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eSIM vs Roaming in Mexico — How Much You Actually Save

International roaming in Mexico costs $10-15/day. A local eSIM costs $11 for a full week. Here's the real math on switching to an eSIM for your Mexico trip.

5 min read
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TL;DR: A 7-day eSIM from mexsim.co costs $11 USD. Seven days of roaming with AT&T costs $84. You save $73. That's a nice dinner in Mexico City.

The Real Cost of Roaming in Mexico

CarrierCountryDaily Rate7 Days14 Days
AT&T International Day PassUSA$12/day$84$168
Verizon TravelPassUSA$14/day$98$196
Rogers Roam Like HomeCanada$14 CAD/day$98 CAD$196 CAD
Bell Roam BetterCanada$15 CAD/day$105 CAD$210 CAD
Vodafone RoamingUK£2-6/day£14-42£28-84
EE RoamingUK£5.54/day£39£78
Telstra RoamingAustralia$10 AUD/day$70 AUD$140 AUD
KT RoamingSouth Korea~$10/day$70$140

What an eSIM Costs Instead

mexsim.co PlanDataDurationPrice
Basico3GB + unlimited social7 days$11 USD
Viajero7GB + unlimited social15 days$19 USD
Torneo15GB + unlimited social30 days$29 USD
IlimitadoUnlimited30 days$42 USD

Savings by Country (7-Day Trip)

Your CarrierRoaming CosteSIM CostYou Save
AT&T (US)$84$11$73 (87%)
Verizon (US)$98$11$87 (89%)
Rogers (Canada)$98 CAD$11 USD$83+ CAD
Vodafone (UK)£42$11 (~£9)£33 (79%)
Telstra (Australia)$70 AUD$11 USD (~$17 AUD)$53 AUD (76%)

The Exception: T-Mobile

If you have T-Mobile Magenta Max or Go5G Plus, Mexico is included in your plan at no extra cost (5G included). This is the one scenario where roaming may be fine. However, T-Mobile's Mexico speeds are often throttled compared to a local SIM.

Why Roaming Is Worse (Beyond Price)

  • Throttled speeds: Carriers prioritize local traffic. Roaming speeds are typically 30-50% slower.
  • Bill shock: Forget to turn off roaming? One accidental data session can cost $50+.
  • Daily charges activate automatically: Even checking email at the airport triggers the daily fee.
  • No local number: Can't receive Mexican calls (restaurants, hotels, Uber drivers calling you).

How to Switch in 2 Minutes

  1. Buy an eSIM at mexsim.co (60 seconds)
  2. Scan QR code in Settings → Cellular → Add eSIM (60 seconds)
  3. Turn OFF roaming on your home SIM
  4. Set Mexican eSIM as default for data
  5. Keep home SIM active for calls/texts — WhatsApp stays on your number
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