The simplest answer: install a Mexico eSIM before you land at Benito Juarez. You skip the SIM-shop lines and the passport registration, you have working Telcel data the instant your plane touches down, and you avoid paying inflated airport SIM prices. AICM does have a Telcel shop and 7-Eleven stores selling SIMs in Terminals 1 and 2, plus free WiFi throughout, but all of those still mean stopping, queuing, and signing a contract while jet-lagged. A travel eSIM activates over WiFi or home data in a couple of minutes and is ready before wheels-down.
What This Guide Covers
Jump to the section most relevant to you
SIM and eSIM Options at Mexico City Airport
Mexico City International Airport, officially Aeropuerto Internacional Benito Juarez (AICM, IATA code MEX), has two terminals that are not connected airside. Terminal 1 is the older, larger, busier one; Terminal 2 handles Aeromexico and its partners. The terminals are about 3 km apart, linked by a free internal Aerotren for ticketed passengers and by road outside. Here is where to look once you clear immigration and customs.
Quick Terminal Summary
Terminal 1: a Telcel shop on the upper level near Puerta 5, plus 7-Eleven and OXXO convenience stores (one near Puerta 8) that stock Telcel prepaid SIMs. Terminal 2: convenience stores and phone counters selling Telcel and AT&T SIMs. Both terminals have the same passport-registration requirement, and the Telcel shop keeps limited hours, so a late arrival may find it shut.
Telcel and SIM Shops
The main option is a physical Telcel Amigo prepaid SIM. You will find the dedicated Telcel store in Terminal 1 on the upper floor near Puerta (gate) 5, and 7-Eleven and OXXO stores in both terminals carry Telcel cards too. Buying any SIM in Mexico requires registration: the clerk takes your passport, copies your details, and you sign a short contract. Expect airport pricing of roughly 150 to 300 MXN for a tourist data package, which is more than the same card costs at an OXXO in town.
eSIM at the Airport
eSIMs are not sold from a physical rack at AICM, but you can buy and install one online over the free airport WiFi the moment you land. That is the same thing you could have done at home, which is exactly why pre-installing before departure is the cleanest path. No counter, no passport copy, no contract to sign.
A note on AIFA, the other airport
Mexico City now has a second airport, Felipe Angeles International (AIFA, code NLU), about 35 km north of the city in Zumpango. A growing number of flights, especially Viva, some Aeromexico Connect, and several Latin American carriers, use AIFA rather than AICM. If your ticket says NLU, you are not landing at Benito Juarez; AIFA is much farther out, and the connectivity and transit notes below apply specifically to AICM.
Free Airport WiFi at AICM (Gratis_CDMX_Aeropuerto)
AICM offers genuinely usable free WiFi, which matters because it is what lets you activate an eSIM or buy a plan online the second you arrive.
Open WiFi settings
On your phone's WiFi screen, look for the network named Gratis_CDMX_Aeropuerto. No password is required.
Connect and go
The network is free and unlimited with no registration. Once the WiFi icon shows a connection, you are online and can activate your eSIM or buy a plan.
Use it across both terminals
Coverage spans the boarding lounges, corridors, and food areas of Terminal 1 and Terminal 2, so you can get online in arrivals while you sort your ride into the city.
Why the free WiFi is not enough on its own
Airport WiFi stops at the terminal door. The moment you board the Metro or step outside to a taxi, you lose it. Public WiFi is also slower and less secure than a dedicated mobile data plan, so avoid logging into banking on it. Treat Gratis_CDMX_Aeropuerto as the tool you use to confirm your eSIM is working, not as your connection for the trip.
AICM to the City: Transit and Data En Route
AICM sits in the east of the city, only about 5 km from the historic center as the crow flies, but traffic can make even short trips slow. This is exactly the stretch where you want working data: to track your route, message your accommodation, and confirm you are heading to the right place. Here are the main options.
| Option | Where it goes | Time | Fare (one way) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Authorized airport taxi | Door to door, any address | 20 to 50 min (traffic dependent) | About 250 to 380 MXN (~$14 to $21) |
| Uber / DiDi | Door to door, designated pickup points | 20 to 50 min | Roughly 150 to 300 MXN (~$8 to $17) |
| Metrobus Line 4 | Historic center (Buenavista via Centro) | About 40 to 50 min | About 30 MXN with the Movilidad card |
| Metro Line 5 / 9 | Terminal Aerea station (T1) | 30 to 45 min with transfers | 5 MXN |
For most arrivals the easiest choice is an authorized taxi, bought at a Taxi Autorizado or Sitio booth inside the arrivals hall before you reach the exit doors: you tell the attendant your destination, pay a fixed fare, and hand the receipt to the driver outside. Uber and DiDi both operate at AICM from designated pickup zones and are usually a little cheaper, though you need data to book them, which is the case for an eSIM. The Metrobus Line 4 and the Metro are by far the cheapest but involve a card purchase and, on the Metro, luggage limits and crowds.
Data coverage on the ride in
By taxi, Uber, or Metrobus you stay at street level with steady Telcel coverage the whole way, ideal for tracking your route and messaging ahead. On the Metro, expect a solid signal in stations but flickering in the tunnels, so start navigation before you tap in. Either way, your own eSIM is far more reliable than hunting for WiFi, which is why having data live before you leave the terminal matters most here.
Why Install an eSIM Before You Land
There is a clear case for sorting your connection before the plane even pushes back from your home airport.
Pre-installed eSIM
Buying at the airport
How to do it
Buy a Mexico eSIM online a day or two before you fly, install the profile while you still have home internet, then leave it switched off until you arrive. When you land at AICM, flip the eSIM line on in your settings and you are connected immediately on Telcel, no Gratis_CDMX_Aeropuerto login needed. If you are unsure, check our Mexico eSIM guide for compatible devices.
AICM SIM Prices vs an eSIM
Here is the money question. The airport Telcel shop and convenience stores are convenient, but you pay for that convenience, and you still do the registration paperwork. Typical pricing in 2026 looks like this:
| Where | Typical plan | Price |
|---|---|---|
| AICM Telcel shop / store | Tourist data SIM, a few GB | About 150 to 300 MXN (~$8 to $17) |
| Telcel Amigo (in town) | Same SIM at an OXXO | About 100 to 200 MXN, cheaper than the airport |
| Online eSIM | Short stay, capped data | From about $5 (Nomad / Airalo) |
| Online eSIM | 7 days unlimited (Holafly, Telcel) | Around $22 |
| Online eSIM | 10 GB, ~30 days | Around $28 (Nomad) |
The pattern is consistent: a physical airport SIM means a line, a passport copy, and a signed contract, and it is priced above what the same card costs in town. An online eSIM starts near $5 for a light capped plan, and Holafly's unlimited 7-day plan runs about $22 on the Telcel network. The airport SIM does give you a Mexican phone number with calls and texts, which is useful if you specifically need one, but for data-only travelers the eSIM wins on both price and speed of setup.
The verdict
Buy a Mexico eSIM before you fly, ideally one that rides Telcel. Use Gratis_CDMX_Aeropuerto only to confirm it is live. Keep the airport Telcel shop in mind purely as a backup if your phone turns out not to support eSIM, or if you specifically want a local number. Run the eSIM Finder to pick the right plan for your trip length.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where can I buy a SIM card at Mexico City Airport?
There is a Telcel shop in Terminal 1 on the upper level near Puerta 5, and 7-Eleven and OXXO convenience stores in both terminals stock Telcel prepaid SIMs, including one near Puerta 8. Every SIM purchase in Mexico requires passport registration and a signed contract. The Telcel shop keeps limited hours, so a late-night arrival may find it closed and the convenience stores the only option.
Is there free WiFi at Mexico City Airport?
Yes. Connect to the network named Gratis_CDMX_Aeropuerto, which needs no password or registration. It covers the boarding lounges, corridors, and food areas of both Terminal 1 and Terminal 2. It is the easiest way to activate an eSIM or buy a plan online the moment you land, but it stops at the terminal door, so it is not a substitute for mobile data.
What is the best way to get from AICM to the city center?
For most arrivals an authorized airport taxi, bought at a fixed price from a Taxi Autorizado booth in the arrivals hall, is the easiest, at roughly 250 to 380 MXN to central neighborhoods. Uber and DiDi both operate from designated pickup zones and are usually a little cheaper, but you need data to book them. The Metrobus Line 4 and the Metro are far cheaper but slower and more crowded.
Do I need to register my passport to buy a SIM at the airport?
Yes. Mexican law requires SIM registration, so when you buy a Telcel or AT&T card at AICM the clerk takes your passport, records your details, and has you sign a short contract. This adds time on top of the queue. A travel eSIM bought online skips the registration entirely, which is one of the main reasons travelers prefer it.
Should I install my eSIM before or after landing at AICM?
Install the eSIM profile before you fly, while you still have home internet, then leave the line switched off until you arrive. When you land at Benito Juarez, turn the eSIM on in your settings and you have Telcel data immediately, with no shop visit, no passport copy, and no need to log in to airport WiFi first. Installing after landing works too, but only if you connect to Gratis_CDMX_Aeropuerto first.