Hi, this is MexicoBob, i am now living in Piedras Negras, Coah. I consider myself an expatriate now. Im still learning the ropes here. My question is:, mexican cellphones. Getting ready to purchase mx cell. Do they have monthly plans or do you just by minutes... Haven't checked into it yet. I have seen telcel stores here. My american cell works here but my wi fi signal is not too good at times. Did find nice apt. Furnished for $400usd per month. Apt. Is located in colonia central, mexican neighborhood. I really like it alot. People are friendly, courteous etc. My landlord explained about electric is paid every 2 months at the OXXO below the apts. I live in. Very convenient. Grocery stores are very close, zona centro is near. Just a little about my move to mx. Staying here for about 6 months and move into interior possibly after. Have a couple of friends that live here. Im adjusting very well. It feels like home. Any help about cellphones(mexican) would be appreciated. Thanks guys...i love it here and it seems very safe.
Piedras Negras
You can do it by minutes by buying time down at the OXXO where you pay you electric bill or get a plan without buying a phone.
Look here Amigo Plans
All depends on the number of phone calls, text messages, and data usage you want. Don't worry if the Telcel site is confusing. It is for everyone. If you have further questions, post them here.
Thank you Joaquin
Thanks for discussing your experience. I hope you will continue. I want to learn as much as I can to determine if I can do the expat thing.
Sure will update my new experiences as they happen. Im starting at border town to gain knowledge before branching into the interior: )
Getting a phone can be quite a trip. I was told I could convert my state side phone to a Mx number and get a plan. After 4-5 trips to various cell stores that turned out to be untrue. Your original carrier pretty much locks up the phone and makes it unusable ( digital,or sim) without them.
The Amigo cards are more expensive than a plan. I have been fooling around with this for a month or so. Got a cheap LG with and Amigo card, lot's of problems with it. So now I'm moving on . I found a site Mexico SIM Card which comes highly recommended. You can actually buy a Nokia on Amazon from Vincent at the sim card store. The sim card is loaded and gets activated when you get it. You can reload your card on line. No little Amigo card to carry around take to get reloaded, or deal with on the Amigo site.
travellight wrote:Getting a phone can be quite a trip. I was told I could convert my state side phone to a Mx number and get a plan. After 4-5 trips to various cell stores that turned out to be untrue. Your original carrier pretty much locks up the phone and makes it unusable ( digital,or sim) without them.
The Amigo cards are more expensive than a plan. I have been fooling around with this for a month or so. Got a cheap LG with and Amigo card, lot's of problems with it. So now I'm moving on . I found a site Mexico SIM Card which comes highly recommended. You can actually buy a Nokia on Amazon from Vincent at the sim card store. The sim card is loaded and gets activated when you get it. You can reload your card on line. No little Amigo card to carry around take to get reloaded, or deal with on the Amigo site.
You can't convert any cell phone unless it's UNLOCKED. Amigo cards are not 'more' expensive than a plan as you pay for what you need. Depending on your usage of voice calls, SMS messages, and data, Amigo or a plan could be the cheaper route. I don't understand "No little Amigo card to carry around take to get reloaded, or deal with on the Amigo site", as you can buy time at OXXO's, supermarkets, some bank ATM's, and of course, cell phone stores as well as the Telcel site. I've been using Amigo for years and my usage varies from 50 to 100 pesos a month. I primarily use data and communicate with WhatsApp, Skype, and Facebook messenger. Very few voice calls and SMS messages. Lots of data as I get data a 1 peso a megabyte. I recommend going Amigo first and then compare your usage and cost to some of the plans and then choose.
if your calls are primarily local you are probably correct. If you call distances or travel, things change. Yucatan living advises
"To call a cell phone from another cell phone, regardless of where the person is located at the moment, just dial the area code and the numbers without a prefix. The caller pays, and the cost depends on the plan. The cheapest Telcel cost for this type of call is $1 peso per minute; an Amigo card charges $2.5 pesos per minute plus IVA for the same call."
The Amigo card flat out only seems to call local. When I bought the L.G. the Telcel clerk gave me a Amigo card. People here seem to just pop into Telcel and bump up their cards.
I suspect it is different in different places. For my purposes I need a phone that will work in other countries. Emphasis on work, the L.G. sometimes does sometimes doesn't work here, forget elsewhere.The first question every phone person asks is where exactly will you be using it.
Articles to help you in your expat project in Mexico
When you relocate to a foreign nation, you'll want to find a way to remain in touch with your friends and ...
We can recognize an intrinsic spark of love in the Mexican culture, "la serenata." Remember that ...
Mexico has activities for everyone: from exciting adventure to peaceful relaxation, high culture to rowdy street ...
Cancun and surrounding areas are popular destinations for both tourists and expatriates alike. Cancun is the ...
One of the best parts about living in Mexico is being able to travel across the country. Mexico may appear small ...
People travel from all across the globe to reside in Latin America because of its cultural richness and usually ...
