Africa · Islands
Cabo Verde
Cabo Verde is an Atlantic archipelago with a mild climate all year, a distinctive African-Portuguese Creole culture and a remote-work programme. The islands differ a great deal, so choose one deliberately. Travel between them by ferry or plane is slow and expensive, which makes it better to pick a base than to plan on hopping. Internet is the main limitation for remote work: it is basic, and patchy away from the main islands. Imported goods and groceries cost more than local prices suggest. The dry, breezy months from November to June are the best time, and the wind is the reason kitesurfers come.
Nomad quick facts
$1230/mo
$1970/mo
38.4 Mbps
1.80 (#63 of 190)
Limited
Nov–Jun
Available
66.2 / 100
Score breakdown
Mild sunny climate all year, distinctive Creole culture and music, remote-work programme, low crime.
Weak internet, slow and expensive travel between islands, expensive imported goods, limited public transport.
Cost of living in Cabo Verde
Cabo Verde offers relatively affordable island living, although reliance on imports makes groceries and other consumer goods more expensive than local prices might suggest. Mindelo provides a more local and generally lower-cost base than the resort areas of Sal, while Praia offers the widest range of everyday services. Local seafood and produce can help keep routine spending reasonable.
Estimated monthly cost
Single
$1,230/mo
Couple
$1,970/mo
Cost score inputs
Livingcost
84/100
WB PLI
54.1
Score blends a nomad-realistic monthly cost estimate (built from livingcost.org data, adjusted for short-term nomad spending like furnished housing, coworking, and eating out) with the World Bank's Household Consumption Price Level Index, a broader cross-country cost benchmark. Countries without World Bank price-level data are scored on the livingcost estimate alone. Prices displayed in USD.
The nomad cost estimate reflects a realistic single/couple monthly budget, not a bare local cost of living — actual spending still varies with lifestyle and location within a country.
Sources: livingcost.org · World Bank Household Consumption Price Level Index · Independent nomad cost estimates
Internet in Cabo Verde
Cabo Verde provides basic download functionality for light browsing, though official granular upload speed and response latency metrics remain unmapped in national testing data.
Download speed
38.4 Mbps
Blends download speed (Ookla Speedtest Global Index) with upload speed and latency (Cloudflare Radar). Speeds are scored between 10 Mbps (0) and 200 Mbps (100); latency counts the opposite way — lower is better. A missing metric doesn't penalize a country, it's scored on whatever data is available.
A national average — city and neighbourhood speeds vary, especially outside major hubs.
Get an eSIM for arrival →Sources: Ookla Speedtest Global Index · Cloudflare Radar
Safety in Cabo Verde
Cabo Verde is one of the safer countries on this list, with low crime across its islands; Sal and Santiago are both straightforward for nomads, with only routine precautions needed around beaches and nightlife areas.
Global safety rank
#63 of 190
Estimated safety score
1.80 (lower = safer; not covered by the Global Peace Index)
Blends three published safety indices: the Global Peace Index, the WJP Rule of Law Index (Order & Security factor), and the Gallup Global Law and Order Index. Places the Global Peace Index doesn't cover use our own estimate, based on regional peers and crime data. Each is rescaled 0-100 and combined with weights favoring GPI and Gallup slightly over WJP. Not every country is tracked by all three — the blend adjusts to whichever are available (weights are renormalized) rather than penalizing a country for a missing source, though a country tracked by fewer sources carries lower confidence.
As this is national average data, be aware that safety varies significantly by city and region within a country.
Get nomad insurance →Sources: Global Peace Index (Institute for Economics & Peace) · WJP Rule of Law Index (World Justice Project) · Gallup Global Law and Order Index
Tourism & infrastructure in Cabo Verde
Cabo Verde's islands differ wildly by design — Sal and Boa Vista for beaches and kitesurfing, Santo Antão for dramatic hiking, Santiago for city culture — so picking one deliberately matters more than trying to hop between them. Mindelo's vibrant music scene is the cultural highlight, though inter-island travel is slow and pricey enough that constant island-hopping isn't realistic.
Within-city transit
Limited
Between-city transit
Limited
Tropical semi-arid; warm, dry and sunny year-round with brief rains Aug–Oct and steady trade winds.
Best months: Nov–Jun
Cabo Verde's transit consists of city buses in Praia and Mindelo plus shared 'aluguer' minivans that run when full, cheap but informal. Travel between the islands relies on ferries and domestic flights. Renting a car or using taxis is common for exploring, and the compact town centres are walkable.
A weighted blend of published indices: the World Economic Forum's Travel & Tourism Development Index (weighted highest — the strongest predictor of appeal), Numbeo's Quality of Life Index, the World Happiness Report, Gallup's day-to-day enjoyment data, the EF English Proficiency Index, and a public transit assessment covering both within-city and between-city transport. Not every country is scored on all six — the blend adjusts to whichever are available rather than penalizing a country for a missing one.
Sources: WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index · Numbeo Quality of Life Index · World Happiness Report · Gallup · EF English Proficiency Index · Public transit assessment
Cabo Verde digital nomad visa and entry rules
Tourist entry — USA passport
Visa-free — 30 days
Tourism Visa Note
EASE pre-registration/ETA required.
Working remotely in Cabo Verde on tourist entry
Work of any kind, including remote work, is permitted only with a standard work visa or the remote working programme, according to EY's July 2026 global guide. Source
In practice
No reports of enforcement against remote workers found (checked October 2026).
For a longer stay with explicit permission, see the digital nomad visa below.
Visa and entry requirements can change. Check the latest information from official government sources before travelling; eligibility, documents and permitted activities depend on your nationality and personal circumstances.
Tax & residency in Cabo Verde
Tax-residency timing
More than 183 days within any 12-month period; habitual residence may also qualify
How the day count works
Presence is aggregated, continuously or intermittently, over a 12-month period. A dwelling retained as habitual residence at 31 December can qualify independently.
Other residency triggers
Maintaining a dwelling in Cabo Verde that is considered habitual residence as of 31 December can establish residence below the day threshold.
Remote work before residence
Usually no for qualifying nonresident remote workers. A 2025 statute exempts qualifying foreign-facing remote work from income tax for one year; other local-source or nonqualifying income may remain taxable.
If you become tax resident
Residents are taxed on worldwide income; nonresidents are generally taxed only on Cabo Verde-source income. The one-year remote-work exemption applies to qualifying nonresidents under statutory conditions.
What this usually means for nomads
A stay under 183 days generally does not meet the day-count test, but a habitual home can still create residence. Qualifying nonresident remote workers have a one-year income-tax exemption under current law; local-source income or residence status can change the result.
Tax rules can change and depend on your residency status, income structure, time spent in the country and applicable tax treaties. This information is general only and is not financial or tax advice. Consult a qualified tax professional before relying on it.
Top cities for nomads in Cabo Verde
Praia, on Santiago, is the capital, with the best internet and services. Mindelo, on São Vicente, is the cultural and music capital. Santa Maria, on Sal, is the beach and kitesurfing hub and the most touristy, and Santo Antão is the island for hiking.
Capital & largest; best internet & amenities, authentic city feel; busier, higher crime, less resort vibe.
Cultural capital; vibrant music & arts scene, lively harbour, laid-back charm.
Beach & kitesurf tourist hub; great sand, social, cafes; touristy & pricier.
Volcanic island town; dramatic scenery, crater vineyards, cobbled colonial centre.
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