Cape Verde Travel Costs: A Budget Guide
Quick answer: Average hotel rates run about £53/night mid-range or £96/night luxury — but Sal, Boa Vista, and now São Vicente, with their international resort chains, cost noticeably more than every other island.
Average nightly hotel rates, by category (archipelago-wide):
- Budget: £31/night
- Mid-range: £54/night
- Luxury: £96/night
Which islands have international resort chains — and which don't:
- Sal and Boa Vista carry the longest-established chains: RIU (Riu Palace Santa Maria on Sal; Riu Palace Boavista and Riu Touareg on Boa Vista) and Meliá (Meliá Dunas Beach Resort & Spa, Meliá Llana Beach Resort & Spa, both on Sal). All-inclusive rates average £140-260/night for two.
- São Vicente now has one too: the Four Points by Sheraton São Vicente Resort in Mindelo (Laginha Beach), opened March 2026 — Marriott's first property in Cape Verde.
- Every other island — Santo Antão, Fogo, Santiago, Maio, São Nicolau, Brava — has no international chains, only independent guesthouses and boutique properties. Not a lesser tier: Santo Antão's Hotel Santantao Art Resort and RM Green Hotel are genuinely upscale, just independently run.
Food costs: local restaurants average £5-8 a meal; tourist-oriented restaurants (concentrated on Sal/Boa Vista) run £12-20+.
Airport Security Tax: 3,400 CVE (~£27) per person, mandatory regardless of nationality (see Visa and Entry Requirements).
Domestic transport: inter-island flights with Cabo Verde Airlines run £34-77 one-way (Santo Antão and Brava have no airports — ferry only); shared minivans (aluguer) are the main way to get around on every island, and often the only option on the smallest ones (Brava, Maio); taxis are available on the larger islands (Sal, Boa Vista, Santiago, São Vicente, São Nicolau, Fogo, Santo Antão) — they run on fixed prices rather than meters, so agree the fare with the driver before you get in.
Overall daily budget once you're there, by travel style:
- Budget (independent islands, guesthouses): roughly £45-75/day
- Mid-range (mix of islands or standard hotels on Sal/Boa Vista): roughly £90-180/day
- Luxury/all-inclusive (Sal, Boa Vista, or São Vicente resort-based): roughly £200-400+/day
Related guides: Flights to Cape Verde · Getting Around Cape Verde · Which Cape Verde Island Should You Visit? · Best Hotels in Sal