Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sal and Mindelo

For one person, living is cheaper in Mindelo: $387 a month against $850 in Sal, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

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Cost of Living Index in Sal
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Sal Living Index

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Sal

🇨🇻 Cape Verde

$850

/mo nomad

Mindelo

🇨🇻 Cape Verde

$387

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Sal and in Mindelo

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

A single person spends $850 per month in Sal vs $387 in Mindelo, rent included.

Sal $850
Mindelo $387

A couple spends around $1,313 per month in Sal vs $895 in Mindelo, rent included.

Sal $1,313
Mindelo $895

A family of three spends $1,777 per month in Sal vs $1,403 in Mindelo, rent included.

Sal $1,777
Mindelo $1,403

Sal costs about 119% more than Mindelo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Sal and Mindelo are more affordable than the global median – Sal 37% lower, Mindelo 71% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.51 CVE 540

$9.05 CVE 888

-39.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.18 CVE 4,332

$56.6 CVE 5,551

-21.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.03 CVE 1,081

Cappuccino

$2.32 CVE 227

$1.09 CVE 107

112.84%

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

$2.54 CVE 249

$1.30 CVE 127

95.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.09 CVE 107

$0.98 CVE 96.3

11.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.61 CVE 452

$2.72 CVE 267

69.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.07 CVE 301

$1.50 CVE 147

104.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 CVE 155

$1.49 CVE 147

6.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 CVE 223

$1.08 CVE 106

110.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.20 CVE 118

$0.80 CVE 78.4

50.00%

Eggs

$2.79 CVE 273

$2.55 CVE 250

9.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 CVE 886

$15.87 CVE 1,557

-43.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.51 CVE 736

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.99 CVE 1,568

$17.47 CVE 1,713

-8.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.16 CVE 310

$2.13 CVE 209

48.36%

Banana (1kg)

$2.49 CVE 245

$1.90 CVE 186

31.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.33 CVE 326

$2.81 CVE 275

18.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 CVE 391

$3.00 CVE 295

32.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.64 CVE 161

$0.83 CVE 81.7

97.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.85 CVE 182

$1.63 CVE 160

13.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 CVE 152

$0.99 CVE 97.0

56.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 CVE 108

$0.72 CVE 70.7

52.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.57 CVE 448

$5.12 CVE 502

-10.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.40 CVE 628

$8.03 CVE 787

-20.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.03 CVE 395

$1.89 CVE 185

113.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 CVE 184

$1.99 CVE 195

-5.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 CVE 96.6

$0.44 CVE 43.22

125.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.81 CVE 2,923

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 CVE 204

$1.53 CVE 150

35.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.08 CVE 302

$1.48 CVE 145

108.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.65 CVE 1,240

$10.00 CVE 980

26.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 CVE 135

$1.65 CVE 162

-16.36%

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

$60.8 CVE 5,964

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.23 CVE 4,827

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.47 CVE 2,694

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.96 CVE 290

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

$115 CVE 11.2K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.09 CVE 2,950

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 CVE 14.1K

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$252 CVE 24.7K

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$168 CVE 16.5K

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$307 CVE 30.1K

$357 CVE 35.0K

-13.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$206 CVE 20.2K

$251 CVE 24.6K

-17.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$654 CVE 64.1K

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$331 CVE 32.5K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$257 CVE 25.2K

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.25

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

Last update for Sal: October 10, 2026

Last update for Mindelo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Sal

$296 34.8%

Mindelo

–

Accommodation & Living

Sal

$168 19.8%

Mindelo

–

Eating Out

Sal

$149 17.5%

Mindelo

–

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sal

$110 * 13%

Mindelo

–

Clothing & Footwear

Sal

$78 * 9.2%

Mindelo

–

Sport & Entertainment

Sal

$27 * 3.2%

Mindelo

–

Getting Around

Sal

$21 * 2.5%

Mindelo

–

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Sal versus $57.0 in Mindelo. Groceries tell a different story – $296 in Sal vs $235 in Mindelo – so Mindelo wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇨🇻 Sal

🇨🇻 Mindelo

🕒 Local time

01:03 1:03 AM

Same time as Sal

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,288

70,000

💱 Currency

Cabo Verdean Escudo CVE $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CVE = 10.2 USD

1,000 CVE = 9.07 EUR

1,000 CVE = 10.2 USD

1,000 CVE = 9.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Sal Mindelo 220 km

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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

Sal vs Mindelo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Sal is pricier by about 119%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,274 per month in Sal and $581 in Mindelo. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Groceries cost about 26% more in Sal, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $44.00 in Sal and $57.0 in Mindelo. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

$1,000 covers both cities comfortably – all-in costs are $850 in Sal and $387 in Mindelo, leaving budget for savings and extras in both cases.

Families tend to lean toward Mindelo – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Mindelo. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Sal makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.