Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Cape Verde

Name: Cape Verde
Address: CV

For one person, living is cheaper in Cape Verde: $1,123 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
54

Cost of Living Index in Cape Verde
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Cape Verde Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇨🇻 Cape Verde

$1,123

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Cape Verde

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

A single person spends $2,734 per month in the United States vs $1,123 in Cape Verde, rent included.

United States $2,734
Cape Verde $1,123

A couple spends around $3,985 per month in the United States vs $1,700 in Cape Verde, rent included.

United States $3,985
Cape Verde $1,700

A family of three spends $5,235 per month in the United States vs $2,276 in Cape Verde, rent included.

United States $5,235
Cape Verde $2,276

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($979–$5,160) than in Cape Verde ($387–$1,195), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United States is about 144% higher than in Cape Verde on average.

The United States sits 101% above the global median, while Cape Verde is 18% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$5.46 CVE 540

266.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$53.4 CVE 5,280

49.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$9.67 CVE 956

22.03%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$2.42 CVE 239

129.34%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$2.12 CVE 209

25.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.19 CVE 117

82.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$3.00 CVE 297

104.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$1.97 CVE 195

303.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.39 CVE 137

-25.18%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.71 CVE 169

109.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.85 CVE 183

144.32%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$2.45 CVE 242

74.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$13.30 CVE 1,315

-0.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$8.68 CVE 858

45.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$18.49 CVE 1,828

-4.81%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.13 CVE 310

69.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.64 CVE 261

-35.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.95 CVE 292

50.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$3.84 CVE 380

24.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.49 CVE 147

99.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$1.74 CVE 172

81.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.25 CVE 124

76.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.22 CVE 121

92.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$4.97 CVE 492

120.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$8.00 CVE 791

88.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.06 CVE 204

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$1.79 CVE 177

111.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.89 CVE 87.7

117.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$30.02 CVE 2,969

97.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$1.98 CVE 196

80.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.56 CVE 253

-26.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$15.49 CVE 1,532

92.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.51 CVE 149

-32.45%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$29.4K CVE 2.9M

-2.10%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$38.7K CVE 3.8M

-32.31%

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

$218 $218

$148 CVE 14.6K

47.62%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$16.86 CVE 1,667

270.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$52.8 CVE 5,222

40.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$29.34 CVE 2,901

42.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$7.86 CVE 778

190.20%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$5.57 CVE 550

163.91%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$147 CVE 14.5K

915.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$3,055 CVE 302.1K

726.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$51.0 CVE 5,045

6.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$25.45 CVE 2,517

67.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$64.7 CVE 6,399

45.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$137 CVE 13.5K

-16.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$419 CVE 41.4K

296.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$251 CVE 24.8K

436.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$577 CVE 57.1K

364.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$334 CVE 33.0K

549.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$1,099 CVE 108.6K

198.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$777 CVE 76.9K

219.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$325 CVE 32.1K

1222.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

7.33

-10.64%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cape Verde: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Cape Verde

$251 22.4% 81.4% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Cape Verde

$307 27.3% 26.1% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Cape Verde

$217 19.4% 38.8% $138

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Cape Verde

$134 11.9% 59.2% $194

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Cape Verde

$125 11.1% 8.9% $12

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Cape Verde

$48 4.3% 39.7% $32

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Cape Verde

$40 3.6% 43.2% $31

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,620 in the United States vs $412 in Cape Verde. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,768 in Washington, DC and $570 in Praia.

Average salary: $4,549 in the United States vs $275 in Cape Verde. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 293% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 63% more in the United States.

Public transport is 110% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 17 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇨🇻 Cape Verde

🕒 Local time

13:12 1:12 PM

16:12 4:12 PM

3 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

555,988

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Cabo Verdean Escudo CVE $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

1,000 CVE = 10.11 USD

1,000 CVE = 9.09 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CVE, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇻 Cabo Verdean Escudo ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Cabo Verdean Escudo exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 98.88 CVE (100 CVE = 1.01 USD). 1 EUR = 110 CVE (1,000 CVE = 9.09 EUR).

CVE to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

United States Cape Verde 6,670 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
Cape Verde

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

United States vs Cape Verde: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cape Verde is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 59% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 versus $412 in Cape Verde.

Groceries, public transport, and eating out all cost less in Cape Verde, adding to the overall 144% price gap.

Cape Verde is the budget-friendly choice for expats. But cost isn’t everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.