Shipping the same 5 kg parcel from Mexico City to Gómez Palacio, Durango, costs anywhere from 297.30 to 1,038.96 pesos depending on the carrier. The exercise comes from Profeco, Mexico's federal consumer protection agency, in the October 2026 issue of its consumer magazine, and was reported by Expansión on October 7. The article focused on Correos de México, the national postal service, but the full table says something more useful for anyone selling online.
The seven quotes
5 kg parcel, 50 × 40 × 30 cm, from the Cuauhtémoc borough (Mexico City) to Gómez Palacio. Prices in Mexican pesos:
| Carrier | Service | Price (MXN) | Estimated delivery |
|---|---|---|---|
| Redpack | Ecoexprés | 297.30 | 7 calendar days |
| Mexpost (Correos de México) | Standard | 359.00 | 3 calendar days |
| Redpack | Exprés | 462.28 | 3 calendar days |
| FedEx | — | 468.90 | 2 calendar days |
| Estafeta | Ground | 603.36 | 5 calendar days |
| UPS | — | 961.67 | 10 calendar days |
| DHL | — | 1,038.96 | 3 calendar days |
Three takeaways the article doesn't spell out
1. Price and speed don't move together. The most expensive option (DHL) delivers in the same time as the second cheapest (Mexpost). UPS charges almost as much as DHL and takes 10 days. FedEx, mid-table on price, is the fastest. If you pick a carrier out of habit or reputation, you overpay on some shipments and arrive late on others.
2. The gap is 3.5x for the same parcel. Between the cheapest and the most expensive option there are 741.66 pesos. Between two options with the same 3-day delivery (Mexpost and DHL), there are 679.96 pesos. On a low-ticket order, that difference is the entire margin.
3. That 5 kg parcel isn't billed as 5 kg. Carriers charge the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight (the space the box takes up). With the most common divisor, 5,000, a 50 × 40 × 30 cm box equals 12 kg of volumetric weight: more than double its actual weight. Each carrier applies its own divisor and rules, which explains part of the spread in the table. We cover it in detail in volumetric weight and packaging.
What it means for your operation
There's no such thing as "the cheapest carrier." There's the cheapest one for that route, that box size and that delivery promise. The same exercise with a different destination, box or delivery time would reorder the table. That's why a single carrier for every order is almost never the most efficient option.
The box can cost you more than the product. If you ship small products in large boxes, you're paying to ship air. Matching box size to the product lowers volumetric weight, and it's one of the fastest savings available because it doesn't require negotiating anything.
Compare against your promise, not against price. If your store promises 3-day delivery, the 5, 7 and 10-day options aren't alternatives, however cheap they are. Filter by delivery time first, then by price.
A one-off quote isn't your rate. Profeco's exercise is that of a consumer sending one parcel. A business with steady volume can access different terms, and the table changes. What doesn't change is the logic: choose the carrier shipment by shipment, with data, instead of sending everything the same way.
What this exercise doesn't say
It's one shipment, one route and one day. It doesn't measure how often each carrier meets the delivery time it promises, how it handles incidents, or its coverage in extended zones. The article also doesn't specify which service was quoted for FedEx, UPS and DHL. It shows the price spread; it doesn't crown a winning carrier. For the bigger picture on delivery times, see delivery times in Mexico.
In our operation, every order ships with the carrier that meets the committed delivery time at the best cost, with one tracking platform. See our multi-carrier shipping service.
Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest parcel carrier in Mexico?
It depends on the route, box size and delivery time. In Profeco's October 2026 exercise (5 kg, Mexico City to Gómez Palacio), the cheapest was Redpack Ecoexprés at 297.30 pesos and 7 days; for 3-day delivery, the cheapest was Mexpost at 359 pesos.
Why am I charged for more kilos than my parcel weighs?
Because carriers charge the greater of actual weight and volumetric weight. A 50 × 40 × 30 cm box equals 12 kg of volumetric weight with a 5,000 divisor, even if it weighs 5 kg.
Is Correos de México an option for e-commerce?
In Profeco's exercise, Mexpost quoted 359 pesos with 3-day delivery, 679.96 pesos less than DHL for the same delivery time. That's a single shipment; test it on your own routes before deciding.