Municipality · Baja California

Buying a home in Ensenada: tax, fees, prices

Acquisition tax computed from the 2026 municipal law · recording fee of the state · SHF price index · Banco de México mortgage rates.

In short

On a MX$3 million home in Ensenada (Baja California), the acquisition tax is MX$76,500 (2.55% of the value) and the fee to record the deed MX$12,794, under its 2026 law. Appraisal values in Baja California changed by +8.9% over a year (SHF index, second quarter of 2026). The average fixed-rate mortgage offer was 11.31% in August 2026 (Banco de México).

Calculate for Ensenada

If you buy

Acquisition tax, recording fee and loan in Ensenada

Rates of Ley de Ingresos del Municipio de Ensenada 2026, art. 4 (P.O. 30 Dec. 2025). Change any field: the amounts are recalculated instantly.

Value taxedMX$3,000,000
Acquisition taxMX$69,000
SurchargesMX$7,500
Recording fee (Registro Público)MX$12,794
Total of the lines aboveMX$89,294
Loan with 20% downMX$2,400,000
Monthly payment, 20 years at 11.31%MX$25,281

Computed without the one-annual-UMA deduction of the state law, which Ensenada's law neither applies nor expressly excludes; with it, the tax would be about MX$1,500 to MX$2,200 lower.

General rate; notary, appraisal, liens certificate, SRE and broker fees excluded. Payment at the Banco de México average offer, not an offer. All the rates and sources.

If you sell

Income tax on the sale

Federal rules, the same in every state: your tax residence decides.

Rule applied25% of the gross price, no deduction (LISR art. 160)
Income tax on the saleMX$750,000
Sale price after the taxMX$2,250,000

Default rule for a non-resident; the notary pays it at the signing. Option: 35% on the gain instead, computed with the resident rules (not computed here); it is cheaper when the gain is below about 71% of the price.

Main home only for the exemption; the 5% state payment and fees are excluded. How the tax on a sale works.

The questions, answered

How much tax and recording fee on a MX$3 million home in Ensenada?

On a MX$3 million home in Ensenada (Baja California), taxed on the highest of the updated price, the cadastral value and a commercial appraisal, the buyer pays property acquisition tax (ISAI) MX$69,000, public security surcharge (0.25% of the base) MX$7,500, recording fee, Registro Público de la Propiedad MX$12,794: MX$89,294 in all under the 2026 laws read by Payotte, before notary fees.

How much tax and recording fee on a MX$8 million home in Ensenada?

On a MX$8 million home in Ensenada (Baja California): property acquisition tax (ISAI) MX$273,500, public security surcharge (0.25% of the base) MX$20,000, recording fee, Registro Público de la Propiedad MX$12,794, MX$306,294 in all, before notary fees.

What monthly payment on a MX$3 million home in Ensenada?

MX$2,400,000 borrowed (20% down) costs MX$25,281 a month over 20 years at 11.31% (Banco de México, August 2026); average CAT 13.78%.

How much tax when you sell a home in Ensenada?

Federal rules apply in Ensenada as in every state: a seller who is not a Mexican tax resident pays by default 25% of the gross price (LISR art. 160), MX$750,000 on a MX$3 million sale, paid by the notary; a resident selling their own home is exempt up to 700,000 UDIS, about MX$6,199,266 at 15 October 2026 (art. 93-XIX-a).

How Ensenada compares

At MX$76,500 on a MX$3 million home (2.55% of the price), Ensenada sits near the middle of the 54 municipios computed, whose median is MX$75,000: 29 charge less, 23 more, 1 exactly the same.

The tax follows a marginal table (limits in pesos): MX$17,500 on MX$1 million, MX$76,500 on MX$3 million and MX$293,500 on MX$8 million. The effective rate climbs from 1.75% to 3.67% between the first and the last price. In Ensenada, a 0.25% charge on the base (Public security surcharge) is added.

Inside Baja California, the nearest computed neighbours on a MX$3 million home are Playas de Rosarito MX$76,500 (same), Tijuana MX$69,080 (MX$7,420 less) and Mexicali MX$67,000 (MX$9,500 less). The MX$12,794 recording fee comes from the state's own law, so it is identical in each of them and the gap is the municipal tax alone.

Tax and recording fee together take 2.98% of a MX$3 million price, MX$89,294, which is 3.5 monthly payments of MX$25,281 and 14.9% on top of the MX$600,000 down payment. On a home at the state median appraisal of MX$1,587,201 the same rules give MX$44,974, 2.83% of the price.

Ranked from the lightest to the heaviest of the 54 areas, Ensenada is 30th: just below it in the national ranking is Torreón (Coahuila) at MX$75,000 and just above it is Playas de Rosarito at MX$76,500. The lightest, Guanajuato, takes MX$24,144 on the same MX$3 million, so a buyer in Ensenada pays MX$52,356 more; the heaviest, Querétaro, takes MX$170,306, MX$93,806 more than Ensenada.

Beyond the three prices of this page, tax and fee reach MX$57,294 on MX$2 million, MX$165,294 on MX$5 million and MX$530,294 on MX$12 million. Between MX$3 million and MX$8 million, each extra peso of price carries 4.34 centavos of acquisition tax, more than the 2.55% average at MX$3 million. In the daily unit of account (UMA, MX$117 in 2026) the MX$3 million tax is 652 UMA and the recording fee 109.

MeasureValueReferenceRank
Ensenada: Acquisition tax on MX$1 millionMX$17,500median MX$21,58810th of 54 lightest
Ensenada: Acquisition tax on MX$3 millionMX$76,500median MX$75,00030th of 54 lightest
Ensenada: Acquisition tax on MX$8 millionMX$293,500median MX$232,23943rd of 54 lightest
Ensenada: Effective rate at MX$3 million2.55%median 2.5%30th of 54 lightest
Ensenada: Effective rate at MX$1 and 8 million1.75% and 3.67%gap 1.92 pointsrising
Ensenada: Tax on MX$3 million in UMA652 UMAMX$117 per UMA21.5 monthly UMA
Ensenada: Recording fee on MX$3 millionMX$12,7940.43% of the price16.7% of the tax
Ensenada: Tax and fee on MX$3 millionMX$89,2942.98% of the price31st of 54 lightest
Ensenada: Tax and fee on MX$12 millionMX$530,2944.42% of the price5.9 times the MX$3 million bill

Appraisal values, home loans and renting for the whole of Baja California are on its state page.

The figures

MeasureValueSource
Property acquisition tax (ISAI) on MX$3 millionMX$69,000Ley de Ingresos del Municipio de Ensenada 2026, art. 4 (P.O. 30 Dec. 2025)
Public security surcharge (0.25% of the base) on MX$3 millionMX$7,500Ley de Ingresos del Municipio de Ensenada 2026, art. 4 (P.O. 30 Dec. 2025)
Recording fee, Registro Público de la Propiedad on MX$3 millionMX$12,794Ley de Ingresos del Estado de Baja California 2026, art. 12-I and III (last reform P.O. 35, 18 June 2026)
Average fixed-rate mortgage offer (Aug. 2026)11.31%Banco de México, CF303

The SHF publishes home prices in pesos by state only; for a municipality it publishes an index, not a price. The appraisal values, loans and renting of Baja California are on its state page.

Elsewhere in Baja California

Sources