Cheap eSIM plans for Mexico compared: 5 providers, 3 trip lengths
Pick your trip length to see what each plan costs. Nomad leads, then the four others and who should buy them.
NomadBest overall
My pickPlan10 GB, 30 dayson AT&T, Movistar
Price$15.50
Per day$1.55
Cheapest 10 GB in Mexico, and the right size for a resort week in the Riviera Maya or a month in Roma Norte. If you post a lot of video, its 20 GB costs $27.50 for the same 30 days.
What you actually get with Nomad network, hotspot, refunds
- Full speed per day
- All 10 GB at full speed, no daily cap
- Hotspot
- Allowed
- If your trip changes
- Not stated by Nomad
- Network
- AT&T Mexico and Movistar
- 5G
- Yes, listed on AT&T
From Nomad's Mexico plans as listed on esimdb, Nov 9, 2026.
AiraloThree networks
Plan10 GB, 15 dayson AT&T, Movistar, Telcel
Price$17.50
Per day$1.75
AT&T, Movistar and Telcel on one plan, the widest choice of networks here for a road trip through Oaxaca or the Yucatán. Its 10 GB costs $2.00 more than Nomad's and runs 15 days instead of 30.
What you actually get with Airalo network, hotspot, refunds
- Full speed per day
- All 10 GB at full speed. On the unlimited plans, 3 GB a day, then 1 Mbps
- Hotspot
- Not stated by Airalo
- If your trip changes
- Airmoney, Airalo's in-app credit, not cash. A faulty eSIM is refunded in Airmoney or to your card in 7 to 10 business days.
- Network
- AT&T, Movistar and Telcel
- 5G
- Listed on AT&T and Movistar
From Airalo's Mexico plans as listed on esimdb, Nov 9, 2026. Airalo sells two "Chido" ranges; these prices are for the one on AT&T, Movistar and Telcel. The other runs on Movistar 4G alone and costs more, so check the network list before you buy.
UbigiStarts when you land
Plan10 GB, 30 dayson Telcel, Movistar, Altan
Price$24.00
Per day$2.40
Its days start when you switch to the Ubigi line in Mexico, not when you buy it, handy if you book months ahead. The 10 GB for 30 days costs $8.50 more than Nomad's, and hotspot use has no limit.
What you actually get with Ubigi network, hotspot, refunds
- Full speed per day
- All 10 GB at full speed, no daily cap
- Hotspot
- Allowed, without restriction
- When the days start
- When you switch to the Ubigi line in Mexico
- If your trip changes
- Not stated by Ubigi
- Network
- Telcel, Movistar and Altan
- 5G
- Listed on Movistar
From Ubigi's Mexico plans as listed on esimdb, Nov 9, 2026.
SailyEasiest app
Plan10 GB, 30 daysnetwork not published
Price$24.99
Per day$2.50
If you have never used an eSIM, Saily's app is the gentlest start. $24.99 for 10 GB puts it $9.49 above Nomad, with no Mexican network named.
What you actually get with Saily network, hotspot, refunds
- Full speed per day
- All 10 GB at full speed. On the unlimited plans, 3 GB a day
- Hotspot
- Not stated by Saily
- If your trip changes
- Full refund within 30 days if the plan is not activated.
- Network
- Not stated by Saily
- 5G
- Not stated by Saily
From Saily's Mexico plans as listed on esimdb, Nov 9, 2026.
HolaflyNo daily cap
PlanUnlimited, 10 dayson Movistar, Telcel
Price$32.90
Per day$3.29
The pick if you will stream every night and never want to count. Over 10 days it costs $2.90 more than Nomad's unlimited plan, which slows after 2 GB a day, while Holafly names no limit. Sharing with a laptop stops at 1 GB a day.
What you actually get with Holafly network, hotspot, refunds
- Full speed per day
- No published daily cap
- Hotspot
- 1 GB a day
- If your trip changes
- Refund to your card within 6 months, in full if never activated, in 5 to 10 business days.
- Network
- Movistar and Telcel
- 5G
- Listed where available
From Holafly's Mexico page and refund policy, Nov 9, 2026.
Prices checked Nov 9, 2026, in US dollars. The provider's checkout shows today's price before you pay.
How much data do you need in Mexico?
A beach week uses less than you'd think, since resorts have Wi-Fi. Navigation on a driving trip and photos sent home are what eat a plan. For your own numbers, try the data calculator.
A day driving from Cancún to Tulum with Google Maps on
about 0.2 GBFifty photos and a few short videos sent on WhatsApp
about 0.5 GBAn evening of HD streaming when the hotel Wi-Fi is slow
about 6 GBBest eSIM for Mexico with unlimited data
Four of the five sell unlimited data in Mexico, Ubigi excepted, and the 10-day prices sit close together. The real gap is how fast you stay once a day's allowance is gone.
| Plan | Full speed a day | Price | Hotspot |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nomad | 2 GBthen 1 Mbps | $30.0010 days | Allowed |
| Airalo | 3 GBthen 1 Mbps | $31.5010 days | Not stated |
| Holafly | No cap | $32.9010 days | 1 GB a day |
| Saily | 3 GB | $34.9910 days | Not stated |
Over 10 days, Nomad costs $30.00, Airalo $31.50 and Holafly $32.90. Nomad slows after 2 GB a day and Airalo after 3 GB, while Holafly publishes no limit. If 10 GB lasts your trip, the fixed plan costs half as much.
Remote work from Mexico City or Puerto Vallarta, laptop tethered to your phone: Nomad's 20 GB, 30 days at $27.50 allows hotspot use. Video calls all day? Airalo sells 50 GB, 30 days for $45.00.
Best eSIM for Mexico City and beyond: AT&T, Movistar or Telcel
Mexico has three national networks a visitor's eSIM can use, AT&T, Movistar and Telcel, plus Altan on Ubigi's plans.
| eSIM | Network in Mexico | 5G |
|---|---|---|
| Nomad | AT&T, Movistar | Listed on AT&T |
| Airalo | AT&T, Movistar, Telcel | Listed |
| Ubigi | Telcel, Movistar, Altan | Listed on Movistar |
| Holafly | Movistar, Telcel | Where available |
| Saily | Not stated by Saily | Not stated by Saily |
In Mexico City, Guadalajara, Cancún and the resort towns, you will have signal on any of them. Off the main roads it changes: Holafly's Mexico page warns of weaker signal in rural areas, on islands and on roads far from towns, and lists no coverage at all on Holbox and Contoy islands, in Chiquilá, or on stretches of the road between Playa del Carmen and Mérida. For a road trip through the Yucatán or the Oaxaca mountains, a plan with Telcel, from Airalo or Ubigi, gives your phone one more network to find.
How to set up an eSIM for Mexico
Flights from the US to Cancún or Mexico City are short, with little time to fix anything on board, so the install happens on your couch.
1The week before
Make sure your phone is unlocked
A phone still tied to your carrier won't take a Mexican line. If you're paying it off in installments, call the carrier before you go. Older model? Check whether it has eSIM.
2The night before
Install Nomad on your home Wi-Fi
Scan Nomad's QR code or tap install in its app while your home Wi-Fi is on, label the new line "Mexico", then turn it off for the flight.
3After landing in Cancún or Mexico City
Turn on the Mexico line
In Settings > Cellular, make the Mexico line your Cellular Data line and turn on its Data Roaming. Once AT&T Mexico or Movistar appears in the status bar, text your ride from the baggage hall.
Know what your US plan does in Mexico before the plane lands. If it includes Mexico, your phone may use that data instead of the eSIM's, so pick one line for data. If it doesn't, turn off Data Roaming on the US line: on Verizon, a single use starts a TravelPass day at $6.
Each screen in order: set up an eSIM on iPhone or on Android.
Before you go to Mexico
Check your US plan first
Some US plans already include data in Mexico. Verizon doesn't charge for TravelPass there on its Unlimited plans, and T-Mobile's Experience More and Experience Beyond include 15 GB and 30 GB. If yours does, an eSIM only makes sense when you need more data than that. The details: T-Mobile, Verizon.
Download offline maps before Holbox
Holafly lists Holbox and Chiquilá, its ferry port, with no coverage at all, and the other providers don't publish their gaps. Save the island and the drive from Cancún in Google Maps' offline areas while you still have a signal.
Mexico eSIM for calls and data
None of the five gives you a Mexican number. Calls go over WhatsApp or FaceTime on the eSIM's data, and keeping your US line switched on lets bank codes reach you.
Mexico eSIM questions
Is it worth getting an eSIM for Mexico?
It depends on your US plan. Verizon doesn't charge for TravelPass in Mexico on its Unlimited plans, and T-Mobile's Experience More and Experience Beyond include 15 GB and 30 GB there. On other plans, Verizon's TravelPass costs $6 a day in Mexico, and a 10 GB eSIM for the whole trip costs about $15.50. See Verizon TravelPass vs an eSIM.
Which SIM card is best for tourists in Mexico?
For most visitors, a travel eSIM installed at home, because it works the moment you land and you skip the store line. Nomad is the cheapest 10 GB plan here, on AT&T and Movistar. If you want Telcel too, Airalo, Ubigi and Holafly use it.
Should I turn on data roaming when I'm in Mexico?
On the eSIM line, yes: a travel eSIM needs Data Roaming on to connect in Mexico. On your US line, leave it off unless your plan includes Mexico and you mean to use it.
What is the best eSIM for Mexico City?
Nomad, at about $15.50 for 10 GB, 30 days, on AT&T Mexico's 5G and Movistar. In a city that size, every network on this page has signal, so pay the least. Airalo, Ubigi and Holafly add Telcel if you plan day trips out of town.