Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mindelo and Praia

For one person, living is cheaper in Mindelo: $387 a month against $1,195 in Praia, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

58

Cost of Living Index in Praia
Learn more

Praia Living Index

Jump to prices

Mindelo

🇨🇻 Cape Verde

$387

/mo nomad

Praia

🇨🇻 Cape Verde

$1,195

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mindelo and in Praia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Mindelo and in Praia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $387 per month in Mindelo vs $1,195 in Praia, rent included.

Mindelo $387
Praia $1,195

A couple spends around $897 per month in Mindelo vs $1,794 in Praia, rent included.

Mindelo $897
Praia $1,794

A family of three spends $1,406 per month in Mindelo vs $2,394 in Praia, rent included.

Mindelo $1,406
Praia $2,394

Mindelo is about 68% cheaper than Praia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Mindelo and Praia are more affordable than the global median – Mindelo 72% lower, Praia 12% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.83 CVE 869

$5.05 CVE 498

74.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$56.9 CVE 5,601

$35.98 CVE 3,544

58.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.24 CVE 713

Cappuccino

$1.11 CVE 109

$2.68 CVE 264

-58.58%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.26 CVE 124

$1.60 CVE 157

-21.25%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.03 CVE 102

$1.18 CVE 117

-12.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.73 CVE 269

$2.48 CVE 244

10.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 CVE 147

$1.90 CVE 187

-21.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.44 CVE 142

$1.33 CVE 131

8.27%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 CVE 108

$2.03 CVE 200

-45.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.79 CVE 78.2

$3.61 CVE 356

-78.12%

Eggs

$2.52 CVE 248

$2.38 CVE 235

5.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.86 CVE 1,563

$25.48 CVE 2,509

-37.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.65 CVE 458

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 CVE 1,734

$16.52 CVE 1,627

6.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 CVE 220

$5.16 CVE 508

-56.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.95 CVE 192

$3.01 CVE 296

-35.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.92 CVE 288

$4.08 CVE 401

-28.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.99 CVE 294

$4.39 CVE 432

-31.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.77 CVE 75.9

$1.51 CVE 148

-49.01%

Onion (1kg)

$1.64 CVE 161

$1.43 CVE 141

14.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.04 CVE 102

$1.01 CVE 99.2

2.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.71 CVE 69.9

$1.51 CVE 148

-52.98%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.04 CVE 496

$5.38 CVE 530

-6.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.10 CVE 798

$7.90 CVE 778

2.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 CVE 187

$1.77 CVE 174

6.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 CVE 202

$1.73 CVE 170

18.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.41 CVE 40.26

$0.76 CVE 74.9

-46.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.74 CVE 3,028

$29.34 CVE 2,890

4.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.51 CVE 148

$1.80 CVE 177

-16.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 CVE 146

$1.21 CVE 119

22.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.18 CVE 1,003

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.75 CVE 172

$1.55 CVE 153

12.90%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$28.5K CVE 2.8M

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$38.6K CVE 3.8M

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$179 CVE 17.7K

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$18.06 CVE 1,779

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.7 CVE 5,088

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.24 CVE 3,176

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.01 CVE 297

$10.14 CVE 999

-70.32%

Cinema Ticket

$5.51 CVE 542

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$125 CVE 12.4K

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,111 CVE 306.4K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.1 CVE 6,014

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.85 CVE 2,546

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$66.4 CVE 6,541

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.9 CVE 9,153

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$570 CVE 56.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$283 CVE 27.9K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 CVE 35.6K

$886 CVE 87.2K

-59.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$251 CVE 24.8K

$478 CVE 47.1K

-47.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,360 CVE 134.0K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$994 CVE 97.9K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$300 CVE 29.6K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Mindelo: October 26, 2026

Last update for Praia: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Groceries & Markets

Mindelo

–

Praia

$346 29%

Accommodation & Living

Mindelo

–

Praia

$283 23.7%

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mindelo

–

Praia

$249 20.8%

Eating Out

Mindelo

–

Praia

$122 10.2%

Clothing & Footwear

Mindelo

–

Praia

$111 9.3%

Sport & Entertainment

Mindelo

–

Praia

$43 3.6%

Getting Around

Mindelo

–

Praia

$40 3.4%

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $57 in Mindelo versus $36 in Praia. Groceries tell a different story – $237 in Mindelo vs $346 in Praia – so Mindelo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇻 Mindelo

🇨🇻 Praia

🕒 Local time

16:18 4:18 PM

Same time as Mindelo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,000

127,832 Capital

💱 Currency

Cabo Verdean Escudo CVE $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CVE = 10.15 USD

1,000 CVE = 9.09 EUR

1,000 CVE = 10.15 USD

1,000 CVE = 9.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mindelo Praia 270 km

From you

Mindelo
Praia

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mindelo vs Praia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Praia is pricier by about 208%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $581 per month in Mindelo and $1,792 in Praia. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Public transport costs about 5% less in Praia. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Groceries cost about 47% more in Praia, though the gap depends on what you buy.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Mindelo, where all-in costs run around $387, than in Praia at $1,195. In Mindelo it covers expenses comfortably, while in Praia it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Both cities have a reputation for safety. In either place, the choice of neighborhood matters more than the choice between the two cities.