Traveling to Playa del Carmen soon and preparing for your Mexico holiday? Don't get stuck with high roaming charges or slow overseas data roaming plans. Get yourself a prepaid sim card or an eSIM for your trip to Playa del Carmen.
How and where? This is a complete guide with everything you need to know before buying a tourist sim card in Playa del Carmen in 2025.
Find out where to buy a sim card, up to date prices as per January 2025, info about Cancun Airport sim cards, best mobile data network, info about eSIMs and more.
Buying a local prepaid sim card was the first thing I used to do when arriving in a new country, but nowadays I mostly use eSIMs for staying connected.
Table of Contents
This sim card guide is specifically for Playa del Carmen, Cancun and Tulum. Traveltomtom also wrote a guide on how to buy a prepaid sim card for tourists in Mexico in 2025.
Playa del Carmen is a great base for all the amazing things to do in Yucatan peninsula. I totally recommend you to visit Isla Holbox for the island vibes, travel to Rio Lagartos for the Las Coloradas Pink Lake or hop over and explore Cozumel on a scooter. Looking for a great value boutique hotel in Playa del Carmen? Read my full review of Hotel Morgana.
Some links in this article about the best sim cards for traveling to Playa del Carmen are affiliate links. If you buy any of the products after using an affiliate link I will earn a small commission. This is at absolutely no extra costs to you.
My recommendation
Traveltomtom recommends a Telcel sim card for your trip to Playa del Carmen. Telcel has by far the best 4G/5G mobile network coverage. A strong network and fast mobile data is recommended rather than saving $2 USD on a prepaid sim card from Movistar or AT&T, trust me!
Of course Traveltomtom also recommends eSIMs for traveling to Playa del Carmen and in fact even more than buying a sim card on arrival in Cancun. With an eSIM you are online as soon as the plane lands.
A Jetpac eSIM for Mexico operates on the Telcel network and for $30 USD you get a 5G ready eSIM with 10 GB data.
For much more detailed info check out my comparison of the best eSIMs for traveling to Mexico in 2025.
Another great alternative to stay connected when traveling to Mexico are international prepaid sim cards. Check out my comparison of the best travel sim cards with data in 2025 and find the one that suits your trip the most.
International sim cards have coverage in multiple countries. There are e-sims as well as physical prepaid sim cards available.
Why buying a sim card for Mexico
First of all, when buying a prepaid sim card in Mexico or getting an eSIM you avoid high roaming charges.
And did you know that overseas data plans limit their internet speed? You will mostly be roaming on 3G! We are already in 2025, we want 5G!
Don't rely on Wifi either. It is no guarantee and also a reminder that public WiFi is through an UNSECURED network. Use a VPN to protect your data.
Last but not least, life is simply much easier with a data connection and it makes traveling in Playa del Carmen much more fun.
Think about finding nearby restaurants or rooftop bars, looking up info about a historical site you are looking at or simply getting directions from Google Maps, access your banking apps or find your friends when lost.
Buying a prepaid sim card in Playa del Carmen takes some time and effort and therefore Traveltomtom also highlights eSIMs in this guide because it is a much faster and easier way to get connected when traveling to Playa del Carmen in 2025.
On my trips around the world I visited more than 155 countries as of January 2025 and I turned my passion for traveling into a full time job. Helping others to save money while traveling is why I started documenting all my travel tips and started writing sim card guides.
That is why on Traveltomtom you can already find more than 200 sim card guides from all around the world: USA, Canada, Brazil, Turkey, Egypt, Europe, United Kingdom, Germany, Spain, Italy, Dubai, Hong Kong, Singapore, Vietnam, Philippines, Australia and many more.
So next time you are planning your adventure abroad come check out Traveltomtom for the latest prepaid and eSIM advice for your next holiday destination. Bookmark me and let me help you save money!
Mobile internet providers in Mexico
There are three mobile internet providers in Mexico: Telcel, Movistar and AT&T. The last two I actually know from respectively Spain and the USA.
All three claim to have extensive cell phone service all around Mexico, but there is a huge difference. Telcel has by far the most advanced mobile data network and is therefore the most recommended sim card for Mexico in 2025.
Where to buy a sim card in Playa del Carmen
All of the Mexican mobile internet providers have several shops around Playa del Carmen and it is not hard to find them. So where to buy a Mexican prepaid sim card with data in Playa del Carmen? The easiest way to find the by you preferred mobile internet shop is to use Google Maps. Just type in the shop name at the search bar and Google Maps shows you all the shops around you.
Also the bigger convenience stores as well as supermarkets sell prepaid sim cards in Playa del Carmen, but this is self service. I recommend you going to a mobile phone shop.
You don't need to bring a passport for buying a sim card in Playa Del Carmen. Just bring Pesos! :)
Prices sim card in Playa del Carmen in 2025
All info is updated per January 2025 and prices are in Mexican Peso: $1 USD = $20.4 MXN and $100 MXN = $4.9 USD.
Movistar
Some Movistar shops will try to charge you 60 pesos ($3 USD) for the sim card registration, some shops do not. These are the latest Movistar sim card deals for Mexico:
- 1 GB + unlimited social media + unlimited calling/texting for 14 days = $50 MXN - $2.5 USD
- 5 GB + unlimited social media + unlimited calling/texting for 30 days = $100 MXN - $5 USD
In Movistar stores in Mexico they have eSIMs for tourists availble.
AT&T
In AT&T phone stores in Mexico you can expect the following prepaid sim cards for tourists:
- 1.5 GB data + unlimited social media + unlimited calling/texting for 14 days = $100 MXN - $5 USD
- 4.6 GB data + unlimited social media + unlimited calling/texting + 2.3 GB for Tiktok + YouTube for 20 days = $150 MXN - $7.5 USD
- 6 GB data + unlimited social media + unlimited calling/texting + 3 GB for Tiktok + YouTube for 30 days = $200 MXN - $10 USD
- 9 GB data + unlimited social media + unlimited calling/texting + 4.5 GB for Tiktok + YouTube for 30 days = $300 MXN - $15 USD
All the data, minutes and texts can be used in Canada, USA and Mexico and all social media apps are free in Mexico: Instagram, Facebook, Snapchat, WhatsApp, Twitter.
Telcel sim card Mexico
Telcel is the biggest mobile internet provider company in Mexico and also has the best network coverage, you will see that later when we compare the 4G/5G coverage maps of Mexico.
- 3 GB data + unlimited social media + unlimited calling/texting for 30 days = $200 MXN - $10 USD
- 4 GB data + unlimited social media + unlimited calling/texting for 30 days = $300 MXN - $15 USD
- 6 GB data + unlimited social media + unlimited calling/texting for 30 days = $500 MXN - $25 USD
Telcel charges an extra fee for the sim card registration, about $2 USD.
Best sim card for Playa del Carmen
For Traveltomtom there is only one conclusion when choosing the best prepaid sim card for Playa del Carmen and that is Telcel.
The Telcel mobile data network is so much better than Movistar and AT&T. I compared the network coverage maps of the mobile internet operators. For more details check my guide on how to buy a prepaid sim card in Mexico.
If you want to arrive prepared and your phone is eSIM compatible then simply order an eSIM for Mexico. You are all set in just a couple clicks.
A Jetpac eSIM for Mexico operates on the Telcel network and for $30 USD you get a 5G ready eSIM with 10 GB data.
In my complete guide with a comparison of the best eSIMs for traveling to Mexico in 2025 you will find amazing Mexico eSIM deals for tourists.
Best eSIMs for Mexico
The easiest way to stay connected when traveling to Playa del Carmen is an eSIM. You arrange everything directly online and within just a couple clicks you are connected without swapping a physical sim card or visiting a sim card shop.
You order an eSIM for Mexico on the internet, you receive a QR code, scan it, follow the simple steps and within less than 2 minutes you have a Mexico eSIM installed on your phone.
Upon landing in Cancun it automatically connects you to an available network and you enjoy data on your phone pretty much when the plane lands.
For much more detailed information about using eSIMs and an answer to all your FAQ check out my guide with everything you need to know before ordering an eSIM for Mexico in 2025.
Jetpac
The best eSIM for Mexico is from Jetpac. They have great eSIM deals and their eSIMs operate on the Telcel network. Who is Jetpac? Check out the complete Jetpac review by the Traveltomtom Team.
These are the Mexico eSIM plans from Jetpac for 2025:
- 1 GB data for 4 days = $1 USD
- 3 GB data for 7 days = $10 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $18 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $30 USD
- 20 GB data for 30 days = $61 USD
Click here to order a Jetpac eSIM for Mexico.
Traveltomtom readers now get an extra 10% off on all Jetpac eSIMs when using the promo code: TOMTOM10 at check out!
Airalo
Airalo is a reliable eSIM provider and Traveltomtom has used them in more than 50 countries around the world.
Here are the Airalo eSIM plans for Mexico in 2025:
- 1 GB data for 7 days = $6 USD
- 2 GB data for 15 days = $11.5 USD
- 3 GB data for 30 days = $15.5 USD
- 5 GB data for 30 days = $23.5 USD
- 10 GB data for 30 days = $42 USD
Click here to order an eSIM for Mexico from Airalo.
The above Chorro Fon eSIMs are data-only eSIMs and valid only in Mexico. They operate on the 4G/LTE network of Telcel and therefore are a recommended eSIM for Mexico.
Make sure your phone is eSIM compatible before ordering an eSIM for Mexico.
For more detailed info check out my comparison of the best eSIMs for traveling to Mexico in 2025.
My experience buying a sim card in Playa del Carmen?
Nowadays when visiting Quintana Roo, the province of Cancan, Playa del Carmen and Tulum I always get an eSIM for Mexico from either Airalo or Jetpac.
But here are some experiences from a couple years ago when there were no eSIMs yet.
Eventually I chose to buy a Telcel prepaid sim card for my Yucatan trip. When I looked at the 4G/LTE network coverage maps I quickly found out that Telcel has the best network in Mexico by far and therefore it was an easy choice for me.
I rented a car and drove 2 weeks through the peninsula, see my Yucatan itinerary here. Great tourists destinations in Yucatan I loved were: Rio Lagartos, Cozumel, Costa Maya, Valladolid and Bacalar. In total I stayed in Yucatan for more than a month. More about traveling to Yucatan and Quintana Roo in my Mexico travel blogs.
Telcel often offers double data. In my case for 300 pesos ($16) I had free social media usage and 7 GB data. Perfect deal!
I am sure some of the above information for buying a sim card in Playa del Carmen was useful. Let me know if you have any questions, please leave me a comment below and I am more than happy to help you out with Playa del Carmen travel tips as well.
Curious what it looks like trying to visit every country in the world? Go check out my Instagram account @traveltomtom and follow along. As of January 2025 I have visited more than 155 countries, so still a long way to go.
Enjoy your trip to Playa del Carmen!