Cali
Colombia · South America · 2.3M people
Colombia's salsa capital, warm year-round with a lower cost than Bogota.
Ranked #217 of 303 overall · 3.45, -76.53
Overview
With a population of around 2.3 million, Cali is one of Colombia's notable cities, part of the wider South America region. Part of its draw is that it's genuinely affordable to live in. It's known for warm, sun-heavy weather for most of the year. People who choose to settle in Cali tend to point to a genuinely affordable cost of living, a climate most people find easy to live with, and solid infrastructure for remote work as the deciding factors. Against its 30 tracked peers in South America, Cali's 6.1/10 overall score sits 0.0 points above the regional average of 6.1. On CityMatch, Cali scores 6.1/10 overall across cost of living, safety, environment, transport, climate, healthcare and internet, ranking #217 of 303 cities in our database. Its strongest single criterion is cost of living at 8/10, while safety is its softest spot at 4/10 — the full breakdown, honest trade-offs, and who this city actually suits are below.
Full scorecard
One of the more affordable picks in our database.
Worth checking specific areas before committing.
Worth checking seasonal pollution patterns.
Public transport has real gaps.
A real selling point if climate matters to you.
Standard care access, nothing exceptional.
Covers standard connectivity needs.
Is Cali right for you?
Set your own priorities and see where it ranks against every city in the dataset.
Run the recommender →How are these scores calculated?
Every city on CityMatch is scored 1-10 on seven criteria — cost of living, safety, environment, transport, climate, healthcare and internet — and those seven numbers are combined into the overall score shown throughout the site using a consistent, automated formula (an equal-weighted average by default, or your own weighting via the recommender tool). The same method is applied identically to every city, so scores are comparable across the full database.
Sources & data provenance
The current dataset is an internally curated starter dataset built for this version of the site, reflecting each city's general reputation on each criterion rather than a live feed from a single external provider. It is not yet sourced from a specific third-party API. If that changes, this section will be updated to name the exact sources in use.
Last updated: 17 July 2026
Strengths & trade-offs
Strengths
At 8/10, Cali is genuinely easy on the budget — one of the more affordable options for the lifestyle it offers.
Climate scores 8/10 — genuinely pleasant weather is one of the clearer reasons people choose Cali.
Internet and connectivity score 7/10, making remote work a non-issue rather than a workaround.
Trade-offs
Safety scores 4/10, the weakest link on Cali's scorecard and worth researching by neighborhood before moving.
Environment and air quality score just 5/10 — a real consideration if pollution affects you personally.
Is Cali safe?
Cali scores 4/10 on safety, a mixed picture. Safety here varies more by specific neighborhood and time of day than in higher-scoring cities, so a little local research goes a long way.
At night
We'd lean toward rideshares or taxis after dark rather than walking unfamiliar routes, particularly outside the main tourist and business districts.
For tourists
Tourists should do a bit more homework here than usual — checking which districts are considered fine for visitors and which are best avoided, especially after dark.
For families
Families would want to weigh the 5.0/10 average of safety, healthcare and environment carefully against what specifically matters most to your household.
For solo travelers
Solo travelers, and particularly those less familiar with the region, may want to research specific neighborhoods and current local advice more closely before finalizing plans.
On public transport
We'd be more selective about late-night public transport here — daytime use is generally fine, but off-peak service and platforms are worth a second thought.
Practical tips
- →Research specific neighborhoods before booking accommodation.
- →Arrange transport in advance for anything after dark rather than walking unfamiliar routes.
What's the climate like in Cali?
At 8/10, Cali's climate is a genuine selling point, consistently one of the better-scoring factors on its scorecard.
Seasonal character
Tagged as a warm-climate city in our data — expect mild winters and a long stretch of pleasant, sun-heavy weather rather than a sharp seasonal divide.
Comfort level
Comfort level is high enough that climate rarely dictates day-to-day plans — a rare trait among the cities we track.
Best time to live here
With a climate this consistent, there isn't a single "best" window — most of the year works.
Note: this reflects our single aggregate 1-10 climate score rather than month-by-month temperature, humidity or rainfall data, which we don't currently track — treat it as a general read rather than a forecast.
Quality of life in Cali
Put together, quality of life in Cali is shaped less by any single number and more by the combination: cali runs at a genuinely lively pace — expect a busy evening economy and a city that doesn't fully wind down early, paired with an outdoor/environment picture that's generally favorable and transport that's worth planning around.
Pace & lifestyle
Cali runs at a genuinely lively pace — expect a busy evening economy and a city that doesn't fully wind down early.
Nature & outdoors
Outdoor time is reasonably pleasant, with environment (5/10) and climate (8/10) scores that don't get in the way, without being a specific draw either.
Getting around
Transport (5/10) has real gaps — plan on a mix of public options, walking and rideshares depending on where you end up living.
Culture & leisure
Leisure time here leans toward the social and nocturnal rather than the museum-and-matinee kind — evenings and weekends are where Cali's character shows.
Based on its actual score profile, Cali tends to suit people who prioritize cost of living and climate over safety — see "Who Cali suits" above for the specific profiles that fit best.
How clean is Cali?
Environment (5/10) points to some real seasonal pollution patterns worth knowing about if air quality affects you personally.
Public spaces
We don't have a dedicated public-space or waste-management score — the environment figure above (driven mainly by air quality) is the best available proxy, and it suggests room for improvement in at least some areas.
Infrastructure maintenance
General infrastructure maintenance isn't a criterion we score independently, so treat any specific claims about road quality, public bins, or graffiti with caution unless they come from a recent, first-hand source.
The "environment" score behind all of this is CityMatch's single combined measure of air quality and general environmental conditions — 10 meaning consistently clean air, 1 meaning significant pollution. It doesn't separately break out waste management, noise, or visual upkeep, which aren't part of our current dataset.
Who Cali suits
Digital nomad
Digital nomads — remote workers who need fast internet and an affordable, pleasant base (fit score 6.6/10 here).
Budget-conscious mover
Budget-conscious movers — movers for whom affordability outweighs every other factor (fit score 6.5/10 here).
Freelancer
Freelancers — independent workers balancing cost of living against healthcare access (fit score 6.4/10 here).
Entrepreneur
Entrepreneurs — founders and small business owners who need reliable connectivity and a livable base without big-city costs (fit score 6.4/10 here).
In depth
Cost of living
With a cost-of-living score of 8/10, Cali sits among the more budget-friendly options in our database, which matters as much for a short stay as for a permanent move.
Safety
Cali scores 4/10 on safety, meaning it's worth researching specific neighborhoods rather than assuming the city-wide average applies everywhere.
Climate
At 8/10 for climate, Cali is about as pleasant, weather-wise, as our database gets — a real factor if seasonal mood or outdoor time matters to you.
Quality of life
Quality of life in Cali is uneven rather than uniformly good or bad — a 6.1/10 average built on a clear high point in cost of living and a clear weak point in safety. The average across all seven criteria is 6.1/10.
Transport
Cali's transport score of 5/10 suggests public options exist but don't cover everything — expect to lean on other ways of getting around at times.
Internet & remote work
Cali's internet score of 7/10 covers standard remote-work needs without much friction.
Why choose Cali?
Cali isn't the right fit for everyone, but for the right profile — someone who values cost of living and can live with safety — it scores well at 6.1/10 overall. Use the comparisons and rankings below to see how it stacks up against the alternatives.
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Frequently asked questions
Is Cali safe?
Cali scores 4/10 on safety, a mixed picture. Safety varies noticeably by neighborhood here, so it's worth researching specific areas before you commit to one.
What budget do I need to live in Cali?
Cali scores 8/10 on affordability — one of the cheaper cities in our database. A modest budget covers a comfortable lifestyle here compared to most of the 303 cities we track.
Is Cali good for families?
Cali isn't a natural fit for families on paper: the average of safety, healthcare and environment scores (5.0/10) is below what most family-focused cities on our site score.
Is Cali a good city for students?
Cali isn't specifically known as a student hub, but its affordability (8/10) and transport (5/10) scores make it a workable option.
Is Cali suitable for digital nomads?
Cali isn't specifically marketed to remote workers, but the fundamentals are there: internet scores 7/10 and cost of living 8/10.
What's the climate like in Cali?
Cali scores 8/10 on climate — mild, pleasant conditions for most of the year, one of the better climate scores in our database.
Is Cali pleasant to live in year-round?
Reasonably — Cali scores 8/10 on climate and 5/10 on environment, a fair rather than exceptional combination across the year.
Is Cali a good choice for a first move abroad?
A first move abroad is more demanding in Cali: safety, healthcare, transport and environment average out to just 5.0/10, so more preparation and local research is worth doing before committing.
Is the internet good enough for remote work in Cali?
Cali scores 7/10 on internet — generally fine for remote work, without being a standout choice for it.
Is Cali a good place to retire?
It has real appeal for retirees: healthcare, climate and safety average out to 6.0/10 here — the three criteria that tend to matter most for that stage of life.
What are good alternatives to Cali?
Based on continent, tags and overall score, Rio de Janeiro and Barranquilla are the closest matches to Cali in our database — worth comparing directly if you're still deciding.
Is Cali worth living in?
Reasonably — Cali scores 6.1/10 overall, a solid if unremarkable all-round profile. Whether it's "worth it" depends more on which specific criteria matter most to you than on the average alone.
Who should move to Cali?
Based on its score profile, Cali suits people who value cost of living and climate more than the average mover — see the "Who Cali suits" section above for the specific profiles (families, digital nomads, students, etc.) that fit best.
Is Cali walkable, and is public transport good?
Not especially — Cali scores just 5/10 on transport, so expect to lean on a car, bike or rideshares more than public transit alone.
What's the biggest advantage of living in Cali?
Cost of living is Cali's standout strength, scoring 8/10 — the highest of its seven criteria on CityMatch.
What's the biggest downside of living in Cali?
Safety is the clearest trade-off, scoring just 4/10 — the lowest of Cali's seven criteria, and worth weighing against its strengths.