Living in Cali, Colombia
Cali is a large city in Valle del Cauca Department, Colombia (1 to 5 million people in the city proper). It has a warm climate, averaging 22°C over the year with about 1,719 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,207 a month to live centrally, and Colombia sits in our low to medium tax tier. For citizens from outside Mercosur and its associate states, long-term residency in Colombia is comparatively open, with a self-funded route from about $4,932 a month in income.
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- Est. cost
- €2,207
- a month for a couple
- Tax tier
- Low to medium
- personal income tax
- Climate
- 22°C
- 1,719 mm rain a year
- Size
- Large
- 1 to 5 million people
- Safety
- 45/100
- country-level
- Internet
- ~130 Mbps
- median fixed broadband
- Residency
- Comparatively open
- outside free-movement blocs
What stands out about Cali
- More affordable than 83% of the cities we compare
Climate
Cali averages 22°C across the year with about 1,719 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very wet. It is warmer than 60% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits near the coast.
Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.
Safety and stability
Colombia scores 45 out of 100 on safety, safer than 9% of the cities we compare. Its EIU Democracy Index score is 6.5 out of 10.
Source: Our own country-level safety estimate (0 to 100, higher is safer), shared by every city in Colombia. Stability: EIU Democracy Index.
Cost of living
We estimate a couple needs about €2,207 a month to live centrally in Cali, 19% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 83% of them.
Source: OurNextCity model: a country-level cost index (New York = 100) scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget.
Residency and visas
Comparatively open, for people from outside Mercosur and its associate states. Colombia offers several long-term routes for capable applicants, including passive-income (rentista) and pensioner visas, company or real-estate investment visas, and family or work-based options, all M-category visas that build toward permanent (R) residency.
Citizens of Mercosur and its associate states have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights here.
The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Colombia:
- Income: about $4,932 a month (Colombia Rentista visa: passive income of 10x the monthly minimum wage = COP 17,509,050/mo (the cheaper Pensionado route is 3x = COP 5,252,715/mo but requires an actual pension); converted at COP 3,550/USD.; as of June 2026)
- Investment: about $49k (Colombia Visa M Socio o Propietario (company investment): 100 SMMLV = COP 175,090,500 one-time, lower than the real-estate investor visa at 350 SMMLV = COP 612,816,750; converted at COP 3,550/USD.; as of June 2026)
For short visits, 101 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 97 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival.
Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).
Language and culture
Main languages: Spanish. English proficiency: limited. Social openness scores 60 out of 100.
Source: EF English Proficiency Index (country-level); social openness is our secularism and tolerance composite.
Taxes
Colombia sits in our low to medium tax tier: moderate personal income tax. We use three tiers (zero or very low, low to medium, high) and apply them to every city in the country.
Taxes are a dealbreaker filter in OurNextCity: a couple who caps tax at zero or very low will not see Cali in their results.
Source: OurNextCity tax tiers, assigned by hand from each country's top marginal personal income tax rate and overall tax reputation, with no fixed rate cut-offs. Country-level and coarse by design; not tax advice.
Healthcare
Colombia scores 65 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 57% of the cities we compare.
Source: Our own country-level healthcare estimate (0 to 100), shared by every city in Colombia.
Internet and remote work
Median fixed broadband in Colombia runs at about 130 Mbps, faster than 49% of the cities we compare.
Source: Ookla Speedtest Global Index, median fixed broadband download speed, country-level.
Questions couples ask about Cali
Is Cali a good place to live for couples?
It depends on what the two of you weigh most. Compared with the other cities we track, Cali scores well on affordability. It is weaker on safety and English. Expect a warm, very wet climate (22°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Cali and 914 other cities for both of you at once.
How much does it cost a couple to live in Cali?
We estimate about €2,207 a month for a couple living centrally, 19% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from a country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.
What are taxes like in Cali?
Colombia is in our low to medium tax tier (moderate personal income tax). Tiers are country-level and deliberately coarse: zero or very low, low to medium, and high. Couples who make zero or very low tax a must-have will not see Cali in their results.
Can foreigners live in Colombia long term?
Citizens of Mercosur and its associate states have freedom-of-movement or simplified residency rights. Our assessment for everyone else: comparatively open. Colombia offers several long-term routes for capable applicants, including passive-income (rentista) and pensioner visas, company or real-estate investment visas, and family or work-based options, all M-category visas that build toward permanent (R) residency. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: income, about $4,932 a month (as of 2026-06); investment, about $49k (as of 2026-06).
What is the weather like in Cali?
Cali averages 22°C across the year with about 1,719 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very wet. It is warmer than 60% of the cities we track.
Cities like Cali
Closest matches in other countries across climate, size, coast, cost, safety, healthcare, internet, language and politics.
Near Cali
Moving to Colombia as a couple
Entry, residency, taxes and costs for a couple who both hold one of these passports.