If you own property in Baja California, January isn’t just the month of good intentions and half-forgotten resolutions. It’s also when city governments quietly dangle one of the most practical incentives you’ll see all year: predial discounts.
This week, Ensenada confirmed its early-payment discounts for 2026, joining Tijuana, Rosarito, and Mexicali in a familiar ritual — reward people who pay early, beg the rest to catch up, and try to fund an entire year of city services before spring even starts.
Here’s how the numbers look across northern Baja.
Ensenada: Early Pay, Real Savings
Ensenada is offering 10% off predial in January, 7% in February, and 5% in March for 2026. Residents who pay online can stack an additional small discount, and priority groups — including seniors, pensioners, people with disabilities, widows, and women heads of household — may qualify for up to 50% off.
City officials have framed the program as a way to support family finances, but the subtext is clear: early payments keep the city running without scrambling later.
Tijuana: Bigger City, Same Strategy
Tijuana follows a similar model. Recent cycles have offered 12% off in January, 10% in February, and 5% in March, with extra incentives for online payments and periodic amnesty programs that remove surcharges and penalties.
For a city of Tijuana’s size, predial isn’t optional revenue — it’s operational oxygen.
Rosarito: Confirmed Discounts for 2026
Rosarito is officially in the game for 2026. According to municipal materials, homeowners can expect:
- 10% off in January
- 7% off in February
- 5% off in March
On top of that, Rosarito is offering a 50% discount for priority groups, including retirees, seniors, people with disabilities, cancer patients, caregivers, indigenous residents, single mothers, migrants, fishermen, and others identified as vulnerable.
This confirmation matters, especially for a city where many residents split time between Mexico and the U.S. and might otherwise miss early deadlines.
Mexicali: Bigger Discounts, Shorter Window
Mexicali has recently gone even harder on incentives, offering up to 15% off predial, plus additional discounts for online payments. While the exact 2026 calendar hasn’t been fully published yet, past patterns strongly suggest similar early-payment rewards.
Why Cities Care So Much About Predial
Here’s the part many foreign homeowners don’t realize: property tax is the main truly independent source of income for Mexican municipalities.
Most major taxes in Mexico — income tax, VAT, fuel taxes — go to the federal government first. From there, money is redistributed back to states and municipalities through programs, formulas, and approvals that take time and often come with restrictions.
Predial is different. It stays local.
That money pays for street repairs, garbage collection, public lighting, police, parks, and day-to-day operations. When cities push hard for early predial payments, they’re not being annoying — they’re trying to avoid operating the year on delayed transfers and political guesswork.
And Yes — It’s Still Cheap
Here’s the part that surprises almost every U.S. homeowner: property taxes in Mexico are a fraction of what they are in the United States.
Even with no discounts, many Baja homeowners pay in an entire year what they might pay in one or two months north of the border. With early-payment incentives, the gap gets even wider.
That doesn’t mean predial is meaningless — it’s critical locally — but it does mean Mexico remains one of the least expensive places in North America to own property from a tax perspective.
The Takeaway
If you own property in Ensenada, Tijuana, Rosarito, or Mexicali, paying predial early in 2026 isn’t just smart — it’s painless compared to what you’d be paying elsewhere.
You save money.
Your city gets stable funding.
And everyone avoids another year of potholes blamed on “budget delays.”
Not bad for one bill paid on time.
