When planning a visit to Cabo Verde one of the first questions is how expensive various things are. What is the currency of Cabo Verde anyways and what are the exchange rates? Can you use a credit card in Cabo Verde? In this article we will briefly answer these questions. Before you go, check out the weather patterns of Cabo Verde and the attractions of the island.
The currency of Cabo Verde
The currency of Cabo Verde is escudo (CVE). Cabo Verde has a problem with falsified money, so it’s best to inspect the banknotes before concluding the purchase and use coins where possible. Escudo coins go all the way to 100 CVE, which is however not much – a little more than one dollar and a little less than one euro. Unfortunately, you will need a lot CVE, as due to climate Cabo Verde doesn’t produce enough food for all citizens, so most food products have to be imported across the ocean and thus relatively expensive.
How expensive is food in Cabo Verde?
We know food in Cabo Verde is expensive, but how expensive is it? Below are examples of a few products:
- 1l of milk is 108 CVE
- 1l of water is at least 120 CVE
- 1kg of cheese is 200 CVE
- 1kg bananas is 200 CVE
- 1kg oranges is 250 CVE
- 1kg tomatoes is 210 CVE
- a bottle of beer is 120 CVE
- 1kg of sausage is 1300 CVE
As you can see, meat in Cabo Verde is very expensive, imported and not of good quality. In general, food is cheapest at the supermarkets. Of course, cooking by yourself makes your holidays cheaper, but many tourists simply don’t want to spend their limited holiday time preparing your own dishes. If you decide to dine out, these are prices you should expect:
- a meal for one in an inexpensive restaurant is around 500 CVE
- fast food set will also be around 500 CVE, so it’s better to choose a local eatery
How expensive is accommodation in Cabo Verde?
Thankfully, accommodation is Cabo Verde is relatively cheap. A night for two in a no star hotel room outside of city center is between 2350 to 2800 CVE (25-30 USD). Of course, choosing a hostel will make it even cheaper, but we wouldn’t recommend that choice. Airnb is a good choice when booking accommodation in Cabo Verde. As for transport, Cabo Verde doesn’t have a developed public transport network within the islands rather than between them, and most locals use aluguers (taxi-vans), which are pretty cheap.
How much do you spent a week in Cabo Verde? It depends on the standard you choose. For a low budget holidays, 36,000 CVE will be enough. For a standard you know from Europe and America, you will have to spend at least 47,000 CVE. Still, it’s pretty cheap when compared to big European resorts. Credit cards are uncommon and not secure, therefore you should always pay in cash.
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