Food prices in Cabo Verde. Spring 2025

Exploring the markets of Cabo Verde was a delightful part of our culinary adventure. Since we mostly cooked for ourselves and rarely ate out, we had the opportunity to sample a variety of local ingredients. In Mindelo, we enjoyed locally caught fish and seasonal vegetables from bustling market stalls almost every day. On Santo Antão, where fish was scarce, we sometimes had to settle for frozen chicken from a neighborhood minimarket. Nevertheless, the abundance of fresh produce kept our meals healthy and flavorful. The markets in Mindelo and Ribeira Grande offered an abundance of fruits and vegetables. Ripe papayas quickly became our favorite treat—the perfect dessert to enjoy with nearly every meal. Below, you’ll find a selection of food prices we encountered during our stay across three islands. All prices are per kilo in escudos, and the official exchange rate was 1 euro to 110 escudos.

Mindelo:
Parrotfish (bidião) 400
Garoupa de Madeira 500
Sweet potatoes, yam 220
Young potatoes from Santo Antão 220-240
Tomatoes 180
Bananas 250
Papaya 200
Goat cheese 250

Ribeira Grande, Santo Antão:
Papaya 150
Tomatoes 100-120
Greens 50 a bundle
Bananas 180-200
Goat cheese 200

Mindelo after two weeks on Santo Antão:
Parrotfish (bidião) 400
Potatoes 200
Onion 200
Carrot 220
Tomatoes 150
Greens 100 a bundle
Papaya from Praia 250-300
Papaya from Santo Antão 200

Santa Maria, Sal:
Parrotfish (bidião) 350
Potatoes 300
Carrot, onion 250
Tomatoes 250
Papaya 300
Bananas 300

Prato de dia in cafés: 400-550

Although we didn’t have much luck finding hosts in Cabo Verde through hospitality exchange sites, that didn’t stop us from connecting with the locals. Our conversations often started with food, a universal language that quickly broke the ice, and soon turned into engaging discussions about island life, traditions, and personal stories.

One memorable encounter happened on our way to Ribeira Grande. We recognized a friendly face—a man we’d met the previous day while hiking in Fontainhas. Originally from Fogo Island, he had spent four years in Italy pursuing a master's degree in agronomy. Now, he was back in Cabo Verde for a year, determined to improve the varieties of apples and grapes grown on Fogo. He had brought seedlings from Italy with him, planning to graft them and boost the crop yield.

As we chatted, he shared interesting insights about the region. For instance, he explained that the creole dialects vary from place to place in Santo Antão. In fact, he had a roommate from Santo Antão in college whose dialect was so different that they couldn’t understand each other, so they settled on speaking Portuguese instead.