The best eSIM for Cape Verde in 2026. Six eSIM brands checked for Cape Verde on the same day: Nomad and Airalo are cheapest for data, Ringo Light is the only unlimited plan. Which to buy.
Prices read on 28 September 2026. Six travel eSIMs get most of the traffic for this search, and five of them sell a Cape Verde plan: Airalo, Saily, Nomad, Ubigi and Ringo Light. We checked all six on the same day, for a week on the beach in Sal, two weeks hopping islands and a month, and read the fine print. In Cape Verde we are the only unlimited plan and far from the cheapest, and this page says plainly who is.
Ringo Light: The only unlimited plan for Cape Verde of the six, with no speed cap and one payment. Unlimited data at full speed for 2 weeks at $137.99 or 30 days at $273.99, one payment each, nothing renews. It is expensive: Airalo sells 10 GB for 15 days at $48 and Nomad 10 GB for 30 days at $45, which is enough for most trips.
Nomad: Cheapest 10 GB. 10 GB for 30 days at $45 on Unitel T+, $4 less than Airalo and $92.99 less than our 2 weeks, which starts with 10 GB.
Airalo: The most sizes, and the cheapest data for two weeks. Nine Cape Verde plans from 1 GB for 3 days at $9 to 10 GB for 30 days at $49, including 10 GB for 15 days at $48. No unlimited plan and nothing above 10 GB.
Saily: Cheapest single gigabyte. 1 GB for 7 days at $9.99, enough for maps and messages on a short beach week. Its Cape Verde plans stop at 5 GB.
Model: Airalo Buckets only; Saily Buckets only; Nomad Buckets only; Ubigi Buckets; Cape Verde plans stop at 3 GB, bigger sizes are World plans; Ringo Light Unlimited trips: 2 weeks or 30 days.
Unlimited, 3 days: Airalo No unlimited plan; Saily No unlimited plan; Nomad No unlimited plan; Ubigi No unlimited plan; Ringo Light No 3-day plan.
Unlimited, 7 days: Airalo No unlimited plan; Saily No unlimited plan; Nomad No unlimited plan; Ubigi No unlimited plan; Ringo Light No 7-day plan; 2 weeks $137.99.
Unlimited, 15 days: Airalo No unlimited plan; Saily No unlimited plan; Nomad No unlimited plan; Ubigi No unlimited plan; Ringo Light 2 weeks $137.99.
Unlimited, 30 days: Airalo No unlimited plan; Saily No unlimited plan; Nomad No unlimited plan; Ubigi No unlimited plan; Ringo Light $273.99.
Short trips: Airalo 1 GB, 3 days, $9; 3 GB, 7 days, $24; 5 GB, 7 days, $30; Saily 1 GB, 7 days, $9.99; Nomad 1 GB, 7 days, $15; Ubigi 1 GB, 7 days, $18; Ringo Light None.
Data for 15 days: Airalo 5 GB $32; 10 GB $48; Saily No 15-day plan; 3 GB for 30 days $28.99; Nomad No 15-day plan; 5 GB for 30 days $29; Ubigi 3 GB $36; Ringo Light 2 weeks, unlimited, $137.99.
10 GB, 30 days: Airalo $49; Saily Not sold; its largest size is 5 GB, $42.99; Nomad $45; Ubigi World plan, $59; Ringo Light No buckets; 2 weeks starts with 10 GB, $137.99.
20 GB, 30 days: Airalo Not sold; its largest size is 10 GB; Saily Not sold; Nomad Not sold; its largest size is 10 GB; Ubigi World plan, 20 GB a month, $44, renews monthly; Ringo Light No buckets; 30 days starts with 20 GB, $273.99.
Full speed on unlimited: Airalo No unlimited plan; Saily No unlimited plan; Nomad No unlimited plan; Ubigi No unlimited plan; Ringo Light No speed cap; starts with 10 or 20 GB, adds 10 GB once at 80%, charged.
Networks: Airalo Unitel named; its notes also say Alou; Saily Not named by Saily; Nomad Unitel T+; Ubigi CV Movel, Unitel; Ringo Light Local partner network.
Renews?: Airalo No; Saily No; Nomad No; Ubigi World monthly plans do; Ringo Light No, one payment; the trip ends when it ends.
App needed: Airalo Yes; Saily Yes; Nomad Optional; Ubigi Optional; Ringo Light No, the eSIM arrives by email.
Of the brands we priced, only Ringo Light sells unlimited data for Cape Verde. Airalo, Saily, Nomad and Ubigi sell fixed amounts; Holafly sells no Cape Verde plan. Ringo Light charges $137.99 for 2 weeks and $273.99 for 30 days, one payment each, nothing renews. That is a lot of money for data, and for most trips it is more than you need.
Compare it with the buckets. Airalo sells 10 GB for 15 days at $48, $89.99 less than our 2 weeks. Nomad sells 10 GB for 30 days at $45, and two of those give you 20 GB for $90, against $273.99 for our 30 days. Ubigi's World plan gives 20 GB a month for $44 if you remember to cancel it before it renews. Unless you really need more than 20 GB, a bucket is the better buy in Cape Verde. We would rather you read that here than at checkout.
Ringo Light has no speed cap: the 2 weeks starts with 10 GB and the 30 days with 20 GB, and when you have used 80% we add 10 GB once and charge the $137.99 top-up. A heavy two weeks with us costs $275.98 and a heavy month $411.98. For a short trip, Ringo Light sells no 3-day or 7-day plan; Saily sells 1 GB for 7 days at $9.99 and Airalo 3 GB for 7 days at $24.
Cabo Verde, as the country calls itself, has two mobile networks: CVMóvel, which sells under the Alou name, and Unitel T+. Nomad names Unitel T+, Ubigi both, and Airalo names Unitel while its notes say Alou. Both cover the towns and the tourist beaches of Sal, Boa Vista, São Vicente and Santiago well. Signal gets thinner in the deep valleys of Santo Antão and inside the Fogo crater, and between islands on the ferry.
Most visitors land on Sal or Boa Vista and many never leave, but the islands worth a second week are reached by inter-island flights and ferries. Timetables change and crossings are cancelled in rough seas, so keep data on for booking changes and save offline maps of each island before you sail.
Nomad, $45 for 10 GB. For 30 days on Unitel T+, the cheapest 10 GB of the six. Smaller sizes: 1 GB for 7 days at $15, 3 GB at $21 and 5 GB at $29, both for 30 days.
Airalo, $48 for 10 GB over 15 days. Or $49 for 30 days and $47 for 7 days; the most sizes, from 1 GB for 3 days at $9. Its Hello Africa regional plans cost a little more. The app is needed.
Saily, $9.99 for 1 GB. For 7 days, the cheapest single gigabyte. 3 GB for 30 days at $28.99 and 5 GB at $42.99, nothing larger. Its listing is from May; saily.com would not load for us.
Ubigi, $36 for 3 GB over 15 days. Its own Cape Verde plans stop at 3 GB, on CV Movel and Unitel. Its World plan sells 10 GB for 30 days at $59 and 20 GB a month at $44, which renews.
Ringo Light, no buckets. Our 2 weeks starts with 10 GB for $137.99 and our 30 days with 20 GB for $273.99. For a fixed amount of data, Nomad, Airalo, Saily and Ubigi are all far cheaper in Cape Verde. Buy Ringo Light only if you want unlimited with no speed cap and are happy to pay for it.
Ringo Light is our own data eSIM, sold to fund the full Ringo, one plan that works everywhere with your own number ported onto it. For Cape Verde it sells two trips, both unlimited data at full speed with no speed cap: 2 weeks at $137.99, starting with 10 GB, and 30 days at $273.99, starting with 20 GB. Each adds 10 GB once at 80%, charged at $137.99. One payment, nothing renews. The eSIM arrives by email in seconds and installs in one scan, no app.
In Cape Verde our prices are high. Airalo's 10 GB for 15 days at $48 or Nomad's 10 GB for 30 days at $45 is the better buy for most visitors. None of our regional trips covers Cape Verde, so there is no cheaper Ringo Light route in.
The card to buy it is just below this article.
A beach week in Sal or Boa Vista. Saily, 1 GB for 7 days at $9.99 for maps and messages, or Airalo 3 GB for 7 days at $24. Ringo Light sells no 7 days.
Two weeks hopping islands. Airalo, 10 GB for 15 days at $48. Ringo Light's 2 weeks at $137.99 only if you need unlimited.
A month in Cape Verde. Nomad, 10 GB for 30 days at $45, and a second package if you run out: 20 GB for $90 in all. Ringo Light's 30 days is $273.99.
You want no limit at all. Ringo Light, 2 weeks at $137.99 or 30 days at $273.99, one payment, the eSIM by email. The only unlimited plan of the six for Cape Verde.
You need your own number to keep ringing. None of these travel plans does that. The full Ringo, which Ringo Light funds, ports the number you have.
What to do in Cape Verde, and what your phone needs for it. Eight places most first trips include, from the beaches of Sal and Boa Vista to the green valleys of Santo Antão, the volcano on Fogo, Mindelo on São Vicente and the old capital on Santiago, with the one thing your data does for you at each. The islands are spread across the Atlantic, so most trips pick two or three and link them by plane or ferry.
Santa Maria, Sal. The beach town at the south tip of Sal, with a long sand beach and a wooden pier where fishermen land their catch in the morning. The trade winds blow hardest in winter, which is when the kitesurfers come. Wind and surf apps tell you which side of the island is calm for swimming that day.
The salt crater of Pedra de Lume, Sal. Salt pans inside an old volcanic crater on the east coast, reached through a tunnel. The water is so salty you float in it like a cork. Taxis and aluguers do the trip from Santa Maria. Save the driver's number on WhatsApp for the ride back.
Praia de Chaves, Boa Vista. Kilometres of white sand backed by dunes, south of Sal Rei, with the shell of an old brick factory at one end. Turtles nest on Boa Vista's beaches from July to October. Much of Boa Vista has no roads to speak of. Share your live location when you head out by quad or on foot.
The Paúl valley, Santo Antão. A steep green valley of sugar cane, bananas and terraced fields, walked from the crater rim down to the sea. Santo Antão is an hour by ferry from Mindelo, and the hiking is best in the drier months. Signal drops in the deep valleys. Download the offline map and the trail before you start walking.
Pico do Fogo and Chã das Caldeiras, Fogo. The highest peak in the country, an active volcano rising from a crater where people grow grapes in the black lava. Climbing the cone takes most of a day and is done with a local guide. Fogo is reached by a short flight or a long ferry from Santiago. Check the day's sailing or flight on your phone before you leave the hotel.
Mindelo, São Vicente. A port town of colonial streets and live music around a wide bay, the home of Cesária Évora. Its Carnival in February is the biggest in the country. The Santo Antão ferry leaves from here. Buy and keep the ticket on your phone, and check the sea before you sail.
Cidade Velha, Santiago. The first town the Portuguese built in the tropics, now a fishing village below a hilltop fort, listed by UNESCO. It is a short drive west of Praia, the capital. The escudo is used everywhere and many small places take only cash. A currency app converts it to euros, to which it is pegged.
Tarrafal, Santiago. A calm sandy bay under green hills at the north end of Santiago, good for swimming. The former political prison camp outside town is now a museum. Shared minibuses run from Praia to Tarrafal. A maps app shows where you are on the winding road through the interior.
We priced Airalo, Saily, Nomad, Ubigi and Ringo Light for Cape Verde on 28 September 2026, all on the same day, in US dollars. Each rival's price comes from its own website where it showed dollars, otherwise from an esimdb.com listing, and every source and its date is listed below. Ringo Light's prices come from the catalogue our checkout charges.
We compare the trips people actually book: a week, two weeks and a month of unlimited data, and a 10 GB bucket. We read each brand's fair use and speed rules and quote them as the brands state them. We did not run speed tests, so this page makes no speed claims for any brand.
Ringo Light is our own product. We put it in the table on the same terms as everyone else, and where a rival is the better buy the page says so.
Left out: Holafly, it has no Cape Verde page on esim.holafly.com, and Cape Verde is not on its Africa or Global plans, so there is nothing to compare.
Left out: Maya Mobile, we compared the brands that get most of the traffic for this search and did not price Maya Mobile on the day.
Source for Airalo: https://www.airalo.com/cape-verde-esim?currency=USD (read on the site in dollars, 28 September 2026; esimdb.com/cape-verde/airalo shows the same nine plans, updated 28 September 2026).
Source for Holafly: https://esim.holafly.com/esim-africa/ (no Cape Verde page (esim.holafly.com/esim-cape-verde/ returns not found) and Cape Verde is not on its Africa or Global pages, 28 September 2026).
Source for Saily: https://esimdb.com/cape-verde/saily (listing dated 15 May 2026; saily.com refused the fetch).
Source for Nomad: https://www.nomadesim.com/cape-verde-eSIM (dollar prices and network from the page data, 28 September 2026; matches esimdb.com/cape-verde/nomad, listing dated 17 September 2026).
Source for Ubigi: https://esimdb.com/cape-verde/ubigi (listing dated 17 September 2026; networks from cellulardata.ubigi.com).
It depends on how much data you need, and it is never Ringo Light. On 28 September 2026 Saily sold 1 GB for 7 days at $9.99, Airalo 10 GB for 15 days at $48 and Nomad 10 GB for 30 days at $45. Ringo Light is the only unlimited plan of the six, at $137.99 for 2 weeks and $273.99 for 30 days, far more than the buckets.
Cape Verde has two networks, CVMóvel (sold as Alou) and Unitel T+. Nomad uses Unitel T+, Ubigi lists both, and Airalo names Unitel while its notes say Alou. Both cover the towns and beaches, and get thinner in the mountain valleys of Santo Antão and on Fogo.
Of the brands we priced, only Ringo Light sells unlimited data for Cape Verde. It has no speed cap: it starts with 10 or 20 GB and adds 10 GB once at 80%, charged at $137.99. Airalo, Saily, Nomad and Ubigi sell fixed amounts, up to 10 GB for Cape Verde itself.
CVMóvel and Unitel T+ both sell prepaid SIMs in their shops, and you show your passport to register one. We did not price them on the day. A local SIM needs a physical slot and replaces your home SIM while it is in. An eSIM installs before you fly and works the moment you land.
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