Sending money to Mexico
Sending $200 from the US to Mexico cost 4.54% on average, about $9.07, in the World Bank's latest survey (Q3 2025): $6.51 in fees plus a 1.28% exchange-rate margin. The cheapest option it priced came out slightly better than the reference rate (−0.24%); the dearest cost 8.38%. Today's ECB reference rate is 18.7819 pesos per dollar (2026-10-23).
Price your transfer to Mexico
Reference rate: ECB, 2026-10-23
How it works: the cost of a quote is everything you pay minus what the money the recipient gets is worth at the mid-market rate. That catches a fee and an exchange-rate markup in one number. Assumes the fee is paid on top of the amount sent; if a provider takes its fee out of the amount, enter what the recipient gets instead of the rate. The mid-market rate is the ECB euro reference rate crossed to dollars. ECB reference rates are published for information purposes only.
What each provider charged on $200
World Bank Remittance Prices Worldwide, Q3 2025 (collected Aug 04-Aug 28, 2025). Total cost is the fee plus the exchange-rate margin, as a share of $200. A negative margin means the rate beat the World Bank's reference rate that day.
| Provider | Paid with | Received as | Fee | Rate margin | Total cost |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Xoom | Bank account | Cash pickup | $0.00 | −0.24% | −0.24% (−$0.48) |
| Xoom | Debit card | Cash pickup | $1.25 | −0.24% | 0.39% ($0.77) |
| Wise | Bank account | Bank account | $2.46 | 0.03% | 1.26% ($2.52) |
| MoneyGram | Bank account | Bank account | $1.90 | 0.76% | 1.71% ($3.42) |
| Ria | Debit card | Bank account | $1.99 | 1.24% | 2.24% ($4.47) |
| Ria | Bank account | Cash pickup | $3.00 | 0.81% | 2.31% ($4.62) |
| Wise | Debit card | Bank account | $4.58 | 0.03% | 2.32% ($4.64) |
| MoneyGram | Bank account | Cash pickup | $2.99 | 1.10% | 2.60% ($5.19) |
| Xoom | Credit card | Cash pickup | $5.92 | −0.24% | 2.72% ($5.44) |
| Ria | Debit card | Cash pickup | $3.90 | 0.81% | 2.76% ($5.52) |
| Western Union | Bank account | Cash pickup | $3.99 | 1.90% | 3.90% ($7.79) |
| Ria | Cash | Cash pickup | $7.00 | 0.81% | 4.31% ($8.62) |
| Western Union | Cash | Cash pickup | $3.99 | 2.90% | 4.90% ($9.79) |
| Remitly | Bank account | Cash pickup | $3.99 | 3.38% | 5.38% ($10.75) |
| Remitly | Debit card | Cash pickup | $3.99 | 3.38% | 5.38% ($10.75) |
| Western Union | Credit card | Bank account | $7.99 | 1.90% | 5.90% ($11.79) |
| Western Union | Debit card | Bank account | $7.99 | 1.90% | 5.90% ($11.79) |
| Ria | Credit card | Cash pickup | $11.00 | 0.81% | 6.31% ($12.62) |
| Western Union | Credit card | Cash pickup | $9.99 | 1.90% | 6.90% ($13.79) |
| Western Union | Debit card | Cash pickup | $9.99 | 1.90% | 6.90% ($13.79) |
| MoneyGram | Credit card | Cash pickup | $11.99 | 1.02% | 7.02% ($14.03) |
| Wise | Credit card | Bank account | $14.38 | 0.03% | 7.22% ($14.44) |
| Remitly | Credit card | Cash pickup | $9.99 | 3.38% | 8.38% ($16.75) |
Fees providers publish today
Most providers show a price only inside a live quote. These are the fees for Mexico printed on a public page. Remitly's pages do not say which payment method they assume.
- Remitly: $1.99 for delivery to a bank account, debit card or mobile wallet; $3.99 for cash pickup. Source
- Xoom: $0 when you pay with PYUSD or your PayPal balance, and $0 from a bank account or debit card on transfers of $6,000 or more to a bank account. Other fees appear only in a quote. Source
- Revolut (US): 0.15% (minimum $0.75) for a transfer paid out in the recipient's local currency on the Standard plan, plus free exchange up to $1,000 a month and 0.5% above that (1.0% outside market hours). Source
- PayPal: 5% of the amount (minimum $0.99, maximum $4.99) from a PayPal balance or bank account, plus a 4% currency conversion spread when the recipient gets a different currency. Source
- Wise: from 0.23% of the amount, varying by currency, at the mid-market rate. Source
A fee of $0 is not a free transfer. Western Union, MoneyGram, Xoom, Remitly, Ria, Xe, OFX and WorldRemit all say in their own terms or help pages that they make money on the exchange rate; Wise says it uses the mid-market rate. Put the rate from your quote into the calculator above to see what that costs.
Through your bank
The banks we track charge $25 to $75 to send an international wire in dollars. Some charge $0 when they convert the currency themselves, because they earn it on the rate. Either way, an intermediary bank can take a fee on the way. On $200 that is a poor deal; on $10,000 the fee matters less and the rate matters more. Compare bank wire fees.
Paying in cash adds a 1% federal tax
Since January 1, 2026, a transfer abroad that you pay for with cash, a money order or a cashier's check carries a 1% federal excise tax, which the provider collects (Internal Revenue Code section 4475). Pay from a bank account or with a US-issued debit or credit card and the tax does not apply. On $500 that is $5 saved just by not paying at the counter. 26 U.S.C. 4475
Your rights on this transfer
A consumer transfer abroad is a "remittance transfer" under federal rules. Before you pay, the provider must show the exchange rate, its fees and the amount your recipient will get, and you can generally cancel for a full refund within 30 minutes. What else the rule covers.
Provider names link to their own pricing pages.