Living in Praia, Cape Verde

Praia is a smaller coastal city in Cape Verde (under 250,000 people in the city proper). It has a warm climate, averaging 24°C over the year with about 254 mm of rain. We estimate a couple needs about €2,545 a month to live centrally. For foreigners, long-term residency in Cape Verde is comparatively open.

See how Praia ranks for you

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Est. cost: €2,545; a month for a couple
Climate: 24°C; 254 mm rain a year
Size: Smaller; under 250,000 people
Safety: 63/100; country-level
Residency: Comparatively open; for most foreigners

Limited data for Cape Verde. Figures for safety, healthcare, cost of living and political stability in Cape Verde are country-level estimates from World Bank indicators, each named with its year. We have no tax, English, social openness or internet speed figures for Cape Verde, so the quiz scores those factors conservatively and this page leaves them out.

What stands out about Praia

Dry: about 254 mm of rain a year
On or near the sea

Climate

Praia averages 24°C across the year with about 254 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very dry. It is warmer than 68% of the 1225 cities we track, and it sits on the coast.

Source: Temperature from the Open-Meteo historical weather archive, daily means for 2019 to 2023; rainfall from TerraClimate (University of Idaho) 1991 to 2020 normals. Annual averages; monthly breakdowns are not in our dataset yet.

Healthcare

Cape Verde scores 59 out of 100 for healthcare, stronger than 26% of the cities we compare.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Cape Verde: life expectancy at birth (SP.DYN.LE00.IN, 2024) and current health spending per person in US dollars (SH.XPD.CHEX.PC.CD, 2023), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Residency and visas

Comparatively open. Long-term residency is realistically attainable either through an affordable real-estate Green Card or a standard residence permit backed by proof of sufficient self-supporting means.

The cheapest self-funded routes we track for Cape Verde:

Investment: about $93k (Cape Verde Green Card (residence by investment), real estate from EUR 80,000 in below-average-GDP municipalities (EUR 120,000 elsewhere); converted at EUR/USD 1.16; as of June 2026)

For short visits, 61 of 198 passports can enter visa-free and 137 can get an e-visa or visa on arrival.

Source: OurNextCity residency dataset, hand-reviewed approximations researched against published immigration rules, figures as of June 2026. Not legal advice: check the official source before you apply. Short-stay entry from the passport-index dataset (ilyankou, MIT).

Cost of living

We estimate a couple needs about €2,545 a month to live centrally in Praia, 7% below the €2,729 median across the 900 cities we compare. That makes it more affordable than 68% of them.

Source: OurNextCity model from the price level of GDP relative to the United States, from GDP per person in US dollars and at purchasing power parity (NY.GDP.PCAP.CD/NY.GDP.PCAP.PP.CD, 2025), calibrated to our country-level cost index (New York = 100) and scaled up for larger cities. An estimate for comparing cities, not a budget. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Safety and stability

Cape Verde scores 63 out of 100 on safety, safer than 56% of the cities we compare. Its estimated democracy score is 7.7 out of 10.

Source: Country-level estimate, the same for every city in Cape Verde: country-level homicide rate per 100,000 people (VC.IHR.PSRC.P5, 2020) and Worldwide Governance Indicators Political Stability and Absence of Violence estimate (GOV_WGI_PV.EST, 2025), calibrated to the 0 to 100 scale of our reference tables (higher is safer). Stability: Worldwide Governance Indicators Voice and Accountability estimate (GOV_WGI_VA.EST, 2025), calibrated to the EIU Democracy Index scale. Source: The World Bank (World Development Indicators, Worldwide Governance Indicators), CC BY 4.0.

Questions couples ask about Praia

Is Praia a good place to live for couples?

It depends on what the two of you weigh most. It is weaker on healthcare. Our figures for Cape Verde are partial: no tax, English, social openness or internet speed data, and country-level World Bank estimates for the rest. Expect a warm, very dry climate (24°C average). OurNextCity has each partner answer 12 questions privately, then ranks Praia and 914 other cities for both of you at once.

How much does it cost a couple to live in Praia?

We estimate about €2,545 a month for a couple living centrally, 7% below the €2,729 median across the cities we compare. It is a model estimate from the World Bank price level of GDP for Cape Verde, calibrated to our country-level cost index adjusted for city size, so use it to compare cities rather than to set a budget.

Can foreigners live in Cape Verde long term?

Our assessment: comparatively open. Long-term residency is realistically attainable either through an affordable real-estate Green Card or a standard residence permit backed by proof of sufficient self-supporting means. The cheapest self-funded routes we track: investment, about $93k (as of 2026-06).

What is the weather like in Praia?

Praia averages 24°C across the year with about 254 mm of rain, which makes it warm and very dry. It is warmer than 68% of the cities we track.