Mexico • North America
Cost of Living in Tijuana
A single person typically spends about ~$1,450/month in Tijuana, Mexico (modelled estimate from stored cost inputs).
What does it cost to live in Tijuana? Modelled monthly estimates: rent ~$800, food ~$300, total ~$1,450/mo for a single person (rounded to the nearest $50; exact line items below). Budgets for singles, couples and families.
Cost of living in Tijuana, Mexico: a single person is modelled at $1,443/month including rent, a couple at $2,020/month and a family of four at $2,930/month. Rent for a one-bedroom apartment is $800/month.
Food and groceries $300, transport $38, utilities $70, leisure $155 per month. The modelled gross income needed is $39,000/year ($3,250/month), which puts rent at 25% of gross pay.
Estimates are calculated from SnapCostOfLiving's stored cost inputs.
Where the monthly budget goes in Tijuana
| Category | Monthly (USD) | Share |
|---|---|---|
| Rent (1-bedroom) | $800 | 55% |
| Food & groceries | $300 | 21% |
| Transport | $38 | 3% |
| Utilities | $70 | 5% |
| Healthcare | $80 | 6% |
| Leisure | $155 | 11% |
| Total, one person | $1,443 | 100% |
What makes Tijuana expensive or inexpensive in this dataset
- Housing is 55% of the modelled monthly budget: $800 of $1,443.
- After housing, food & groceries is the largest component at $300/month (21%).
- Among 29 tracked cities in Mexico, Tijuana ranks 20 from the lowest modelled cost, 6% above the tracked-country average of $1,356.
- Against the 270 tracked cities in North America (average $2,979), the modelled cost is 52% lower.
- The modelled income requirement of $3,250/month gross puts rent at 25% of gross pay.
- On the NYC = 100 index used across this dataset, Tijuana scores 23, and ranks 194 of 744 tracked cities by single-person cost.
Household scenarios and income
| Household | Monthly | Annual |
|---|---|---|
| One person | $1,443 | $17,316 |
| Couple | $2,020 | $24,240 |
| Family of four | $2,930 | $35,160 |
| Modelled income needed (gross) | $3,250 | $39,000 |
The income figure is calculated by SnapCostOfLiving from the modelled budget; it is not an observed local salary requirement. A more modest budget is modelled at $25,000 per year.
Related pages
- Cost of living in Mexico
- Cost of living in Campeche — $925/month
- Cost of living in Oaxaca City — $965/month
- Cost of living in Guanajuato — $1,005/month
- How these estimates are calculated
These figures are standardized planning estimates stored and maintained by SnapCostOfLiving and designed for consistent comparison between cities. The core dataset was created and materially recalibrated in December 2025, and further cities were added during 2026. Complete original-source provenance is not preserved for each individual value, so treat the figures as planning estimates rather than live or measured prices.