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City comparison

Cali vs Guadalajara

In short

Calculated from the figures below, with no overall “who wins” score.

  • Rent

    in Cali cheaper — −16%

  • Family budget

    in Cali cheaper — −43%

  • Internet

    in Cali cheaper — −58%

In numbers

Exchange rate as of the date each figure was checked.

  • House or apartment rent

    per month
    Cali≈ $434–1,980COP 1,425k – 6.5M
    cheaper by 16%
    Guadalajara≈ $1,090–1,770MX$19,800 – 32k
  • Family budget

    per month
    Cali≈ $623COP 2,046,552
    cheaper by 43%
    Guadalajara≈ $1,080MX$19,621
  • Internet

    per month
    Cali≈ $19–23COP 60,900–75,900
    cheaper by 58%
    Guadalajara≈ $21–77MX$389–1,399
  • Winter

    average
    Cali19–29 °C19–29 °C
    Guadalajara10–25 °C10–25 °C
  • Precipitation

    per year
    Cali1,485 mm1,485 mm
    Guadalajara972 mm972 mm
  • Ready-made house

    purchase
    Cali≈ $131–243kCOP 430–800M
    cheaper by 48%
    Guadalajara≈ $221–497kMX$4–9M

By topic

A quick look at each city. Details and sources are on the city page.

Daily life

Cali

Nothing yet

Guadalajara

Who lives here

By the 2020 census the municipality of Guadalajara has 1.39 million residents, the five main metro municipalities 4.85 million. 11.5% were born in another state.

OfficialINEGI: 2020 census, results by locality for Jalisco (ITER) · checked 6 Oct 2026

Spread by neighborhood

A two-bedroom in Providencia is mostly 28-35k pesos, in Americana 19.5-22k for 60-90 m², in Chapalita 20-23.5k, in Oblatos and Centro 13.5-15.7k.

SpecialistMercado Libre: two-bedroom apartments for rent in the municipality of Guadalajara · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about daily life in Guadalajara →

Housing

Cali

Three-bedroom rent by stratum

A three-bedroom by listings: in stratum 4 in the south the median is 1.4 million pesos a month (about 430 dollars, 65 m²), in stratum 6 it is 6.5 million (about 1,940 dollars, 210 m²).

SpecialistFincaraíz: three-bedroom apartments for rent in Cali · checked 6 Oct 2026

Buying an apartment

A resale three-bedroom by listings: from 155 million to 1.5 billion pesos, half within 430-800 million. New three-bedroom units sell from 220 million to 1.6 billion.

SpecialistFincaraíz: three-bedroom apartments for sale in Cali · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about housing in Cali →

Guadalajara

Long-term rent

A two-bedroom apartment in listings is about 24,650 pesos a month, half between 19,800 and 32,000. Of 304 offers, 70 are under 20k and 171 above 25k.

SpecialistMercado Libre: two-bedroom apartments for rent in the municipality of Guadalajara · checked 6 Oct 2026

Buying a house

Three-bedroom house: 53 listings up to 4M pesos, 58 from 4 to 9M, 61 above. First-page median about 8.3M, about 33k per square meter.

SpecialistMercado Libre: three-bedroom houses for sale in the municipality of Guadalajara · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about housing in Guadalajara →

Money and prices

Cali

Groceries for a family

The DANE minimum food basket for Cali is 247,372 pesos per person a month, about 989 thousand (296 dollars) for a family of four. Figures for 2025.

OfficialDANE: monetary poverty 2025, presentation of results with poverty lines by city · checked 6 Oct 2026

Family budget per month

A family of four in Cali counts as poor with income below 2.05 million pesos a month, about 610 dollars (2025). Average income is 1.58 million per person.

OfficialDANE: monetary poverty 2025, presentation of results with poverty lines by city · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about money and prices in Cali →

Guadalajara

Groceries for a family

INEGI's urban food basket is 2562.58 pesos per person a month, 10,250 for a family of four (August 2026). A nationwide figure, the food minimum.

OfficialINEGI: income poverty lines, August 2026 (bulletin 592/26) · checked 6 Oct 2026

Family budget per month

INEGI's urban poverty line is 4905.33 pesos per person, 19,621 a month for a family of four (August 2026). A floor without rent, not a real budget.

OfficialINEGI: income poverty lines, August 2026 (bulletin 592/26) · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about money and prices in Guadalajara →

Family and kids

Cali

Nothing yet

Guadalajara

Private schools

Micole's estimate for Jalisco: primary school 4000-14,000 pesos a month, kindergarten 3000-9000, international 18,000-45,000. Plus a fee of 8000-60,000 a year.

SpecialistMicole: how much a private school costs in Jalisco in 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026

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Healthcare

Cali

The country's best hospital

Fundación Valle del Lili in Cali is Colombia's best hospital in the Newsweek ranking for the fifth year in a row; 126th in the world list of 2026 out of 2,530 assessed.

SpecialistConsultorSalud: which Colombian hospitals are in the World's Best Hospitals 2026 ranking · checked 6 Oct 2026

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Guadalajara

Private hospitals

According to INEGI, Guadalajara has 76 private medical facilities with 1473 beds, and Zapopan another 26 with 699 beds. Public hospitals are not included.

OfficialINEGI: statistics of private health facilities (ESEP) 2025, report 28/26 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about healthcare in Guadalajara →

Transport

Cali

Bonilla Aragón Airport

In 2025 about 6.4 million passengers passed through Cali airport, 1.2 million of them international. Since September 2025 it has been run by the state agency Aerocivil.

OfficialAerocivil, open data: commercial air traffic by origin-destination, 2020-2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about transport in Cali →

Guadalajara

Roads and airport

The airport is 21 km from the cathedral, about 23 minutes without traffic. In August 2026 it handled 1.79 million passengers, 585 thousand of them international.

OfficialGAP: airport passenger traffic for August 2026 (filing on the BMV stock exchange) · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about transport in Guadalajara →

Climate

Cali

Warm all year round

There is no winter: in the coolest month, November, it averages 19 degrees at night and 28.8 during the day, in August 18.5 and 30.9. The difference between months is about 2 degrees.

OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals of Cali 1971-2000 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Precipitation and seasonality

In the city about 1,485 mm a year and 166 rainy days. Two wet seasons, March-May and October-November; driest in July-August.

OfficialWMO, World Weather Information Service: climate normals of Cali 1971-2000 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about climate in Cali →

Guadalajara

Rainfall and seasons

About 970 mm a year, 87% of it from June to September, peaking in July at 274 mm. From November to May it is almost dry: 4 to 20 mm a month.

OfficialWMO World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Guadalajara · checked 6 Oct 2026

Winter

The coolest month is January: on average 10.2 degrees at night and 24.7 by day. Winter is dry and sunny; the city sits at about 1540 meters.

OfficialWMO World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Guadalajara · checked 6 Oct 2026

The hottest time

May is the hottest, before the rains: on average 32.4 degrees by day and 17.2 at night. In July and August, because of the rains, about 27 by day.

OfficialWMO World Weather Information Service: climate normals for Guadalajara · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about climate in Guadalajara →

Safety

Cali

Homicides

According to Ministry of Defense open data, Cali had 1,068 homicides in 2025 against 950 in 2024. In January-August 2026 there were 766, 17% more than in the same period of 2025.

OfficialColombian Ministry of Defense, open data: homicides by municipality (HOMICIDIO) · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about safety in Cali →

Guadalajara

Safety in statistics

In June 2026, 78% of adults in Guadalajara and 54% in Zapopan felt unsafe, versus 59.8% nationwide. Homicides in 2024: 25 per 100,000 residents.

OfficialINEGI: ENSU, perceived safety by city, June 2026 (report 27/26) · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about safety in Guadalajara →

Internet and phone

Cali

Home internet

Tigo sells home internet at 200-500 Mbit/s for 60,900-75,900 pesos a month (strata 1-3, VAT included). On cable the upload is only 12-15 Mbit/s, on fibre 100-250.

SpecialistTigo: terms of home plans, internet plan specifications · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about internet and phone service in Cali →

Guadalajara

Internet per month

Telmex: from 389 pesos for 120 Mbps to 1399 for a gigabit. Totalplay 100 Mbps for 390, Megacable 1000 Mbps for 1000 pesos on promotion. Prices are nationwide.

SpecialistExpansión: Telmex, Totalplay, Megacable and Izzi internet packages, September 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Everything about internet and phone service in Guadalajara →

Services

Cali

Electricity from EMCALI

EMCALI has one of the cheapest electricity prices in the country: 868.6 pesos per kWh for stratum 4 as of June 2026. 300 kWh a month is about 261 thousand pesos (78 dollars).

SpecialistValora Analitik: the most expensive electricity tariffs for stratum 4 in Colombia · checked 6 Oct 2026

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Guadalajara

LP gas: price cap

LP gas price cap in Guadalajara and Zapopan for 27 Sep - 3 Oct 2026: 20.27 pesos per kg, 10.95 per liter. A 20 kg cylinder at the cap is about 405 pesos.

OfficialComisión Nacional de Energía: maximum LP gas prices from 27 September to 3 October 2026 · checked 6 Oct 2026

Electricity at the CFE tariff

Tariff 1 in September 2026: 1.136 pesos per kWh up to 75, 1.381 up to 140, then 4.041. 300 kWh on it is about 950 pesos with VAT. The house's tariff class is on the bill.

SpecialistRecibo de Luz: CFE tariff 1 steps for September 2026 and DAC thresholds for tariffs 1-1F · checked 6 Oct 2026

Water: SIAPA tariff

SIAPA's average water price in 2023 was 18.16 pesos per m³; in 2025 the tariff rose 9.65%. 15 m³ a month at that price is about 270-300 pesos. Murky water complaints.

SpecialistUnoTV: SIAPA asks for a 12.5% water tariff increase, price per cubic meter in 2023 and 2025 · checked 6 Oct 2026

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