I live approximately 18 miles from the world's most violent city. With a homicide rate at 140/100,000 people it passed Caracas, Venezuela for that title in 2018. As of April 1st this year there were 540 tallied by Tijuana Police.
Cartel violence has destroyed the less violent version of Baja, Mexico.
But you wouldn't know that looking over the border towards the transmission towers and multitude of high-rise residential developments residents can now afford. The structures on each side of the border only differ in what language is on top, with no high rise development on the San Ysidro (US) side.

[Compare to a google search of "Tijuana at border".]
The economy has grown in proportion to the cartel violence. The payoffs, slush funds, and the many taquerias, bodegas, and farmacias what launder the money may be party responsible.
Standing seemingly apart from all this is a standard of living that is doable with a water treatment system.
The US federal minimum wage is 7.25/hour. Where it stands in places like Mississippi, Louisiana, and Kentucky.
The Mexican minimum wage is 102.68/hour or in USD (at time of valuation) 5.10/hour. However, cities such as Cuidad Juarez, Nogales, Mexicali, Tecate, and Tijuana it is double the mexican national minimum at time of wage increase.
What this translates to is a sort of paradox.
In San Diego County the minimum wage is between 10.50 and 12.00/hour. The average rent in the city proper is $1955/month for a one bedroom.
In Tijuana the minimum wage is 176.72/hour or 8.80/hour USD. The average NEW 1 bedroom apartment is $500/Month, and that is considered "high".
There is obviously money flowing into the Mexican Federal Government to increase wages to these levels, but it leaves you wondering what the drug economy adds. This is speculative.
The ultimate thing to take away from this is:
WHY THE FUCK IS THERE A NEED FOR A BORDER WALL WHEN TIJUANA (if you can overlook a 1 in 714 chance of being murdered, massive government corruption, and a need for personal water treatment) HAS A BETTER STANDARD OF LIVING THAN THE US?
Of course a natural response to this is: "It's Central/South America that ruin it for Northern Mexico". And this is true, but far overblown as a useful argument for an unnecessary few billion being spent. Which isn't all that much, about the same as Trump's net worth.
The wall is the rock meant to keep tigers away, a specious project to combat a false dilemma. The cartels are also building and controlling several tunnels as we speak. The trope of a 21 foot ladder applied underground between the TJ bar and the US outlet store.
It is my duty as a citizen to point out that the border wall is an unnecessary Hoover Dam and play at true-red republican support. The types of folk with "Hillary for Jail" and Jesus stickers.
* done editing *