Moving money?

[doncoulter]

TransferWise may be convenient, but their exchange rates are no better than the rate you get using an ATM card. From the TransferWise website: "You always get the exchange rate you’d see on Google. It’s called the mid-market rate, and it’s the one banks use to trade between themselves." That rate is also known as the interbank rate, which is what I mentioned in my earlier comment. It's the rate used by all banks, and there's no way to avoid it.

Now, an ATM withdrawal can cost you more than just that exchange rate. The Mexican bank that owns the ATM will probably charge a fee. Your bank or other institution back home might charge another fee. (That's why I recommended using institutions that reimburse local ATM fees and don't add their own.) Also, if you're taking a "cash advance" with a Visa, Mastercard, or American Express credit card, prepare to pay about 3% extra, plus interest from the moment of withdrawal, plus the exchange rate and ATM fees. That gets expensive fast.

Bottom line: ATM withdrawals, if you do them right, will cost you no more than a 1% exchange rate. There's no way to beat that rate, with TransferWise or any other method.