Colombia
Cali makes sense if
- Access to stronger healthcare matters most to you.
- You want the broader career options in this comparison.
- You want the deeper culture and food scene.
Cali vs Cartagena
Cali's public life revolves around salsa venues, plazas and late-night music. Cartagena's preserved walled centre, colonial squares and waterfront create a more historic setting, though caution after dark remains important in both cities.
The grey shape is all 283 cities; each row says whether lower or higher is better. Ratings out of 10 are our reviewed estimates; the rest is published data. How we measure
The choice in one minute
Cartagena makes sense if
- A calmer day-to-day safety profile matters most to you.
- You value stronger public spaces and everyday city life.
What matters to you
Set how much each area counts. The ranking updates as you go. Climate and values are left out because there is no better or worse there, only your taste.
Money
Nature & outdoors
City life
Safety & health
Work & family
Moving & settling in
- 1Cali55
Leads on nature & outdoors; stands out for mountains and hiking.
- 2Cartagena52
Leads on city life and safety & health; stands out for beach & sea and bright days.
Scores out of 100, averaged from the areas you weighted. For a ranking built around your own situation, take the quiz.
Side by side
Money
Rent on a new lease, everyday prices and tax.
Section score out of 100
Cali73Cartagena73
One-bedroom rent
Per month, new lease, citywide
$135/mo$2,444/mo
- $377/mo
- $377/mo
Rent as share of local pay
One-bedroom rent vs. typical net local pay
21%120%
- ~79%, leads
- ~82%
Everyday prices
Excluding rent · United States = 100
25131
- 46
- 46
Income tax + social contributions
Range: average-wage rate to top marginal rate; the dot marks its midpoint
0%46%
- 0–39%
- 0–39%
Climate
The year month by month. Whether it suits you is yours to judge.
Solid line: average daytime high. Dashed: night-time low. Point at the chart for any month; point at a city name to shade its range.
Bright days
Under 80% cloud and under 1 mm rain
30 days347 days
- 30 days
- 120 days, leads
Muggy days
Days that feel sticky (dew point)
0 days365 days
- 364 days
- 365 days
Air pollution
Annual mean fine particles (PM2.5)
4.6 µg/m³84 µg/m³
- 16 µg/m³
- 17.3 µg/m³
Nature & outdoors
How easily you get to water, mountains and green space.
Section score out of 100
Cali60Cartagena41
Beach & sea
110
- 2/10
- 9/10, leads
Mountains
110
- 8/10, leads
- 2/10
City parks
110
- 6/10, leads
- 4/10
Weekend escapes
110
- 8/10, leads
- 6/10
City life
Getting around on foot, food, culture and the feel of the streets.
Section score out of 100
Cartagena60Cali55
Walkability
110
- 6/10
- 7/10, leads
Public transport
110
- 4/10, leads
- 3/10
Restaurants
110
- 7/10
- 8/10, leads
Public spaces
110
- 6/10
- 8/10, leads
Safety & health
Crime, how safe people feel, and the care you would get.
Section score out of 100
Cartagena47Cali43
Homicide rate
Per 100,000 residents per year
0.247
- 46.9
- 35.6, leads
Feels safe day to day
110
- 3/10
- 5/10, leads
Healthcare quality
110
- 8/10, leads
- 6/10
English-speaking care
110
- 5/10
- 7/10, leads
Work & family
Jobs, working culture, schools and raising kids.
Section score out of 100
Cali46Cartagena43
Job market
110
- 4/10
- 4/10
Jobs in English
110
- 5/10
- 6/10, leads
Work–life balance
110
- 4/10
- 4/10
Schools
110
- 5/10, leads
- 4/10
Moving & settling in
Visas, language, paperwork and staying connected.
Section score out of 100
Cali50Cartagena49
Visa & residence difficulty
Typical case; your passport changes this
110
- 4/10
- 4/10
Language barrier
For an English speaker
110
- 7/10
- 6/10, leads
Openness to newcomers
110
- 8/10
- 8/10
Flight connections
110
- 6/10
- 6/10
Society & values
Where each city sits. There is no right end of these scales.
Social attitudes
ConservativeLiberal
- 7/10
- 7/10
LGBTQ+ acceptance
LowHigh
- 7/10
- 7/10
Diversity
HomogeneousDiverse
- 7/10
- 6/10
Religion in public life
ReligiousSecular
- 5/10
- 4/10
Life in each city
Daily life
Cali
As Colombia's third city, Cali is smaller and lower-slung than Bogotá or Medellín, with a more spread-out, lower-density feel. Walkability is middling and getting around often means a car or taxi.
Cartagena
Beyond the old quarter, getting around often means a car, and neighbourhood quality is uneven. The pace is slow and the scale modest compared with Bogotá or Medellín.
Safety
Cali
Homicide and violent crime run notably higher than in Medellín or Bogotá, perceived safety is low, and walking around at night feels genuinely risky in much of the city. Residents adapt with local know-how about which areas and hours to avoid.
Cartagena
Cartagena deserves more caution than its relaxed tourist image suggests. Political stability is also weak, so calm daytime streets should not be read as a full safety picture.
Work and healthcare
Cali
Cali has a thin local job market, limited industry breadth, and few English-language roles. Healthcare is middling.
Cartagena
The local market is thin, with limited industry breadth, few English-language roles, and little startup depth. Healthcare is workable but not a standout.
Culture and public life
Cali
Music is Cali's beating heart. Cali is hot and grimy in its central districts, with the uneven upkeep typical of the region.
Cartagena
Cartagena has a strong sense of its own Caribbean culture, with lively nightlife, a solid restaurant and cafe scene, and music woven into daily life. Cartagena keeps its walled old town beautifully, its colonial plazas, ramparts, and waterfront among the finest in the Americas, though the outskirts are noticeably rougher.
Summary
Cartagena offers a striking historic centre and a stronger public-space profile, but its safety concerns still shape how residents move at night. Cali is the choice for a daily life tied to salsa, music and local street culture.
Read on
Which of these fits you?
These numbers treat everyone the same. The quiz weighs them by your budget, climate taste, family and work, and ranks all 283 cities for you.