Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tijuana and Kahului, HI

For one person, living is cheaper in Tijuana: $1,303 a month against $3,921 in Kahului, HI, rent and utilities included – about $31,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

64

Cost of Living Index in Tijuana
Learn more

Tijuana Living Index
176

Cost of Living Index in Kahului, HI
Learn more

Kahului, HI Living Index

Jump to prices

Tijuana

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,303

/mo nomad

Kahului, HI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,921

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Kahului, HI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,303 in Tijuana versus $3,921 in Kahului, HI.

Tijuana $1,303
Kahului, HI $3,921

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,067 in Tijuana versus $5,707 in Kahului, HI.

Tijuana $2,067
Kahului, HI $5,707

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,831 in Tijuana versus $7,492 in Kahului, HI.

Tijuana $2,831
Kahului, HI $7,492

Living in Tijuana costs roughly 67% less than in Kahului, HI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tijuana is 3% below, Kahului, HI is 193% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.98 MX$220

$48.90 $48.90

-75.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$35.25 MX$647

$75.0 $75.0

-52.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.69 MX$178

$18.62 $18.62

-47.96%

Cappuccino

$4.34 MX$79.7

$7.03 $7.03

-38.26%

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

$1.42 MX$26.15

$2.79 $2.79

-49.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 MX$22.33

$3.46 $3.46

-64.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 MX$61.8

$4.91 $4.91

-31.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.51 MX$119

$7.64 $7.64

-14.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.78 MX$32.63

$1.43 $1.43

24.48%

White Bread (500g)

$2.87 MX$52.8

$7.01 $7.01

-59.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.81 MX$33.14

$8.74 $8.74

-79.29%

Eggs

$3.25 MX$59.7

$6.52 $6.52

-50.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.15 MX$150

$8.86 $8.86

-8.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.55 MX$139

$15.21 $15.21

-50.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.06 MX$221

$20.09 $20.09

-39.97%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 MX$52.8

$12.85 $12.85

-77.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.68 MX$30.76

$2.71 $2.71

-38.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.90 MX$34.79

Tomato (1kg)

$1.67 MX$30.60

$13.53 $13.53

-87.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.59 MX$29.23

Onion (1kg)

$1.87 MX$34.42

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 MX$27.85

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 MX$18.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.42 MX$81.1

Wine (Bottle)

$8.24 MX$151

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 MX$39.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.11 MX$75.5

$6.14 $6.14

-33.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.13 MX$20.74

$2.05 $2.05

-44.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.84 MX$566

$45.08 $45.08

-31.59%

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

$34.74 $34.74

-44.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 MX$28.27

$1.26 $1.26

22.22%

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

$21.5K MX$395.2K

$40.0K $40.0K

-46.15%

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

$24.7K MX$453.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

-5.66%

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

$46.78 MX$859

$297 $297

-84.23%

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

$34.62 MX$636

$70.3 $70.3

-50.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.93 MX$550

$52.6 $52.6

-43.09%

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

$55.1 $55.1

-1.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.02 MX$863

$39.98 $39.98

17.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 MX$1,903

$94.5 $94.5

9.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.0 MX$1,286

$123 $123

-43.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$868 MX$15.9K

$2,308 $2,308

-62.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$481 MX$8,827

$2,251 $2,251

-78.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,553 MX$28.5K

$3,955 $3,955

-60.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$905 MX$16.6K

$3,772 $3,772

-76.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,095 MX$56.8K

$11.7K $11.7K

-73.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,713 MX$49.8K

$11.8K $11.8K

-77.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$951 MX$17.5K

$4,765 $4,765

-80.05%

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 Kahului, HI: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tijuana

$481 36.8%

Kahului, HI

$2.3K 57.3% 368% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Tijuana

$268 20.5%

Kahului, HI

$469 * 11.9% 74.9% $201

Eating Out

Tijuana

$217 16.7%

Kahului, HI

$596 15.2% 174% $379

Clothing & Footwear

Tijuana

$124 9.5%

Kahului, HI

$141 3.6% 13.7% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tijuana

$111 8.5%

Kahului, HI

$420 10.7% 277% $308

Sport & Entertainment

Tijuana

$55 4.2%

Kahului, HI

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Tijuana

$49 3.8%

Kahului, HI

$53 * 1.4% 7.7% $3.8

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $868 in Tijuana and $2,308 in Kahului, HI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Kahului, HI pays 401% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $35.00 in Tijuana vs $75.0 in Kahului, HI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $268 vs $469 per month, with Tijuana cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Tijuana

🇺🇸 Kahului, HI

🕒 Local time

06:44 6:44 AM

03:44 3:44 AM

3 h behind Tijuana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,810,645

26,337

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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 = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

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

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Tijuana Kahului, HI 4,100 km ≈ 6 h nonstop flight

From you

Tijuana
Kahului, HI

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 Kahului, HI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tijuana wins on cost – living expenses run 201% lower than in Kahului, HI. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tijuana the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 401% lower in Kahului, HI. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $868 in Tijuana versus $2,308 in Kahului, HI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 75% higher in Kahului, HI. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $1,303 per month in Tijuana versus $3,921 in Kahului, HI – a 201% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,303 in Tijuana versus $3,921 in Kahului, HI, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tijuana but tight or insufficient in Kahului, HI. The gap between the two cities makes Tijuana 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.

Safety-wise, Tijuana and Kahului, HI are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Tijuana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 201% less than in Kahului, HI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.