Colombia is card-friendly in cafés and malls, but cash still runs day to day life: apartment deposits, neighbourhood markets, barbers, taxis and tips.
Budget in pesos, not in dollars
Set a monthly peso budget and exchange in one or two batches. Fewer, larger exchanges mean fewer fees and less time spent hunting for machines.
Keep a cash buffer
A week of expenses in cash covers power cuts, card outages and small businesses that only take efectivo.
Check the rate before you commit
The market rate moves daily. Monly publishes the rate of the day on the home page so you can compare before ordering.
Stay safe
Avoid counting cash in the street. A delivery to your building lobby or apartment is safer than walking out of an exchange house with a full backpack.