How To Get A Mexico Sim Card

You are heady to Mexico and you want to know how you can use your phone in Mexico, right? You absolutely need to get a Mexico sim card. It is so easy to do and much easier and cheaper than paying for fees on your international phone card. Here is everything you need to know about getting a Mexico sim card.

First Things First

You need to ensure your phone is unlocked. If you are still paying on your phone than it is most likely not unlocked. If it is fully paid off, then it most likely is unlocked. Make sure that you check with your phone provider to find out before you head to Mexico and get a Mexico sim card.

Give your phone provider a call and tell them you are headed to Mexico and you want to ensure that your phone is unlocked. If you fail to do this, you will not be able to use your phone with a Mexico sim card.

Upon Arrival

Okay. So your phone is unlocked and you have landed in an airport in Mexico. That is great because you will be able to get a Mexico sim card at any of the large airports in Mexico and some of the smaller ones as well. I got my sim card at Mexico City’s airport. The Telcel shop is on the first floor and super easy to find. You can also get a Telcel sim card at any Oxxo store or 711.

Please note.

At&T has Mexico sim cards as well but I am going to advise against using them and here is why. I first went with AT&T because that is what was offered in Mexico City. However, when my data ran out a couple of weeks later it was nearly impossible to get more. I could not pay for more data online because I did not have a Mexico bank card. I had to walk around to all the phone stores. No one could help me.

I went to AT&T and even they couldn’t help me. It was so unbelievably frustrating! Finally, I decided to go to Telcel and buy a Telcel sim card and data plan there. It worked and with a Telcel sim card you can easily buy more minutes and data right on your phone with your American bank card. It is too easy and I wish I had gone with them from the very beginning. Don’t be like me. Go with Telcel right from the beginning. They have the largest network in Mexico and are amazing all around.

How Much Is All This Going To Cost Me?

I have good news. A Mexico sim card is super cheap. Much cheaper than using your international phone plan unless you have Tmobile and are just coming to Mexico for a short time. Tmobile covers Mexico but let me warn you. If you are going to be in Mexico for more than three months, you should get a Telcel sim card instead of using your Tmobile data plan and here is why. I learned this the hard way.

Tmobile will kick you off their plan if you use too much data while in Mexico. They say they cover Mexico which they do but not for long-term usage. Keep this in mind if you are planning to use your American phone provider plan instead of getting a cheap Mexico sim card.

I pay $200 pesos about $10 USD for data on my phone and international calling plus local calls and texting. The data will last 30 days as long as you are not dependent on it every day. If you don’t have wifi in your hotel or rental, then you can expect to have to buy more data every two weeks or so. If you use a ton of data, you can expect to pay around $20 to $30 USD a month for your phone usage a month.

In the states, I paid over $100 a month for my phone plan. No thank you!

I love paying less than $30 a month for my phone plan here thanks to using a Mexico sim card.

Get Help Setting Up You Sim Card

They will help you set up your Mexico sim card when you go to buy it. It is super important that you get help setting your sim card especially if you do not speak Spanish because the directions will be in Spanish. Setting it up on your own could equal a complete nightmare. Don’t do it!

Let me know in the comments if you have any more questions and make sure to check out the 5 Dangers Of Mexico You Didn’t Know before coming here!