So far this year, the peso has gained 12 percent against the dollar, a situation not seen since 2016. At currency exchange houses, the exchange rate can already be found at 16.90 per unit. This situation brings winners and losers in the Calibaja region, where the economic dynamics are deeply rooted in the exchange rate and the commercial exchange between the communities of both countries.

Even before the COVID-19 pandemic, Tijuana has been facing an influx of reverse migrants, that is, Mexicans with US citizenship who have moved from San Diego and other regions to this city in search of cheaper rents and more affordable basic services.

The fall in the price of the dollar means that those who earn in dollars now have less purchasing power. Although the majority of household rents are irregularly charged in dollars, the rest of the needs such as food, water, gas, fuel, electricity, and entertainment are paid in pesos. US migrants in Mexico and their landlords are the losers in this scenario.

In macroeconomic terms, an exchange rate of around 17 dollars per US currency favors importers, helps in the government management of debt, and assists in containing the increase in prices of imported goods. On the other hand, such a diminished parity with the dollar affects exporters, activities based on foreign currencies such as tourism, and reduces the purchasing power of the thousands of Mexicans who receive remittances year after year.

The clear winners are those who pay rent in dollars but receive income in pesos, a common situation throughout the northern border of Mexico.

According to the financial expert from Monex, the strengthening of the Mexican peso, while controlling inflation and benefiting importers, is also putting pressure on companies that export their products abroad. Carlos González, Director of Analysis at Monex, warned that the Mexican exchange rate has reached its peak and will soon depreciate against the dollar. "A low level in parity does not necessarily imply a recovery, it simply indicates that we will not see further appreciations," González stated for the newspaper El País