Africa · Islands
🇸🇨 Seychelles
Seychelles pairs postcard Indian-Ocean beauty with a formal 'Workcation' visa, but it's one of the most expensive destinations on the planet, so it's a splurge base rather than a value one. Stick to the three main islands — Mahé (the most connected, where you'll want to base for work), Praslin and bike-only La Digue — since internet and amenities thin out fast beyond them, and healthcare gaps make good international insurance essential. The drier, breezier May–November trade-wind season is the most comfortable and best for hiking and diving.
Nomad quick facts
$2050/mo
$3280/mo
36.0 Mbps
1.8 (#70 of 190)
Moderate
Apr–May, Oct–Nov
Available
68.8 / 100
Score breakdown
Stunning natural beauty, Relaxed pace of life, A specific "Seychelles Workcation Programme" for remote workers
Very high cost of living, Limited internet and social connections outside of the main islands, Health care can be an issue if you don't have international insurance
Cost of living
Seychelles presents moderate-to-high island living expenses, where imported commodities and coastal villas drive overall spending. Remote workers control costs by securing monthly rentals on Mahé and purchasing fresh produce at Victoria Market.
Estimated monthly cost
Single
$2,050/mo
Couple
$3,280/mo
Local spending breakdown
Housing & utilities
$275/mo
Food & groceries
$55/mo
Dining & hotels
$11/mo
Score is based off objective cost-of-living data with World Bank and C2ER Cost of Living Index. The limitation of this data is that it tracks spending of locals, which will be far less than travelers. We applied a nomad-realistic monthly cost estimate to make the amount more accurate. Prices displayed in USD.
World Bank figures reflect national average consumption, which can run high in countries with large wealth gaps (e.g. the US) — the nomad estimate aims to correct for this. Likewise, lower CoL countries will have very low local spending figures, and will not reflect the spending patterns of travelers or nomads.
Sources: C2ER Cost of Living Index · World Bank ICP 2021 · Independent nomad cost estimates
Internet
Seychelles supplies functional download performance for casual web work, but official dataset tracking lacks granular upload speed and response latency metrics.
Download speed
36.0 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.
Sources: Ookla Speedtest Global Index · Cloudflare Radar
Safety
Seychelles is generally very safe, with low crime across Mahé, Praslin and La Digue; petty theft is about the only practical concern, and even that is uncommon outside the busiest tourist areas.
Global safety rank
#70 of 190
Peace Index score
1.8 (lower = safer)
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. 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.
Sources: Global Peace Index (Institute for Economics & Peace) · WJP Rule of Law Index (World Justice Project) · Gallup Global Law and Order Index
Tourism & infrastructure
Mahé's beaches and Praslin's Vallée de Mai palm forest give Seychelles genuine natural drama, with car-free La Digue offering a completely different, bike-and-ox-cart pace nearby. This is one of the most expensive destinations on the planet, so it's a splurge base rather than a budget one.
Within-city transit
Moderate
Between-city transit
Limited
Tropical; warm and humid year-round, moderated by sea breezes and outside the cyclone belt.
Best months: Apr–May, Oct–Nov
Seychelles has a surprisingly good public bus network on Mahé and Praslin (SPTC), cheap and reaching most of the main islands' coasts, though schedules thin in the evenings. Travel between islands relies on ferries and short flights. Car and bicycle hire are popular for flexibility, and Victoria, the compact capital, is walkable.
A weighted blend of published indices: the World Economic Forum's 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 Tourism Development Index · Numbeo Quality of Life Index · World Happiness Report · Gallup · EF English Proficiency Index · Public transit assessment
Visa & entry
Tourist entry — USA passport
Visa-free — 90 days
Digital nomad visa
Other visa types to be aware of
None other than its "Permanent Residence Program".
Visa and immigration laws are rapidly changing, always double-check official sources. Tax figures are estimated only — actual liability depends on your residency status, income structure, and tax treaties. Consult a tax professional prior to travel.
Top cities for nomads in Seychelles
Main island & capital; best internet, amenities & social scene; where nomads base.
Second island; Vallée de Mai palm forest & famous beaches, laid-back.
Car-free island; bikes & ox-carts, iconic granite beaches, tranquil.
Near-pristine nature-reserve island; jungle & diving, ultra-remote & quiet.