Tijuana at a glance
- Tijuana ranks 12th of 17 priced cities in Mexico on cost: $1,014 a month in essentials, 7% above Playa del Carmen, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $838 covers that 0.8×.
- 106 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at municipality level.
- PM2.5 averages 13.1 µg/m³ a year, 3× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 17 Mexico cities we track, so every row says whether Tijuana is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,014 | $1,014 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $533 | $533 | same |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $835 | $835 | same |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $148 | $148 | same |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $222 | $222 | same |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $92 | $92 | same |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $19 | $19 | same |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $838 | $838 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $982 | $982 | same |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,870 | $1,870 | same |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Tijuana, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $10.30 | $10.30 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $45.15 | $45.15 | same |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $9.10 | $9.10 | same |
| Cappuccino, regular | $3.35 | $3.35 | same |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $3.01 | $3.01 | same |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $5.02 | $5.02 | same |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.41 | $1.41 | same |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $1.14 | $1.14 | same |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $1.58 | $1.58 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $2.66 | $2.66 | same |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.73 | $1.73 | same |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.48 | $2.48 | same |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $10.45 | $10.45 | same |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $8.47 | $8.47 | same |
| Apples, 1 kg | $2.78 | $2.78 | same |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.73 | $1.73 | same |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $2.08 | $2.08 | same |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $1.79 | $1.79 | same |
| Onions, 1 kg | $1.63 | $1.63 | same |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $1.16 | $1.16 | same |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.32 | $0.32 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $19.29 | $19.29 | same |
| Taxi start | $1.88 | $1.88 | same |
| Taxi, 1 km | $0.51 | $0.51 | same |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.44 | $1.44 | same |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $60.10 | $60.10 | same |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $32.10 | $32.10 | same |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $26.93 | $26.93 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $50.11 | $50.11 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $6.02 | $6.02 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Tijuana has 106 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (municipality level). That is the 7th-highest of 17 Mexico cities we track. Mexico's national figure is 97.4, so Tijuana runs 9 above the country as a whole.
Every Mexico region by male-to-female ratio →
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Tijuana ranks against every city we track
Tijuana sits ahead of 51% of the 999 cities we track on local salary. On cost of living it is ahead of 39% of 998. Its weakest measure is safety, ahead of only 16% of 1016.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Tijuana sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
Put Tijuana on the board
Ratio, cost and visa for Tijuana beside every other city we measure. Free, no sign-in.
Open Tijuana in the research deskOr unlock the Mexico deep-dive: visa, tax, scams, and the sub-national map.
Photo: Jeat1993, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Data updated