eSIM for Oaxaca

Oaxaca: what to know before you go

Monte Albán

Monte Albán, the ruined hilltop city, is a short bus ride from Oaxaca, so it fits in a morning. Go early and save your plan for the ride back before you head up.

Hierve el Agua

Hierve el Agua, a set of mineral pools and cliff formations, is a longer day trip into the mountains east of the city, often combined with Mitla. Do not count on signal on the road or at the site, so save the tour pick-up point and an offline map.

Mezcal villages

Santiago Matatlán, known as the mezcal capital of the world, is a half-day tour from the city, usually with a family distillery visit and a tasting. Tours pick up from the hotel, so confirm the pick-up time the evening before.

Roads to the coast

The road to Puerto Escondido crosses the Sierra Madre del Sur, and the older routes are long and winding. A newer highway shortened the drive, and buses, vans and a small flight also link the two. Download the route and save the tickets, because signal on the passes is not dependable.

How much data you need

A week of maps, tours and photos takes about 3 to 4 GB. The day trips use less, because you will be offline for much of them.

Written 24 October 2026. Opening rules, fees, prices at attractions and event dates change, so check the official site before you rely on them.

Oaxaca: when people go

31 October to 2 November 2026: Day of the Dead

The cemeteries of Xoxocotlán and Atzompa, and the old cemeteries in the city, fill with families and visitors from the night of 31 October, with the most intense hours between 1 and 2 November. Cemetery tours and rooms book up weeks ahead, and crowds that large can slow the mobile network, so save your tickets and meeting point.

23 December 2026: the Night of the Radishes

On 23 December the Zócalo hosts a contest of carved radishes, with long queues and police closing the streets around the square. Crowds that large can slow the mobile network near the square, so book rooms early for the holiday week.

July 2027: the Guelaguetza

The Guelaguetza dance festival is usually held on the two Mondays after 16 July, and the schedule can shift by a week in some years. The 2027 dates are to be announced. Seats are ticketed and hotels fill, so book early.

Mexico eSIM 2026: prices, network and coverage

10 plans, from $2.99 (1 GB, 7 days) to $106.49 (50 GB, 30 days). Networks: AT&T 5G and Telcel 5G.

Network

AT&T 5G, Telcel 5G

Top-up

Yes, from the app, on the same eSIM

Validity starts

At the first connection at your destination

Install by

Shown on your order. An eSIM that is never installed expires

Your number

Stays active, plans are data only

Hotspot

Uses the same plan data, no separate charge

After the daily allowance

Day passes slow down to 512 Kbps

Updated November 12, 2026

Questions about Oaxaca

What should I download before a day trip from Oaxaca?

The offline map of the route, your tour or ticket confirmation and the meeting point. The mountain road to Hierve el Agua and the roads to the coast can drop signal for long stretches.

How busy is the city at Day of the Dead?

Demand for rooms and cemetery tours is high from late October to 2 November and they are booked well ahead. The streets around the cemeteries fill after dark, so agree a meeting point with your group.

How much does an eSIM for Oaxaca cost?

Oaxaca uses the Mexico plans, because an eSIM belongs to a country and not to a city. Plans start at $2.99 for 1 GB, valid for 7 days. There are 10 plans, from 1 GB to 50 GB, plus unlimited day passes.

My US plan covers Mexico. Do I need an eSIM?

Check what your plan includes first: some US plans already cover Mexico and Canada, with their own limits. If yours does not, or charges by the day, the eSIM gives you data on AT&T and Telcel, prepaid, at a price you know before you go.

Do I need a local SIM card in Oaxaca?

No. The eSIM is a SIM card in digital form: you install it from a QR code before you leave, and there is nothing to buy at the airport or swap in your phone.

How is it different from roaming in Oaxaca?

With roaming, your own carrier bills the data you use abroad, usually by the day or by the megabyte, at the prices of your plan. The eSIM is prepaid: you know the cost before you leave and nothing is added later. Keep data roaming off on your usual line, so it cannot charge you.

Which networks does the Oaxaca eSIM use?

Wigoo connects to AT&T and Telcel, with 5G where it is available. Each plan lists the operators it uses.

Can I add more data?

Yes. You top up the same eSIM from the app, without installing a new one.

Do I keep my phone number?

Yes. Plans are data only, so your usual line stays active for calls and texts, and WhatsApp keeps working as always.

When do the validity days start?

Not when you buy and not when you install: the days start counting when the eSIM connects to a network at your destination for the first time. A 30 day plan gives you 30 days from that first connection.

How long do I have to install the eSIM?

An eSIM that is never installed expires. The "Install by" date is shown on your order, on the site and in the app, so you can buy ahead of your trip. Install it before that date, on Wi-Fi.

Can I use the eSIM as a hotspot?

Data used through a personal hotspot comes out of the same plan, and Wigoo does not charge it separately. A laptop uses far more data than a phone, so for work a day pass or a bigger plan is safer.

What happens when the data runs out?

Plans are prepaid, so there are no extra charges: when the data is used up, the connection stops until you add more from the app. Day passes give a daily allowance at full speed, then continue at reduced speed (512 Kbps) until the next day.

When should I install the eSIM?

Before you leave, on Wi-Fi. When you land, set the Wigoo line for mobile data and turn on data roaming for it.