Living in Cali, Colombia – Interview With an Expat

What is life in Cali like?

Cali, known for salsa dancing and often nicknamed the ‘Salsa Capital’ is becoming a popular city to visit. But what is it like to move to and live in Cali?

In this interview, Mitch shares his experiences and practical tips for anyone who is moving to Cali or is simply interested in what life in Cali is really like.

This interview is part of the Ask an Expat series. In this series, I interview people living all over the world but outside of their home country. I try to help paint an honest picture of the ups and downs of life abroad, share tips about moving to the place the expat now calls home, and information about what to see and do here.

Life in Cali, Colombia

Name: Mitch
Age: 31
Hometown: Grand Rapids, Michigan, USA

His Story:

”I was a pretty big nerd growing up. And I had zero (known) travel bones in my body.

The only thing that mattered to me was becoming a physical therapist and rising to the top of my field.

I devoted my life to studying and academics for six years. Then, right after I finally got accepted into my dream doctoral program, a new friend (who I literally knew for just a few hours) invited me to go to Thailand with her for a month.

I had a month to kill before starting my program, so I thought, why not?

That month entirely changed the way I looked at the world, setting in motion a domino effect that led me away from my career and into a life of travel.

Fast forward through a year of solo backpacking through Central and South America, and I arrived in Cali, Colombia.”

Why Did You Move to Cali?

”Cali was originally supposed to be a quick 2-day stopover on my way down to Ecuador.

I heard it was popular with salsa dancing, so I figured I’d give it a try for a day.

But I got hooked.

The quick stopover turned into two weeks of intensive classes where I met a group of local Colombian friends.

I still had several months more of my travel itinerary to finish, so I left. But after my trip, instead of returning to the US as planned, I went back to Cali.

That’s when I met a cute girl in a salsa class, fell in love, got married, and the rest is history.

We bought an apartment in Cali, I’ve lived there for over three years, and it’s where I call home.

That said, right before the pandemic, we rented it out on Airbnb, my wife quit her real estate job and learned how to become a virtual assistant (she now works for me! 😇), and we hit the road as digital nomads.

We’re still in Cali regularly, but spend a large part of the year traveling now.”

What Do You Like About Living in Cali?

”Cali has a unique energy you can’t find anywhere else.

Salsa is everywhere. In taxis, supermarkets, bus stations — you can’t escape it. 

Caleños love dancing. And when you step into one of the hundreds of salsa clubs, you just get this vibe of joy that’s hard to describe.

The people love to let loose and have fun, and once you get a taste of it, that energy sucks you in.

Life in Cali is also very affordable for anyone earning in a strong currency, even compared to other places in Colombia.”

What Do You Dislike About Living in Cali?

”Cali isn’t the safest city on earth.

I don’t think you should be scared to visit. If you learn to take precautions, you can minimize the odds of anything bad happening.

But stuff does happen. Pretty much every Caleño has at least one crazy story to tell.

Like I said, many things are preventable if you take the appropriate precautions. But even so, it can be kind of annoying having to be so careful all the time.

The other gripe I have in Cali is the noise.

Caleños are rowdy, houses are close together, and it seems culturally acceptable to blast music 24/7 for the whole neighborhood to hear.

In some neighborhoods, it’s literally a competition. Apparently whichever house has the loudest speaker gets to choose the music.”

Also Read: Things to Consider Before Moving to Another Country

Is Cali Safe as a Place to Live?

”Safety is a tricky question.

When you ask people if a city is safe, usually the answer comes down to a matter of opinion and personal experiences. Sure, you can measure things like homicide data, but that doesn’t always paint a clear picture either as most problems are isolated to certain areas.

If you’re street smart, you should be fine living in Cali.

But if you’re looking for somewhere you can waltz around the streets at night blabbering away on your iPhone without a care in the world, Cali is probably not a good fit.”

What Is Your Favorite Thing to Do in Cali?

”Dance. Dance. Then dance some more.

Dance classes are incredibly cheap. And you can go out to dance clubs every night of the week. There are almost too many options to choose from.

When you need a break from dancing, here are some other cool things to do in Cali — many of which only locals know about.”

What Is Your Favorite Place to Hang Out in Cali?

”There are TONS of cool restaurants, bars, and clubs. You could try new places every day and never get bored. If I had to choose one place for salsa dancing, it’d be La Topa Tolondra — it never disappoints.

There are also many delicious and reasonably-priced restaurants. I’m a big fan of Crepes & Waffles — a chain you can find all through Colombia. They make it feel like you’re in a fancy restaurant, but at budget prices.”

What Is the Expat / International Community Like in Cali?

”There is a small expat community in Cali, but it’s nothing like the giant expat community in Medellin.

In my opinion, this can be a blessing and a curse.

In Medellin, it’s easier to get sucked into an expat bubble.

When you live in Cali, you’re more likely to be spending time with locals (this is awesome if you want to learn Spanish).

That said, there are regular expat meetups in Cali, and they’re usually posted in the Cali Collaborative Facebook group.

I haven’t actually made it to any of these meetings (too busy dancing!), but it looks like they’re full of cool people.”

Any Tips for Moving To / Living in Cali?

”The first step is to learn the safety precautions. But if you’ve ever traveled through Latin America, these precautions shouldn’t be anything new.

Second, find a good neighborhood to live in. San Antonio and Miraflores are popular with travelers, tourists, and expats.

There are also nice neighborhoods in the south end of the city, like Pance and Ciudad Jardin, that are popular with expats.

Before getting married, I spent most of my time in the Tequendama area, which is super central, but not that popular with expats.

You should pretty much avoid the entire East side of the city unless you’re with Colombian friends. Most neighborhoods in the East are rough around the edges with higher gang activities — stuff that’s best not to get mixed up in.

Taxis are cheap, but to avoid traffic, it’s helpful to find accommodation close to the places you will regularly visit.

If you plan to drive, you technically should get a Colombian driver’s license (including driver’s training classes) if you are staying on a longer-term visa. This is silly, but I don’t make the rules!

Finally, join group salsa classes as soon as possible to start making friends with locals.” 

Any Resources You Found Useful During the Process of Moving to and Building a New Life in Cali

”If you’re starting on a tight budget, you can find roommates or cheap rooms in shared apartments on CompartoApto. When I was first starting my digital nomad journey with limited income, this is what I did. I also met some cool locals, and my Spanish skyrocketed.

For long-term rentals or buying real estate, check out Suma Servicios Inmobiliarios. My wife was Suma’s go-to English speaker before we left on our adventure, but if you shoot us an email, she’ll be happy to help.

In Colombia, you have to be careful who you trust when making big purchases like real estate, so choose wisely who you do business with.

For taxis and ridesharing, use Uber, DiDi, or Tappsi. And to order food, groceries, medicine, etc, Rappi is the go-to app.

For visa information, check out the official Cancilleria website.

Lastly, to meet other expats and ask questions, check out the Cali expat Facebook groups.”

Is There Something You Just Have to See or Do When You Are in Cali?

”I think you already know what I’m going to say here…Take salsa dancing classes, go dancing in a different club every night of the week, and soak up the salsa culture.

They also have some impressive salsa shows to check out.

Delirio is the most famous, but it’s pretty expensive by Colombian standards. A cheaper alternative (that is still really cool), is El Mulato Cabaret — just make sure to arrive early to get a seat on the first floor if possible.

I also recommend getting out of the city to explore the jungle and mountains.

San Cipriano is an exciting day trip to a village deep in the jungle. The only way there is by “motobrujas” — carts attached to a motorcycle that drive on train tracks.

Lastly, if you make some Colombian friends, try to get yourself invited to a “finca”, a cottage up in the mountains. You won’t regret it!”

About Mitch

Mitch is the blogger behind Project Untethered, where he teaches adventure cravers how to escape the rat race, earn money while traveling, and build an “untethered” life in his epic email newsletter.

His advice has been featured by Forbes, USA Today, and Reader’s Digest.

About Cali, Colombia

Cali, or officially Santiago de Cali, is a city in southwest Colombia.

Cali is the second-largest city in Colombia by area and with over 2.8 million inhabitants it’s the third most populous city, after Bogota and Medellin.

Being at around 1,000 meters above sea level Cali tends to have warm midday and afternoon temperatures with nice Pacific Ocean breezes, and cool nights.

As the only major Colombian city with access to the Pacific Coast, Cali is the main urban and economic center in the south of the country. The city has one of Colombia’s fastest-growing economies.

Also Read:

• Things to Know Before Going to Colombia
• Living in Medellin – Interview With an Expat
• A Guide to Medellin for Digital Nomads
• The Best Rooftop Bars in Medellin
• Living in Cartagena, Colombia – Interview With an Expat
• Doing the Lost City Trek in Colombia – Everything You Need to Know

 
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Featured image of Cali by: Depositphotos