If you already know you're going to buy data and the only thing left to do is decide on the package size, this guide is about that: how many GB you need for Cape Verde without overspending or getting stranded on the beach. I won't repeat the comparison of connection options here, as you already have it in the hub on how much data you need for travel. Here we'll get down to the numbers, with the specifics of Sal, Boa Vista, Santo Antão, and island hopping.
The quick, straight answer
For a 7 to 10-day trip in Cape Verde, 5 GB is more than enough for most people. If you only use maps and WhatsApp, 3 GB will suffice. If you upload videos daily and make long video calls from the beach, aim for 10 GB. For remote work, 20 GB.
This narrow range is not accidental. A typical trip to Cape Verde is a beach package in Sal or Boa Vista: hotel with Wi-Fi, lots of hammock time, an occasional excursion, and little travel. This means that a good part of your screen time falls within the accommodation's Wi-Fi, and actual mobile data usage is short: looking up a restaurant, sending photos to the group, checking the weather, a quick video call.
The classic mistake is buying 20 GB "just in case" for a week-long trip where you'll only use 3 GB. I prefer to recommend what you actually need: running slightly short and topping up is cheaper than paying for gigabytes that expire unused.
However, there are two things in Cape Verde that can significantly increase consumption and should be considered before choosing: hotel Wi-Fi usually works well in the lobby but is spotty in the room, and the content recorded there (beach, dunes, trails) tends to be video, which consumes the most data. I'll break this down in the following sections.
Why Cape Verde changes the number
Each destination has its own data consumption physics, and Cape Verde has a rather pronounced one. Here are the five things that move the needle:
- It's not the European Union. Although it's in the Atlantic relatively close to the Canary Islands and the flight is short, Cape Verde is outside the EU and the European Economic Area: your Spanish tariff does not include gigabytes there. This catches many people off guard, so mention it in the WhatsApp group before someone turns on their data at Espargos airport. If you want details on options, you can find them under internet in Cape Verde.
- The hotel covers many hours. In the resorts of Santa Maria and Sal Rei, Wi-Fi is sufficient for downloading series, uploading the day's album, and making long video calls. This easily saves you half of your data consumption.
- Excursions disconnect you. A 4x4 ride inland, a boat trip to see turtles or whales, and the trails of Santo Antão will leave you without signal for much of the time. No signal means no data usage: these hours come free from your package.
- Lots of video is recorded. Dunes, kitesurfing, sunsets in Pedra de Lume. Video is heavy, and if you upload it on the spot, it makes a difference.
- Little urban transport with apps. Here you won't be constantly relying on a taxi app or a camera translator: Creole coexists with Portuguese, and English works in tourist areas. This reduces consumption compared to other long-haul destinations.
How much each activity you'll do there consumes
Before choosing a size, it's good to see the actual numbers. These are my estimates, rounded up and on the conservative side (exact values depend on quality, network, and app settings):
| Activity | Approximate Consumption | On your trip to Cape Verde |
|---|---|---|
| Navigating with maps (Google Maps, no satellite) | 3-5 MB per hour | Almost nothing. Satellite view does multiply usage |
| WhatsApp: messages, audios, and a few photos | 10-40 MB per day | What you'll use most and what weighs least |
| WhatsApp voice call | ~30 MB per hour | Cheap: 10 minutes is about 5 MB |
| Video call (WhatsApp, FaceTime) | 400-450 MB per hour | The big data guzzler if you make it from the beach |
| Social media (feed, stories, reels) | 150-700 MB per hour | Reels multiply normal scrolling by four |
| Sending a photo via WhatsApp | 0.1-0.5 MB | Compressed: you can send hundreds |
| Backup of original photo | 3-5 MB per photo | 300 trip photos ≈ 1-1.5 GB |
| Uploading a 1-minute video | 50-100 MB | This is where your package can disappear without you realizing |
| Music streaming (high quality) | ~75 MB per hour | With 1 GB, you have over 13 hours of beach music |
| Video streaming | 250 MB (low) to 3 GB (high) per hour | Save this for the hotel Wi-Fi |
| Web, email, news, banking | 10-20 MB per hour | Insignificant compared to video |
The important takeaway is the proportion: a single half-hour video call consumes more data than two full days of maps and messages. If you want a more detailed breakdown by app, I have it in the mobile data usage statistics by activity.
The table: GB by profile and duration
This is the table that will truly help you with your purchase. Find your profile, cross-reference it with the number of days you'll be there, and that's your number. These are calculated assuming what's normal in Cape Verde: you'll sleep in a place with Wi-Fi and take some excursions without coverage.
| Profile | 5 days | 10 days | 15 days | 30 days |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
Maps and WhatsApp tourist Looking for places, sending photos to the group, little else |
1 GB | 3 GB | 5 GB | 10 GB |
|
Photos and social media Daily stories, some reels, short video calls |
3 GB | 5 GB | 10 GB | 20 GB |
|
Digital nomad / remote work Video meetings, files, sharing connection with laptop |
10 GB | 20 GB | 30 GB | 50 GB |
|
Family sharing Two active phones, kids with video on the journey |
5 GB | 10 GB | 15 GB | 30 GB |
A couple of nuances to fine-tune. If your trip is 7 days (the classic Sal trip), interpolate between the 5 and 10-day columns: for the photos and social media profile, 5 GB is a safe bet and a better rounded option than 3 GB. If you're island hopping with several internal flights and nights in guesthouses without decent Wi-Fi, go up a notch: without resort Wi-Fi, daily consumption easily doubles.
And if you're torn between two sizes, choose the smaller one. Topping up from your phone takes two minutes; the gigabyte you didn't use doesn't come back.
Hotel Wi-Fi: how much you can trust it
Here's the key to why the number is lower in Cape Verde than in other beach destinations. In hotels and resorts in Santa Maria (Sal) and Sal Rei (Boa Vista), Wi-Fi exists, is mostly free, and covers common areas well: reception, bar, pool, restaurant. There, you can do heavy tasks without touching your data.
The downside is known to anyone who has been there: in the room, it's usually weak, especially in blocks far from the reception and during peak evening hours when the entire hotel connects at once. And generally, hotel Wi-Fi performs below a good 4G mobile connection, even in four-star establishments.
My approach, which works for me on all beach trips:
Anything heavy – photo backups, downloaded series, app updates, uploading long videos – I schedule for Wi-Fi while I'm at dinner or sleeping. Mobile data is reserved for what I need in the moment: maps, messages, and looking for a place to eat.
With this discipline, a 10-day trip easily stays within 3 GB of mobile data. Without it, automatic photo backups in original quality can consume 1.5 GB during an afternoon in the dunes. Check that setting before you leave home, not when you're already there.
Coverage island by island: where you won't use a single MB
Cape Verde has ten islands, and the signal isn't distributed equally. The two operators are Alou (formerly CVMóvel, with more presence in less touristy islands) and Unitel T+, which usually performs slightly better in Praia and Mindelo. Here's what you'll find:
| Area | Typical Coverage | Effect on Your Consumption |
|---|---|---|
| Santa Maria (Sal) and Sal Rei (Boa Vista) | Stable 4G | Normal consumption: this is where you'll use most data |
| Praia and Mindelo | Solid 4G; some scattered 5G in Praia | Normal consumption, perhaps slightly higher due to speed |
| Interior of Santiago | 3G or less outside of towns | Lower consumption: apps slow down on their own |
| Santo Antão (valleys, Paul, Cova, trails) | Irregular, with stretches of no signal | Zero consumption while hiking |
| Fogo and Brava | Uneven, better with the historical network | Low |
| 4x4 excursion inland | Intermittent | Practically zero during the journey |
| Boat trips and inter-island ferries | No signal once you're away from the coast | Zero: don't count on uploading anything |
| Internal flights between islands | No signal | Zero |
Translated into gigabytes: if your plan includes two or three long excursions and a couple of days in Santo Antão, you're getting many hours of clock time without spending anything. This is one of the reasons why you don't need to buy such a large package here. The specific sizes we offer, with prices, are in the guide to eSIM for Cape Verde.
A typical day in Santa Maria, in MB
Averages are fine, but a real day is easier to understand. This is a normal beach day in Sal for someone who takes photos, posts something, and calls home, counting only what uses mobile data:
| Time of Day | What you do | Data |
|---|---|---|
| Morning | Checking weather, maps to the beach, looking up schedules | 15 MB |
| All day | WhatsApp: messages, audios, and photos to the family group | 40 MB |
| Siesta and queues | 45 minutes of social media scrolling | 150 MB |
| Afternoon | Uploading three stories and a short video of the dunes | 60 MB |
| Before dinner | 15-minute video call home | 110 MB |
| Beach | One hour of music streaming | 75 MB |
| Miscellaneous | Email, news, banking, looking up a restaurant | 20 MB |
| Total daily data-only usage | ~470 MB | |
| Total if evening and music are done via Wi-Fi | ~250-300 MB | |
Multiply: 10 days × 300 MB = 3 GB. With 5 GB, you have that usage plus a comfortable buffer for when Wi-Fi is spotty, for a long birthday video call, or for the airport on the way back. That margin is exactly what I recommend, no more, no less.
Calculate your own consumption before you leave
All the above are averages, and you are not an average. There's an honest and free way to find your real number, and it takes two minutes from your couch at home:
- On Android: Settings → Network & internet → SIM / Data usage. You'll see mobile data consumed in the current cycle and the breakdown by app.
- On iPhone: Settings → Mobile Data. Below, you'll find consumption by app; remember to reset the counter so the period is comparable.
Take your mobile data consumption for a normal month (not the total with Wi-Fi), divide it by 30, and you'll have your daily average at home. Now adjust it for your trip:
- Subtract work commute hours and routines you won't do there.
- Add 30-50% for searching places, maps, and photos: you use your phone more when traveling than at home.
- Subtract what the hotel Wi-Fi will cover, which is a lot on a beach package trip.
In practice, almost everyone gets a number similar to the profile table. If yours is much higher, check which app is taking up the bulk: it's almost always a single one, and usually it's video. That's your leverage for savings even before buying the package.
How to make your GBs last once you're there
With four adjustments made before getting on the plane, your package will last twice as long. The ones that make the biggest difference on a trip to Cape Verde:
- Offline maps. Download Sal, Boa Vista, Santiago, and the area of Santo Antão you plan to walk while you have Wi-Fi at home. Besides saving data, this is what will save you in valleys without signal.
- Backups only via Wi-Fi. Google Photos, iCloud, and WhatsApp backups: all have this option. This is the adjustment that saves the most gigabytes.
- Lower video quality. On YouTube and social media, set to 480p with data. On the beach, with the sun on the screen, you won't notice the difference.
- Autoplay disabled. Instagram, TikTok, and X play videos automatically, even if you don't watch them. Set it to "Wi-Fi only."
- Data Saver Mode. Both Android and iPhone have it: it cuts background updates and automatic app downloads.
- Download tomorrow's content at the hotel: your playlist, the podcast for the journey, the episode for the ferry.
With this, the "photos and social media" profile easily drops from 500 to 250 MB per day. That's the difference between buying 10 GB or buying 5. I have the complete list of tricks, with screenshots of each setting, in how to save data on a trip.
What happens if you run out (and why it's better than having too much)
Let's get practical: you have two days left in Boa Vista and you see that you've used 90%. No problem. You buy another plan from your phone, activate it, and continue. There's no need to go to a store, ask for your passport, or change anything physical on your phone: it's done from wherever you are, using the hotel's Wi-Fi if necessary.
That's why I always say the same thing: buying too little can be fixed in two minutes; buying too much cannot be fixed at all. Data plans have an expiration date, and any leftover gigabytes are not refunded or saved for the next trip. Paying for 20 GB to use 4 GB is a waste of money, and I'm not interested in selling you that.
Three tips for managing your data plan effectively at the end of your trip:
- Check your usage halfway through your trip. If on day 5 of 10 you've used less than half, you're fine and can relax.
- Set an alert. In your phone settings, you can set an alert to notify you when you reach a certain usage; this saves you from surprises.
- Save the last bit for the airport. On your return day, between check-in, delays, and letting people know you're home, you'll use more data than you think.
Buying wisely also means not overbuying. If 3 GB is more than enough for you, get it and enjoy your trip.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many GB do I need for 7 days in Cape Verde?
With 5 GB, you'll be comfortable for 7 days if you take photos, post a little, and call home. If your usage is just maps and WhatsApp, 3 GB will be plenty. A typical week in Sal, staying in a hotel with Wi-Fi, rarely exceeds 300 MB per day of mobile data.
Is 1 GB enough if I only want WhatsApp?
Yes, for 4-5 days of messaging only, 1 GB is sufficient. Text WhatsApp, audio messages, and compressed photos use between 10 and 40 MB per day. You set the limit: as soon as long video calls or videos come into play, that gigabyte will evaporate in a couple of sessions.
Does my Spanish tariff's roaming work in Cape Verde?
No: Cape Verde is not part of the European Union, so your Spanish tariff does not include gigabytes there. The fact that it's in the Atlantic a short flight from the Canary Islands changes nothing: "roaming like at home" conditions do not apply, and out-of-plan rates are expensive. If you're not sure how the alternative works, start by reading what an eSIM is.
Is there Wi-Fi in hotels in Sal and Boa Vista?
Yes, almost all hotels and resorts in Santa Maria and Sal Rei have free Wi-Fi. It works well in the reception, bar, and pool areas, but is weaker in distant rooms and during peak evening hours. It's more than enough for backups and nightly downloads, but don't rely on it as your only connection.
Will I have coverage in Santo Antão and on 4x4 excursions?
Sometimes yes, sometimes no: expect long stretches without signal. The valleys of Santo Antão, the interior of Santiago, boat trips, and a good part of the 4x4 routes have no coverage. Download your maps and notify home before you leave, because you won't be able to respond for hours.
What happens if I run out of data in the middle of my trip?
You buy another plan from your phone and continue in a couple of minutes. You don't need to go to a store or change anything physical on your phone; you can do it with the hotel's Wi-Fi. That's why it's better to start with the right size and only recharge if necessary, instead of paying for gigabytes you won't use.
Can I share data with my partner's phone?
Yes, by activating your phone's shared connection (hotspot), provided the plan allows it. This is the usual way for a family to use a single plan. Be careful: sharing with a laptop dramatically increases consumption, because computer updates and backups don't distinguish between home Wi-Fi and your mobile phone.
Will any unused GB be refunded?
No: data plans have a validity period and any leftover data expires. It is not refunded or carried over to another trip. This is precisely why in this guide I give you adjusted figures instead of recommending the largest plan: buying too little can be fixed by recharging, buying too much cannot be fixed.
Conclusion
If you take away just one figure, let it be this: 5 GB for the typical 7-10 day trip to Cape Verde. With maps and WhatsApp as your only use, 3 GB. With daily video, long video calls, or two phones sharing the same plan, 10 GB. And if you're going to telework from Sal, 20 GB and live it up.
The rest is common sense: download maps before you leave, leave backups for the hotel Wi-Fi, and remember that inland excursions and boat trips will give you entire hours without consuming anything. With that, almost no one runs short.
Once you've decided, choose your size and get it ready before you fly: it's available on the eSIM for Cape Verde. Landing in Sal with your data already working is starting your trip with one less worry.
