Is Cape Verde expensive? A realistic holiday budget for 2027

Last updated: November 10, 2026

Is Cape Verde expensive? Less than Western Europe for a local meal or a beer, but more than many visitors expect for imported goods, resort dining and travel between the islands. This guide adds up the whole trip, from package prices and compulsory fees to food, excursions and transfers, with sample daily budgets and tips to keep costs down. For the escudo, cards and tipping, see currency and prices.

Is Cape Verde expensive? The short answer

Cape Verde is a mid-priced destination with some surprising costs. Everyday local prices are lower than in the UK, Germany or France: a coffee costs about €1-3, a beer in a bar about €2-4.50 and a simple local meal such as cachupa about €5-10. But the country imports most of its food and fuel, fresh water comes from desalination plants, and the beach islands live largely from tourism, so supermarket goods, resort restaurants and anything that has to be shipped in cost about what you would pay in southern Europe, sometimes more.

The biggest variables are how you travel and when. An all-inclusive package on Sal or Boa Vista fixes most of the cost in advance, while an independent trip can be cheaper or dearer depending on where you sleep and eat. Island hopping is the item that most often breaks budgets, because domestic flights and the transfers needed to reach Fogo or Santo Antão add up quickly.

Packages, flights and when prices drop

Most visitors from the UK and Europe come on a package to Sal or Boa Vista, which bundles the flight, transfer and an all-inclusive hotel. Prices depend far more on dates than on the island. The most expensive weeks are Christmas and New Year, the February half-term, Easter and the summer holidays from late July to August; the best value is usually in May and June and from late September to November, outside school holidays.

Booking early pays off for the peak weeks, when popular hotels and flights sell out. Outside them, late deals are common. If you book flights and rooms separately, remember that only Sal and Boa Vista have many direct routes from Europe; reaching Praia or Mindelo usually means connecting in Lisbon. Our guide to the best time to visit compares the months, weather included.

Compulsory costs: EASE and the airport security fee

Every visitor must pre-register on the official EASE platform at least five days before arrival and pay the airport security fee of 3,400 escudos, about €31 per person; children aged one and under are exempt. It is rarely included in package prices, and since 1 July 2026 travellers who arrive without having registered pay double at border control. Use the government site, ease.gov.cv, not the look-alike websites that add a service charge.

Travel insurance is the other non-negotiable cost. The European and UK health cards are not accepted in Cape Verde, and medical evacuation to Europe can be very expensive, so make sure your policy covers it. Details are in safety, visa and the EASE fee.

Food and drink prices

Eating where locals eat is the single best way to keep costs down. A plate of cachupa, grilled fish with rice or the dish of the day in a small restaurant usually costs €5-10, while on the beachfront of Santa Maria a main course is closer to European resort prices. A three-course dinner for two in a mid-range restaurant starts at around €30 without drinks. Coffee costs about €1-3 and a beer in a bar about €2-4.50, while cocktails and imported wines are where bills climb.

In supermarkets, a 1.5-litre bottle of water costs around €1, but imported cheese, cereals, wine and toiletries are often dearer than at home. Local products, from fish and fruit to grogue, the sugar-cane spirit, are better value. Our guide to Cape Verdean food explains what to order.

Excursions, transfers and getting around

Excursion prices vary with the operator, group size and inclusions, but as a rough guide based on tours on sale for 2026-27, a half-day island tour on Sal, a trip to Shark Bay or a turtle-watching walk typically costs about €30-60 per person, a 4x4 tour on Boa Vista about €45-75, a catamaran cruise around €60, and a full-day trip to Santo Antão from Mindelo, ferry included, about €85-115. Compare current prices on our tours page.

On Sal, a private transfer from the airport to Santa Maria costs about €25-30 for the car, and taxis can be cheaper if you agree the fare first. Shared aluguer minibuses between towns are by far the cheapest way to travel, with fares starting at about 100 escudos, roughly €1. Inter-island flights and ferries often cost more than visitors expect, and a trip to Fogo or Santo Antão adds connections on top; see island hopping before you plan several islands.

Where you sleep: resort, town or guesthouse

An all-inclusive resort on Sal or Boa Vista is often the best value in high season, especially with children, because food and drinks on the islands are not cheap and most resorts lie far from any town. If you plan to explore, a room-only stay in Santa Maria lets you eat in local places and book excursions directly, which can cost less overall.

Away from the beach islands, small hotels and family-run guesthouses on Santo Antão, Fogo and São Nicolau are among the cheapest places to sleep in the country, and many include breakfast and can arrange dinner. Mindelo and Praia have small city hotels and guesthouses for independent travellers. Compare areas in where to stay in Cape Verde, and if you are still choosing an island, read Sal or Boa Vista?.

Sample daily budgets

These figures are per person and per day, on top of flights and accommodation, and they are approximate. On a budget, eating local dishes, drinking a couple of beers, using aluguers and joining one cheap excursion during the week, you can manage on roughly €25-45 a day. A mid-range traveller eating out twice a day in tourist areas, with drinks and an excursion every two or three days, should allow about €60-100.

On an all-inclusive holiday the daily spend can be very low: excursions, tips and a few meals or drinks in town on top of the package, perhaps €20-50 a day on average if you take two or three trips. Add the airport security fee and, for any trip, a buffer for delays between islands.

How to save money in Cape Verde

Travel in May, June or from late September to November; avoid half-terms. Withdraw escudos from an ATM on arrival and pay in escudos where you can, because shops that accept euros often round the rate to 100 escudos per euro, which costs you around 10%. Choose escudos, not euros or pounds, when a card machine offers you a choice, and take out larger sums less often to limit fees.

Eat the dish of the day in local restaurants, buy water and snacks in supermarkets rather than at beach bars, use aluguers between towns, agree taxi fares before you get in, book excursions with established operators and compare prices, and limit the number of islands you visit. Tipping is appreciated but not compulsory: around 10% for good service is usual. And if you are deciding between destinations, our comparison of Cape Verde and the Canary Islands puts the prices side by side.

Frequently asked questions

Is Cape Verde expensive for tourists?

It is cheaper than Western Europe for local food, drink and transport, but imported goods, resort restaurants and inter-island travel cost about the same as in southern Europe or more. A simple local meal costs about €5-10.

How much money do I need per day in Cape Verde?

Roughly €25-45 a day on a budget and €60-100 for a mid-range trip, per person and on top of flights and accommodation. On an all-inclusive package, €20-50 a day covers excursions, tips and extras.

How much is a beer in Cape Verde?

About €2-4.50 in a bar, depending on the place; beachfront bars in Santa Maria charge the most.

Is it cheaper to go all-inclusive in Cape Verde?

Often, yes, on Sal and Boa Vista, where food and drink are not cheap and most resorts are far from town. If you want to explore and eat locally, a room-only stay in Santa Maria can cost less.

When is the cheapest time to go to Cape Verde?

Usually May and June and from late September to November, outside school holidays. Christmas, New Year, February half-term, Easter and August are the most expensive.