Getting started
SIM card in Monterrey: Telcel vs AT&T vs Movistar
The phone question on arrival comes down to four options: Telcel, AT&T and Movistar on prepaid, plus an eSIM to land connected. Telcel has the widest coverage, AT&T is fastest in the city, and a prepaid plan runs MXN$100 to 200 a month with unlimited WhatsApp and Instagram. The table below picks them apart, and one 2026 rule changes when you should buy.
📱 Telcel, AT&T, Movistar or eSIM: the plans compared
Four options cover almost every exchange student: the big three carriers on prepago (prepaid), plus an eSIM if you want to land already online. Here they are side by side, each at the price point a student actually buys rather than the carrier's headline tier. Prices are May 2026 and the promos shift constantly, so read the data row as a floor, not a promise.
| Feature | Best overall Telcel Amigo Sin Límite 200 | City value AT&T Recarga 200 | Cheapest Movistar 100 | No paperwork Airalo eSIM |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price / month | MXN$200$12€10 | MXN$200$12€10 | MXN$100$6€5 | MXN$290$17€14 |
| Data | 6 GB (promo) | 12 GB | 10 GB | 5 GB |
| Validity | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days | 30 days |
| Calls & SMS | Unlimited · MX, US, Canada | Unlimited · MX, US | Unlimited · MX, US, Canada | Data only |
| Social media | Unlimited, off-meter | Unlimited, off-meter | Unlimited, off-meter | Uses your data |
| Coverage | Widest, 86.7% 4G | Fastest in the city | City, shared network | Telcel network |
| Buy with | Passport, any OXXO | Passport, store or airport | Passport, store | App, no ID, before you fly |
| Best for | The default | City speed on a budget | Cheapest month | Landing connected |
- Price / month
- MXN$200$12€10
- Data
- 6 GB (promo)
- Validity
- 30 days
- Calls & SMS
- Unlimited · MX, US, Canada
- Social media
- Unlimited, off-meter
- Coverage
- Widest, 86.7% 4G
- Buy with
- Passport, any OXXO
- Best for
- The default
- Price / month
- MXN$200$12€10
- Data
- 12 GB
- Validity
- 30 days
- Calls & SMS
- Unlimited · MX, US
- Social media
- Unlimited, off-meter
- Coverage
- Fastest in the city
- Buy with
- Passport, store or airport
- Best for
- City speed on a budget
- Price / month
- MXN$100$6€5
- Data
- 10 GB
- Validity
- 30 days
- Calls & SMS
- Unlimited · MX, US, Canada
- Social media
- Unlimited, off-meter
- Coverage
- City, shared network
- Buy with
- Passport, store
- Best for
- Cheapest month
- Price / month
- MXN$290$17€14
- Data
- 5 GB
- Validity
- 30 days
- Calls & SMS
- Data only
- Social media
- Uses your data
- Coverage
- Telcel network
- Buy with
- App, no ID, before you fly
- Best for
- Landing connected
Prepaid plans as of May 2026. Telcel, AT&T and Movistar carry rotating double or triple-data promos, so the GB you actually get is often higher in store. The eSIM price is for 5 GB.
The number to ignore is the raw GB count. On all three carriers the prepaid plans run WhatsApp, Instagram, Facebook, X and Messenger unlimited and off-meter Telcel Amigo Sin Límite, AT&T and Movistar prepaid terms, May 2026: social apps do not count against the data allowance. , and that is most of what a phone does all day. A 6 GB Telcel plan with unlimited social outlasts a bare plan with double the gigabytes and none.
🎯 Which plan to actually pick
If you buy one thing without thinking about it, buy Telcel. It has the widest coverage in the country at 86.7% guaranteed 4G IFT (Instituto Federal de Telecomunicaciones), Quién es Quién en Cobertura Móvil, 2026: Telcel 86.7% guaranteed 4G vs ~69% for AT&T and Movistar. , which is the difference between a working signal and a dead phone on a weekend trip to the sierra. Its Amigo Sin Límite plans are the student default for a reason.
AT&T is the smarter pick if you stay in the city. It posts the fastest download speeds in Monterrey itself Comparative coverage reviews (selectra.mx, nPerf), 2026: AT&T leads download speed in major cities including Monterrey. , usually gives you more data for the same MXN$200, and it borrows Telcel's network where its own thins out. Movistar is the price floor at MXN$100 a month; since its 2026 sale it runs as a virtual operator on a shared network Movistar México acquired April 2026, transitioning to an OMV (mobile virtual operator) on existing network infrastructure. , fine in the city, weakest once you leave it. And an eSIM is the move only if you want zero paperwork on day one.
🛒 Where to buy your SIM and what you need
You can walk into a Telcel, AT&T or Movistar store in any mall, or grab one at the counters in Monterrey airport when you land. But the easiest option is the corner store.
Whatever you buy, one rule changed in 2026 and it affects the timing more than the price.
🌐 eSIM, your foreign phone, and calling home
If your phone supports an eSIM, you have a clean way to land already connected instead of hunting for a SIM at 11pm in a strange airport. It also lets you keep your home number running in the other slot.
Keep the home number on dual-SIM: put the Mexican line in one slot (or as the eSIM) and your home SIM in the other, so you still catch the occasional bank code. For staying in touch with family, your data plan does the work. WhatsApp calls and messages run over data or WiFi just like a local call, which is how nearly everyone here reaches home. Once the SIM is in and registered, it's one less thing between you and settling in, which is what the rest of our Monterrey guides are for, from the monthly budget to getting around without a car.
Common questions
📄 Do I need a CURP to buy a SIM, or is my passport enough?
A passport is enough to buy and register a line. If you have already started your residency process at the INM for your student visa, you are automatically issued a temporary CURP (valid 180 or 365 days), and that works for the registration too. You do not need to chase a CURP just to get a number.
📵 Will my phone from home even work here?
Yes, if it is unlocked and reasonably recent. Mexican networks run on bands that any phone sold in Europe, the US or Canada in the last few years supports. For an eSIM you need an iPhone XS or newer, a Galaxy S20 or newer, or a Pixel 2 or newer. If your phone is locked to your home carrier, unlock it before you fly, because doing it from Mexico is a headache.
💳 Where do I top up (recarga) once the balance runs out?
Anywhere. Every OXXO and 7-Eleven, most supermarkets, and the Mi Telcel app (or your carrier's app) all recharge in seconds. The app is free of the small commission some counters add, and it lets you set the plan to auto-renew so you never get cut off mid-month.
📞 How do I call family back home without paying a fortune?
WhatsApp calls run over your data or WiFi, exactly like a local call, so calling Europe costs nothing extra. Telcel and Movistar plan minutes also cover regular calls to the US and Canada. For anywhere else, WhatsApp or another data app is the move, not a direct international dial.
Read more
Ready to find a room in Monterrey?
Join the student waitlist. When matching rooms come up, you hear about them first.