Mobile internet in Mexico City
Mexico City is huge, and visitors cross it every day: Roma and Condesa, the Centro Histórico, Coyoacán, then a morning at the pyramids. The phone handles the route, the ride and the restaurant booking. The Mexico eSIM connects to Telcel and AT&T and is data only, so WhatsApp keeps your usual number.
At a glance
- Does an eSIM work in Mexico?
- Yes. It connects to Telcel, AT&T (5G).
- Price
- From 12,79 € (3 GB, 15 days).
- For a one-week trip
- 5 GB for 30 days: 20,29 €.
- Does an EU phone plan work there?
- No: Mexico is outside EU roaming, so even a plan from an EU country charges it as abroad.
- When does the plan start?
- When your phone first connects to a network in Mexico. The QR code arrives by email within minutes.
From AICM: Metro, Metrobús or a prepaid taxi
Benito Juárez International Airport (AICM) has two terminals. The Metro's Terminal Aérea station on Line 5 is a few steps from Terminal 1, and Metrobús Line 4 serves both terminals on its way into the centre, paid with the Movilidad Integrada card or a contactless bank card. With luggage, most visitors take an authorised taxi: you pay in advance at the counters inside the terminal, at a fixed rate for each zone of the city.
App rides at AICM run without formal airport authorisation and have been subject to checks, so the prepaid counters are the safer bet for the first ride. Some flights use Felipe Ángeles International Airport (AIFA), far to the north of the city; if your ticket says AIFA, plan that transfer before you fly.
eSIM for Mexico
Data on your phone the moment you land in Mexico. No account, no app, no shop.
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For one to two weeks of maps, messaging and the odd video.
Buy up to 180 days before you fly: the plan only starts when the eSIM connects at your destination.
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Will it work on my phone?
On iPhone: Settings → General → About, and scroll to EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Every iPhone from the XS (2018) onwards does.
On Android: Settings → About phone → Status, and look for EID. If there is an EID, your phone takes eSIMs. Most Galaxy S20, Pixel 3 and later do.
It also has to be carrier-unlocked. If you bought it outright or your contract is over, it almost certainly is.
Not sure about your model? Ask us before you pay and we will tell you — a person answers within 24 hours.
How it works
- 1Choose and payCard, Apple Pay or Google Pay. No account.
- 2Install it at homeThe QR arrives by email. Scan it on wifi in a minute.
- 3Connect when you landTurn on data roaming for the eSIM and you are online.
The MI card, ride apps and the neighbourhoods
The Movilidad Integrada (MI) card works on the Metro, Metrobús, the Tren Ligero, Ecobici, the Cablebús and city buses, and the Metro now also takes contactless Visa, Mastercard and American Express cards on all its lines. To get between Roma, Polanco and Coyoacán, especially at night, ride-hailing apps are the everyday choice, and they need data to book the car and follow it on the map.
Much of the Metro runs underground through the centre, so download the city map offline and you can still plan the next change if the signal drops. Leaving a restaurant at night, check the driver and the plate in the app before you get in.
Teotihuacán, Xochimilco and what comes next
For the pyramids of Teotihuacán, buses leave from the Terminal Central del Norte, next to the Autobuses del Norte station on Metro Line 5, and take about an hour to an hour and a half. Make sure the bus goes to the archaeological zone and not just the town, and find out where the return bus leaves from before you walk into the site.
Xochimilco and its trajineras are at the end of the Tren Ligero, which starts at Tasqueña on Metro Line 2; the boat landings are a short walk from the last station. If you carry on to Puebla, Oaxaca or Cancún, it is all Mexico: the same pack keeps working and you only top it up if you need more data.
How much data for a few days in the capital
Three or four days in the city, with maps, a few app rides a day and wifi at the hotel, fit in the 3 GB pack, valid for 15 days. A week that adds Teotihuacán, Xochimilco and nights out across town, with every ride booked by app, is more comfortable on 5 GB, valid for 30 days. If you work from cafés through the hotspot, take 10 GB.
Install the eSIM at home on wifi and switch on data roaming for its line when you land: it starts counting from that first connection in Mexico. You can buy it up to 180 days ahead and top up the same eSIM later. The data calculator works out your own trip, and all the packs are on the Mexico page.
Do I need a transport card in Mexico City?
Not for the Metro, which takes contactless Visa, Mastercard and American Express cards on every line. For the Tren Ligero to Xochimilco, Ecobici or the Cablebús, get the Movilidad Integrada card.
What if my flight lands at AIFA instead of AICM?
The pack works the same at both airports, since both are in Mexico. AIFA is much further from the centre, so look up your transfer before the flight.
Which pack for a week with a day at Teotihuacán?
The 5 GB pack, valid for 30 days, covers maps, app rides and photos for a week. With hotel wifi and few rides, 3 GB can be enough.
Can I book an app ride at AICM?
The apps work as soon as the eSIM connects, but pickups at AICM are not formally authorised and there have been checks. The authorised taxi counters inside the terminal are the simpler option for the first trip.
Get your eSIM before you fly: the QR arrives by email in minutes and the plan only starts when you connect at your destination.
See eSIMs for Mexico