Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilo, HI and Tijuana

For one person, living is cheaper in Tijuana: $1,303 a month against $2,966 in Hilo, HI, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Hilo, HI
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Hilo, HI Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Tijuana
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Tijuana Living Index

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Hilo, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,966

/mo nomad

Tijuana

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,303

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Hilo, HI and in Tijuana

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Hilo, HI and in Tijuana actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,966 per month in Hilo, HI vs $1,303 in Tijuana, rent included.

Hilo, HI $2,966
Tijuana $1,303

A couple spends around $4,340 per month in Hilo, HI vs $2,067 in Tijuana, rent included.

Hilo, HI $4,340
Tijuana $2,067

A family of three spends $5,713 per month in Hilo, HI vs $2,831 in Tijuana, rent included.

Hilo, HI $5,713
Tijuana $2,831

Hilo, HI costs about 128% more than Tijuana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Hilo, HI sits 121% above the global median, while Tijuana is 3% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.26 $19.26

$11.98 MX$218

60.77%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.1 $76.1

$35.25 MX$641

115.97%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.21 $12.21

$9.69 MX$176

26.01%

Cappuccino

$5.72 $5.72

$4.34 MX$78.9

31.80%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.42 MX$25.91

89.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.22 MX$22.12

80.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$3.37 MX$61.3

81.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.07 $7.07

$6.51 MX$118

8.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.78 MX$32.32

-1.12%

White Bread (500g)

$9.55 $9.55

$2.87 MX$52.3

232.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$1.81 MX$32.83

136.46%

Eggs

$6.72 $6.72

$3.25 MX$59.2

106.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.71 $19.71

$8.15 MX$148

141.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.73 $17.73

$7.55 MX$137

134.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$30.34 $30.34

$12.06 MX$219

151.58%

Apples (1kg)

$8.58 $8.58

$2.87 MX$52.3

198.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.68 MX$30.47

47.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.21 $10.21

$1.90 MX$34.47

437.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$11.90 $11.90

$1.67 MX$30.31

612.57%

Potato (1kg)

$8.87 $8.87

$1.59 MX$28.96

457.86%

Onion (1kg)

$7.58 $7.58

$1.87 MX$34.10

305.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$5.52 $5.52

$1.52 MX$27.59

263.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.03 MX$18.73

197.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.04 $12.04

$4.42 MX$80.3

172.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.62 $21.62

$8.24 MX$150

162.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.17 MX$39.55

-18.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 MX$74.8

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 MX$20.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.84 MX$561

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.84 MX$51.6

46.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.23 $1.23

$2.26 MX$41.05

-45.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.42 MX$353

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.54 MX$28.01

-6.49%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$30.3K $30.3K

$21.5K MX$391.6K

40.76%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$25.8K $25.8K

$24.7K MX$449.7K

4.56%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$297 $297

$46.78 MX$851

534.87%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$65.7 $65.7

$34.62 MX$630

89.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$126 $126

$29.93 MX$544

320.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.55 $43.55

$41.13 MX$748

5.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.52 $24.52

$8.05 MX$147

204.60%

Cinema Ticket

$13.14 $13.14

$6.91 MX$126

90.16%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$209 MX$3,803

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,606 MX$83.8K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.10 $37.10

$54.3 MX$987

-31.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.30 $30.30

$47.02 MX$855

-35.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.8 $66.8

$104 MX$1,885

-35.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.8 $83.8

$70.0 MX$1,274

19.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,682 $1,682

$868 MX$15.8K

93.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 $1,255

$481 MX$8,746

161.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,187 $2,187

$1,553 MX$28.2K

40.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 $2,093

$905 MX$16.5K

131.25%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,484 $5,484

$3,095 MX$56.3K

77.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,339 $5,339

$2,713 MX$49.3K

96.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,434 $4,434

$951 MX$17.3K

366.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

12.07

-45.15%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Hilo, HI: October 4, 2026

Last update for Tijuana: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Hilo, HI

$1.3K 42.5%

Tijuana

$481 36.8% 61.7% $775

Groceries & Markets

Hilo, HI

$707 * 23.9%

Tijuana

$268 20.5% 62.1% $439

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hilo, HI

$489 16.6%

Tijuana

$111 8.5% 77.2% $377

Eating Out

Hilo, HI

$324 11%

Tijuana

$217 16.7% 32.8% $106

Clothing & Footwear

Hilo, HI

$98 3.3%

Tijuana

$124 9.5% 26.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Hilo, HI

$70 2.4%

Tijuana

$55 4.2% 21.3% $15

Getting Around

Hilo, HI

$10 * 0.4%

Tijuana

$49 3.8% 381% $39

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,682 in Hilo, HI versus $868 in Tijuana. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 366% higher in Hilo, HI, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $76.0 in Hilo, HI versus $35.00 in Tijuana. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $707 vs $268 – making Tijuana the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hilo, HI

🇲🇽 Tijuana

🕒 Local time

15:55 3:55 PM

18:55 6:55 PM

3 h ahead of Hilo, HI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,186

1,810,645

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Hilo, HI Tijuana 4,040 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Hilo, HI
Tijuana

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Hilo, HI vs Tijuana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Hilo, HI costs about 128% more than Tijuana, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,450 per month in Hilo, HI and $1,955 in Tijuana. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Tijuana, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,966 in Hilo, HI and $1,303 in Tijuana. That's a gap of about 128%.

Groceries cost about 164% more in Hilo, HI, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Tijuana, where all-in costs run around $1,303, than in Hilo, HI at $2,966. In Tijuana it covers expenses comfortably, while in Hilo, HI it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Tijuana – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Tijuana. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Hilo, HI makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.