Tijuana rent rising alongside San Diego's

Growing up in Vermont, Jodi Cilley never imagined that one day she'd be living in Mexico.

“In fact, it took me until I was in my teens to even imagine leaving this area because I just didn't know what was outside of it,” said Cilley, now a Tijuana resident.

After living in San Diego on an adjunct professor's salary, she realized she needed to find a new home.

“I pay for a two-bedroom, one-and-a-half bath, parking for two cars and [it’s] about a 10-minute walk to the beach, $800 a month,” said Cilley.

Tijuana has long been a refuge for San Diegans struggling to afford housing. But now, rents are also rising rapidly in the border city.

“It's very demanded right now,” said Sergio Gonzalez, a realtor in Tijuana. “There's a huge demand for housing here.”

Gonzalez says rents have more than doubled since the start of the pandemic.

“My mother left me a small house, a two-bedroom house and I used to rent it, believe it or not, for the equivalent of $300 a month,” said Gonzalez. “In two years they're offering me $1,500 for the same house.”

Still, according to online rental company Zumper, a similar two-bedroom unit in San Diego costs an average of $3,2000 a month.

“It's still affordable,” said Gonzalez. “It's rising twice as fast, not twice as expensive.”

The key word here is “affordable”

“When I lived in San Diego, everything was so expensive," said Miramar Huerta. “Like going out to eat is expensive but in TJ it's not.” 

So despite rising rents and a few drawbacks, which include long cross-border commutes, Tijuana remains a good option for many expats.

“If you're someone open-minded, it's perfect,” said Hueta.

As for Cilley, it's become a place she now can't imagine leaving.

“What an incredible option to even have, you know,” said Cilley. “We live in a city that is next to another country within a 15-minute drive.”

An enticing alternative for some San Diegans looking for a life with less overhead.