← Part of the Colombia money guide
Colombiachecked Jul 2026Do I need cash in Colombia, or can I use cards?
Short answer: cards in cities for hotels and nicer places, and peso cash for markets, small shops and taxis. Use ATMs inside banks or malls for safety. Here is how to handle it.
At a glance
Currency
Colombian peso (COP)
Cards
Cities, hotels, nicer restaurants
Cash for
Markets, small shops, taxis
ATMs
Use ones inside bank branches
Both. Colombia takes cards in cities, at hotels, malls and nicer restaurants, where contactless is common, but markets, small shops, street food and taxis are largely cash. The currency is the peso, which runs into large numbers. For safety, use ATMs inside bank branches or malls rather than street machines, since card skimming happens. Choose pesos, not dollars, on any card or ATM. Use DiDi or inDrive for taxis.
Cards in cities, cash for daily life
Colombia takes cards in cities, at hotels, malls, chains and nicer restaurants, where contactless is common. But markets, small shops, street food and taxis are largely cash, so carry pesos.
The peso runs into large numbers (everyday amounts in the thousands and tens of thousands), so keep an eye on the zeros. Away from cities and tourist areas, plan on more cash.
Choose pesos, not dollars
When a card terminal or ATM asks whether to charge in dollars or pesos, always choose pesos. Dollars trigger dynamic currency conversion at a rate about 3 to 8% worse than your own bank's. Decline it every time.
For cash, use ATMs at major banks (such as Bancolombia or Davivienda). Some cap withdrawals or charge foreign-card fees, so take out a sensible amount. Use a debit card to avoid cash-advance fees.
Use ATMs safely, and taxis
For safety, use ATMs inside bank branches or shopping malls rather than exposed street machines, since card skimming does happen, and shield the keypad. For taxis, use DiDi or inDrive, which show a fixed or metered price and are safer than hailing on the street.
For tipping norms, see tipping in Colombia, and for the wider picture, the Colombia money guide.
Common questions
Quick answers.
Do I need cash in Colombia?
Yes. Cards work in cities at hotels, malls and nicer restaurants, but markets, small shops, street food and taxis are largely cash. Carry pesos, and more of them away from cities.
Should I pay in pesos or dollars in Colombia?
Always pesos. If a card machine or ATM offers dollars, decline: that dynamic currency conversion adds roughly 3 to 8%, and your own bank's rate is better.
Are ATMs safe in Colombia?
Use ATMs inside bank branches or shopping malls rather than exposed street machines, since card skimming happens. Shield the keypad, and take out a sensible amount at once.
How do I pay for taxis in Colombia?
Use DiDi or inDrive, which show a fixed or metered price and are safer than hailing on the street. For a street taxi, agree the fare or use the meter, and pay in pesos.
More on Colombia
The little money things nobody warns you about.
- Tipping in ColombiaIn Colombia, restaurants add a voluntary 10% tip that the server asks you about. Say yes and that is the tip, no extra needed. Here is what you actually owe.
- Taxi apps in Colombia, and the one rule that mattersIn Colombia the how-you-get-a-taxi matters more than which app. Here is the single rule to follow, the apps locals actually use, and how to leave Bogota's airport without the roadside gamble.
- Do US citizens need a visa for Colombia?Short answer: no visa, but yes to one free online form. US citizens enter Colombia visa-free for up to 90 days; the catch is Check-Mig, which every traveler files before flying. Here is how it works, and how not to overpay for it.
- Common money scams in Colombia, and what they cost youMillions of people visit Colombia and have a straightforwardly good time, and most trips pass without any of this. But we are not going to tell you a few habits defuse it, because that is not true here. The way money is taken from foreign visitors in Colombia is mostly not an inflated bill or a rigged meter. It is being made unable to refuse, by something in a drink or by a car you cannot get out of. That changes the advice: it is about not entering the situation rather than watching your wallet. The situations are few, specific and recognisable, and the decisions that avoid them are small. Note that this page covers money; the US State Department currently has Colombia at Level 3 with a kidnapping indicator, so read the full advisory for the wider picture.
- Staying connected in Colombia.Colombia is cheap and easy on this front: a Claro SIM costs a few dollars, covers more of the country than anything else, and takes a passport and a few minutes.
- What does getting sick in Colombia cost a visitor?Colombia's big-city hospitals rank among the best in Latin America, and a visitor pays local prices for them, usually in cash. The two things to respect are the map, which thins out fast, and the elective-surgery trade, which carries a real warning.
Sources, and how this was checked
Last checkedJul 2026
- Banco de la Republicaofficial exchange rate information
- US State DepartmentColombia country information
Our own readColombia takes cards in cities but daily life runs on cash, and ATM skimming is a known risk, so bank-branch machines are safest. The peso rate moves, and the firm rule is to decline dollar conversion. Checked July 2026.
How we checkHow every guide is researched, checked and dated