it before you fly. Plans start from $5.90. Your home SIM keeps your number for calls, texts and bank codes, and the Spidot line handles data. Most plans are data-only; if you want to call local numbers, for example tour companies or restaurants, see our Data + calls plans.
How much data to plan for
In Mexico you are likely to use more data than at home, because you will rely on your phone to get around, translate and book. These figures are approximate:
- Maps and navigation: a few megabytes per hour; essential in big cities and on road trips.
- Ride-hailing: small amounts per trip, but you will use it often in cities.
- Translation apps: text is light; camera translation of menus and voice translation use more.
- Social media and photo sharing: moderate to heavy, especially with video of cenotes, ruins and street food.
- Video calls: several hundred megabytes per hour.
- Streaming: heavy, often more than a gigabyte per hour in high definition.
Typical choices
A long weekend in Mexico City or a week in an all-inclusive resort near Cancún with good Wi-Fi can work with a small or mid-sized fixed data plan. A two- or three-week trip through the Yucatán or from Mexico City to Oaxaca and the coast, with daily navigation and ride-hailing, needs a larger plan.
Digital nomads in Mexico City, Playa del Carmen or Puerto Escondido, and anyone tethering a laptop, may prefer an unlimited plan, keeping in mind that speed may slow after heavy use. If you visit Mexico regularly, a no-expiry plan lets unused data carry over to your next trip. You can check how much data is left and add more data whenever you need.
Before you go
You need a working internet connection to install an eSIM, so set it up at home. Start by using our check your phone page to confirm eSIM support and that the phone is carrier-unlocked; phones bought on contract in the US are sometimes locked. Then follow the install guide for iPhone, Samsung or Pixel.
- Install the eSIM a day or two before departure and label it "Mexico".
- Keep your home SIM as default for calls and texts and choose the Spidot line for mobile data.
- Download offline maps for the regions you are visiting, especially rural Yucatán, Chiapas, Oaxaca's mountains and Baja.
- Install the ride-hailing and translation apps you plan to use and sign in while you still have home Wi-Fi.
- Turn off data roaming on your home SIM unless your plan includes Mexico and you want to use it.
Arriving in Mexico
Most international visitors arrive at Mexico City International Airport or Cancún International Airport, with many flights also landing in Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puerto Vallarta, Los Cabos and Tulum. When you land, turn off flight mode, choose the Spidot line for mobile data and turn on data roaming for it. Our data roaming guide shows where to find the setting.
Getting from the airport
Arrivals halls at Mexico's busy airports can be hectic, with people offering transport. Having data lets you check your pre-booked transfer, compare official taxi counters or order a ride from the designated pick-up areas. In Cancún, many travellers head straight to Playa del Carmen or Tulum, a drive of one to two hours, so it is useful to share your route with someone or track it yourself.
Arriving overland from the United States
If you cross by land at Tijuana, Nogales, El Paso–Ciudad Juárez or elsewhere, install the Mexico eSIM in advance. Near the border your phone may still pick up US networks, so check which line is being used for data and make sure only the Spidot line has data roaming switched on.
Coverage in cities, on the coast and in rural Mexico
Mexico's size means coverage varies a lot. Your Spidot plan uses AT&T and Telcel. In general, expect a strong connection in cities and tourist areas and patchier service in remote areas.
Cities and resort areas
Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey, Puebla, Mérida, Oaxaca City and the resort strips of Cancún, Playa del Carmen, Puerto Vallarta and Los Cabos are well served. In the Mexico City metro, signal can vary between stations and tunnels.
Yucatán, cenotes and ruins
Along the main highways of the Yucatán peninsula and in towns such as Valladolid, Tulum and Bacalar, coverage is usually reasonable. At cenotes, inside the jungle around Cobá or Calakmul and at isolated archaeological sites, it can be weak or absent. Download offline maps and buy entrance tickets in advance where possible.
Mountains, deserts and Baja
The Sierra Madre, the Copper Canyon around Creel, the highlands of Chiapas around San Cristóbal de las Casas and long stretches of Baja California between towns have gaps. On road trips, plan fuel and rest stops in advance and do not rely on finding signal between settlements.
Data on buses, flights and road trips
Mexico has a large network of long-distance first-class buses, which often have Wi-Fi of variable quality, plus many domestic flights connecting major cities. In the Yucatán, the Tren Maya railway links several towns and archaeological sites. Mobile data helps you buy tickets, check departure times and find your accommodation when you arrive late.
Ride-hailing and taxis
Uber and DiDi are widely used in Mexico City, Guadalajara, Monterrey and many other cities, and are popular with visitors because the price and route are visible in the app. Availability varies in some resort areas, where local taxis dominate. Agree the fare before getting into a street taxi.
Driving
Renting a car is common in the Yucatán and Baja. Toll highways (cuotas) are generally faster than free roads (libres). Watch for speed bumps (topes) near villages, avoid driving at night in remote areas and keep offline maps ready for stretches without signal.
Sharing data with a hotspot
You can usually use your phone's personal hotspot to share Spidot data with a laptop or another phone. This is useful when apartment Wi-Fi drops or when you work from a café with an overloaded network. All devices share one allowance, so on a fixed plan keep an eye on your usage and pause automatic updates and cloud backups on the laptop.
Using public Wi-Fi safely
Free Wi-Fi is common in cafés, hotels, airports, shopping centres and some public squares. Use it sensibly:
- Use mobile data rather than public Wi-Fi for banking, payments and important logins.
- Confirm the network name with staff before connecting.
- Avoid typing passwords on websites that do not show a padlock.
- Turn off automatic connection to open networks.
- Be careful with USB charging points in public places; use your own charger and a wall socket or power bank.
Practical tips for Mexico
A few habits make everyday life easier:
- Money: the currency is the Mexican peso. Cards are accepted widely in cities and resorts, but markets, street food, colectivos and small towns often prefer cash. Use ATMs inside banks or shopping centres.
- WhatsApp: it is the default way to communicate with hosts, guides, restaurants and many small businesses.
- Language: Spanish is the main language. English is common in resort areas but less so elsewhere, so download an offline Spanish pack in your translation app.
- Altitude and heat: Mexico City sits at high altitude and the coasts are hot. Both drain phone batteries and travellers, so carry water and a power bank.
- Phone safety: in crowded places such as the metro or busy markets, keep your phone in a front pocket and avoid holding it out near the kerb.
Mexico on a multi-country trip
Mexico is often combined with the United States, Guatemala or Belize, or with a Caribbean cruise. Spidot does not sell a regional plan for the Americas, so the usual approach is one eSIM per country. Most eSIM phones can store several eSIMs and switch between them in settings.
For neighbouring countries, see our plans for the United States, Guatemala, Canada and, for Caribbean add-ons, the Dominican Republic. Install each plan at home on Wi-Fi and switch the mobile data line when you cross the border or land.