Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tijuana and Arue

For one person, living is cheaper in Arue: $1,024 a month against $1,303 in Tijuana, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Tijuana outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

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Cost of Living Index in Tijuana
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Tijuana Living Index

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Tijuana

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,303

/mo nomad

Arue

🇵🇫 French Polynesia

$1,024

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Tijuana and in Arue

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,303 in Tijuana versus $1,024 in Arue.

Tijuana $1,303
Arue $1,024

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,067 in Tijuana versus $1,521 in Arue.

Tijuana $2,067
Arue $1,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,831 in Tijuana versus $2,018 in Arue.

Tijuana $2,831
Arue $2,018

Living in Tijuana is roughly 27% more expensive than in Arue, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities sit below the global median: Tijuana 3% lower, Arue 24% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.98 MX$220

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.25 MX$647

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$178

Cappuccino

$4.34 MX$79.7

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

$1.42 MX$26.15

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.33

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 MX$61.8

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.51 MX$119

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 MX$32.63

$1.41 CFPF 150

26.24%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 MX$52.8

$4.65 CFPF 495

-38.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 MX$33.14

$3.92 CFPF 417

-53.83%

Eggs

$3.25 MX$59.7

$11.52 CFPF 1,227

-71.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.15 MX$150

$56.8 CFPF 6,044

-85.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.55 MX$139

$26.22 CFPF 2,792

-71.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 MX$221

$24.11 CFPF 2,568

-49.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 MX$52.8

$5.36 CFPF 570

-46.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 MX$30.76

$2.84 CFPF 302

-40.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$34.79

$7.67 CFPF 816

-75.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 MX$30.60

$8.70 CFPF 927

-80.80%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 MX$29.23

$4.19 CFPF 446

-62.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.42

$2.94 CFPF 313

-36.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$27.85

$3.71 CFPF 395

-59.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$18.91

$1.44 CFPF 153

-28.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.42 MX$81.1

$11.80 CFPF 1,257

-62.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.24 MX$151

$28.76 CFPF 3,063

-71.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 MX$39.91

$2.90 CFPF 308

-25.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 MX$75.5

$7.65 CFPF 815

-46.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 MX$20.74

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.84 MX$566

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.84 MX$52.1

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 MX$41.44

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.42 MX$357

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.27

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

$21.5K MX$395.2K

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

$24.7K MX$453.8K

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

$46.78 MX$859

$161 CFPF 17.1K

-70.87%

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

$34.62 MX$636

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.93 MX$550

$122 CFPF 13.0K

-75.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.13 MX$755

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.05 MX$148

Cinema Ticket

$6.91 MX$127

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

$209 MX$3,839

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,606 MX$84.6K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 MX$997

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 MX$863

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,903

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.0 MX$1,286

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$868 MX$15.9K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 MX$8,827

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,553 MX$28.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$905 MX$16.6K

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,095 MX$56.8K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,713 MX$49.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$951 MX$17.5K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

12.07

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

Last update for Tijuana: October 4, 2026

Last update for Arue: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tijuana

$481 36.8%

Arue

–

Groceries & Markets

Tijuana

$268 20.5%

Arue

–

Eating Out

Tijuana

$217 16.7%

Arue

–

Clothing & Footwear

Tijuana

$124 9.5%

Arue

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tijuana

$111 8.5%

Arue

–

Sport & Entertainment

Tijuana

$55 4.2%

Arue

–

Getting Around

Tijuana

$49 3.8%

Arue

–

Good to know

🇲🇽 Tijuana

🇵🇫 Arue

🕒 Local time

02:04 2:04 AM

23:04 11:04 PM

3 h behind Tijuana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,810,645

10,000

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

CFP Franc XPF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD

1,000 XPF = 8.37 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

XPF, USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

CFP Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 107 XPF (1,000 XPF = 9.39 USD). 1 EUR = 119 XPF (1,000 XPF = 8.37 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Tijuana Arue 6,550 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Tijuana
Arue

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

Tijuana vs Arue: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arue wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Tijuana. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Arue the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,955 in Tijuana and $1,536 in Arue to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Shoppers in Tijuana pay roughly 181% less for everyday groceries. It's an unusual reversal that partly offsets higher costs elsewhere.

All in, you'll spend $1,303 per month in Tijuana versus $1,024 in Arue – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,024 in Arue versus $1,303 in Tijuana, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Arue but tight or insufficient in Tijuana. The gap between the two cities makes Arue the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Arue gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Tijuana. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.