Think twice.
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Cali at 29/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than Colombia's national picture overall (42/100 vs 45/100).
City page · part of Colombia
The one number a country page can't give you
What people who actually live in Cali report
Numbeo aggregates thousands of resident-submitted perception surveys into a per-city Crime Index (higher = worse) and its inverse, a Safety Index — the only real city-granularity crime signal feeding this page, alongside Colombia's national advisory, political, health, and police-trust data.
Crime Index
70.9
Safety Index
29.1
Sub-scores
Same real inputs as Colombia's national page, with crime swapped for Cali's own Numbeo number above.
Local know-how
Staying safe in Cali, specifically
- • In 2011 there were murders and car bombs related to the ongoing mafia war between drug cartels in the city.
- • Cali is considered more dangerous than most other major cities in Colombia; therefore, keep your eyes open at day and night. Try to take a taxi if you want to come and go at night.
- • Avoid backstreet in the downtown (El Centro) and Sucre neighborhoods. This area is especially dangerous.
- • Walking alone at night at Avenida Sexta can be unsafe.
- • As in most other cities, it is unwise to walk with jewelry or let people around you know you have cash on you. Most places around hotels are safe.
- • Try not to talk on cellphones while walking through streets; that might lure in robbers. Also do not use iPods or other valuables in public.
Legal status (national law)
Legal since 1981+ UN decl. sign.
Source: Wikipedia — LGBTQ rights by country →Pack this, know this
The little things that trip people up
Plug & voltage
A / B · 120V
Driving side
right
Emergency
police: 112 / ambulance: 125 / fire: 119
Tipping
A service charge of 10% is generally added to the bill in nice restaurants (if it's not, you should add it yourself). Tipping taxi drivers is not common. Most "tipping" is merely rounding up to the nearest thousand pesos (e.g., rounding up your cafe bill to COP$7,000 from COP$6,700). Private tour guides do not need to be tipped, but it is common to do so, if you liked the guide.
SIM / Data
Carriers: It's simple enough to get a SIM card and even an unlocked phone at the international airport in Bogotá, although there is, of course, a price hike. They're not hard to find in any city either, just ask your hotel or hostel staff where to go. Topping up is also easy, and can be done pretty much on any street corner.
Cash vs. Card
The currency of Colombia is the Colombian peso, but the symbol you will encounter is $ (ISO code: COP). Wikivoyage uses the notation "COP$" for clarity.
How this compares to Colombia
Numbeo's Safety Index puts Cali at 29/100 for crime — that makes it read sketchier than Colombia's national picture overall (42/100 vs 45/100).
See the full Colombia page and all receipts →