Which eSIM to buy for Cape Verde: prices, networks and the operators' own tourist eSIMs

Part of our Cape Verde eSIM guide: all articles and key facts →

The best eSIM for Cape Verde depends on how long you stay and how much data you use, and the answer is unusual: the cheapest gigabytes we found on 16 October 2026 came from a Cape Verdean operator, not from a global travel brand. This guide compares seven eSIMs, plan by plan, with the network each one uses and the rules that change the real cost.

Which is the best eSIM for Cape Verde?

For a stay of one to two weeks, the tourist eSIM sold online by Unitel T+ gave the most data for the money on 16 October 2026: 10 GB for 10 days at €10, or 15 GB for 15 days at €15. It is sold on the operator's own eSIM shop, needs no documents, and runs on the Unitel T+ network across the islands.

The global travel brands cost more per gigabyte but are simpler to manage from one app, and some let you keep the same eSIM for later trips. Among them, Nomad and Yesim had the lowest prices for 3 GB and more over 30 days. For a short stay with little data, Saily's 1 GB for 7 days, at $9.99 on eSIMDB, was the cheapest 7-day plan among the global brands in our table; Yesim's smallest plan, 1 GB for 30 days, cost €9.40 on its own page.

None of this makes a single eSIM "the best" for everyone. The sections below give the numbers so you can choose by trip length, by network and by what you need: data only, or data with a local number.

The seven eSIMs compared

We read each provider's page, or the provider's listing on eSIMDB's Cape Verde page when the provider's own site blocked our reader. Prices are quoted in the currency the page showed us; we did not convert anything.

The provider pages behind this table are Airalo's Cape Verde eSIM page, Nomad's Cape Verde page, Yesim's Cape Verde page and Alou's eSIM page. Saily and Ubigi refused our automated reader, so their prices come from eSIMDB, in each seller's currency (Ubigi sells in euros; Saily is listed in US dollars only), on its Saily listing and Ubigi listing. On eSIMDB, Airalo's Cape Verde plans also appear in US dollars, for example 1 GB for 3 days at $9.00, because the price shown depends on where the visitor is.

Holafly is missing from the table for a simple reason: we found no Cape Verde page on Holafly's site, and eSIMDB lists no Holafly plan for the country on the same date.

Which eSIM wins for each trip length?

The winner changes with the length of the stay: Unitel T+ leads from about one week, while Saily and Airalo are the low-cost entries for a stay of a few days. Here is the comparison by the durations people usually search for.

1 to 3 days

Airalo sells 1 GB for 3 days at €8.50. Unitel T+ sells a whole day of unlimited data for €10 and 3 days for €20. If you only need maps and messages during a stopover on Sal, the 1 GB plan is enough and costs less. If you plan to upload photos or make video calls, the unlimited day costs €1.50 more and removes the counting.

One week

For 7 days, Saily's 1 GB at $9.99 and Nomad's 1 GB at EUR 13.38 are the smallest plans from global brands. Airalo's 3 GB for 7 days costs €22.50. Unitel T+'s 10 GB for 10 days at €10 covers a full week with ten times Saily's data. Alou's 2,000 MB for 7 days costs 300 escudos, a lower price than any other plan here, but it is sold on a Portuguese-language page built for Cape Verdean customers (see below).

Two weeks

Unitel T+ sells 15 GB or 25 GB valid 15 days at €15 and €25. The nearest global plan is Airalo's 5 GB for 15 days, at €29.50 on its Cape Verde page. For the same 15 days, Ubigi's 3 GB costs €36.00.

30 days

Unitel T+ has no 30-day pack on its tourist shop. Over a month, Nomad's 10 GB at EUR 40.15 and Yesim's 10 GB at €45.00 are the cheapest large plans from global brands, with Airalo's 10 GB at €45.00. Alou's local eSIM packs run 30 days, from 5,000 MB at 700 escudos to 15,000 MB at 5,000 escudos.

What does a gigabyte cost with each eSIM?

Per gigabyte, Unitel T+'s tourist eSIM was about four times cheaper than the cheapest global plan we compared (€1.00 against Nomad's EUR 4.02), and Alou's smaller packs were also far below the global brands. We divided each listed price by its data allowance, in the currency of the page, without converting anything.

• Unitel T+: €1.00 per GB on the 10 GB, 15 GB and 25 GB packs alike.
• Nomad: EUR 4.02 per GB on 10 GB for 30 days; EUR 13.38 per GB on its 1 GB plan.
• Airalo and Yesim: €4.50 per GB on their 10 GB, 30-day plans.
• Saily: $8.60 per GB on 5 GB for 30 days, as eSIMDB lists it.
• Alou: 140 escudos per GB on 5,000 MB for 30 days, and 150 escudos per GB on the weekly 2,000 MB pack. For scale, Unitel T+'s shop shows its €10 packs as 1,100 escudos.

The price per gigabyte is not the whole story. A global eSIM can be topped up from an app you already use, while the Unitel T+ QR code cannot be reinstalled, and the Alou shop is designed for residents. Choose the cheapest option only if those limits do not bother you.

Which network does each Cape Verde eSIM use?

Cape Verde has two mobile networks, Unitel T+ and Alou; Airalo and Nomad name Unitel T+ on their own pages, while eSIMDB lists other eSIMs on Alou. Airalo's page lists "UNITEL" as the network, and Nomad's page says "Network for Cape Verde: Unitel T+". Yesim's own page and Saily's eSIMDB listing name no operator; eSIMDB's own data lists Yesim on CV Móvel (Alou) and Ubigi on both networks, which the providers do not confirm on pages we could read.

Alou is the commercial brand of CV Telecom, the historic operator. Its mobile arm was called CV Móvel until the group merged its companies (announced on 3 November 2022) and officially launched the Alou brand in July 2023, as Expresso das Ilhas reported on 15 July 2023. Many travel guides still say "CV Móvel"; it is the same network. eSIMDB also lists small resellers whose plans are routed on either operator, such as ESIM.DOG plans marked "T+ Telecom" or "Alou Cape Verde".

Which network is better? The most complete independent source is the regulator. The ARME (Agência Reguladora Multissectorial da Economia), working with Portugal's regulator ANACOM, drove test routes on all nine inhabited islands between May and November 2025 and published a 283-page report on mobile quality and coverage.

Two readings follow from these figures. Alou was faster on average everywhere the regulator measured. Unitel T+, the network behind the travel eSIMs, gave access to the data service more often on Sal and Boa Vista, where most holiday flights land. Our island-by-island guide to eSIM coverage in Cape Verde gives the figures for every island, including Santo Antão and Fogo.

Is there an unlimited eSIM for Cape Verde?

Yes: Unitel T+ sells unlimited-data tourist eSIMs for 1, 3, 8 or 15 days at €10, €20, €30 and €45, and Yesim sells unlimited days under a fair-usage rule. Unitel T+ adds that "unlimited packages can be renewed up to two times", after which you must pick another package. It does not publish a speed cap; its FAQ only says that speed "depends on network coverage and traffic in each area". One detail is inconsistent on the shop: the 8-day card sits next to a description that speaks of "7 or 15 days".

Yesim's unlimited plans, as listed on eSIMDB's Yesim page, cost €11.00 for 1 day, €77.00 for 7 days and €120.00 for 15 days, marked "Fair Usage" without a published threshold. Several smaller sellers call their plans unlimited but cap full speed at 500 MB a day before slowing to 512 kbps. The real caps behind "unlimited" Cape Verde eSIMs are listed in our island guide.

Hotspot, validity start and other rules that change the price

Read three rules before you pay: when the validity clock starts, whether hotspot is allowed, and whether you can top up the same eSIM. They differ more between providers than the prices do.

• Unitel T+: the eSIM activates on the Unitel T+ network when you land, and must be activated within 45 days of purchase. Hotspot is listed as supported. The QR code installs once only: if you delete the eSIM, you buy a new one.
• Nomad: the plan starts automatically once connected to the destination network, and must be activated within 60 days of purchase. Nomad's FAQ says its eSIMs support tethering and hotspot.
• Yesim: validity begins on connection to a compatible network, within 180 days of purchase. Hotspot is listed as "Depends on operator".
• Airalo: its Cape Verde page describes the plans as data-only and did not state the hotspot or start rule on the day we checked.
• Saily: eSIMDB's listing says Saily does not provide a Cape Verde eSIM that includes a phone number or SMS.

A QR code that installs only once is common with travel eSIMs. Our guide to how eSIM QR codes work and why they expire explains why, and what to do if you change phones before the trip.

What about the operators' own eSIMs?

Both Cape Verdean operators sell eSIMs online, but only Unitel T+ runs a shop designed for visitors, in English, French, Italian and Portuguese, with prices shown in euros or escudos. Its Morabeza packs include a Cape Verdean number and 30 national minutes; the minutes do not cover international calls. You need an account to buy, but no passport.

Alou's eSIM page is in Portuguese and prices are in escudos. Most of its packs add unlimited calls and texts inside the Alou mobile network; the largest adds unlimited national calls. The purchase form marks only the name and e-mail fields as required; its identity-document field offers BI, CNI or passport, and its country-of-residence list includes foreign countries. We did not test a purchase, so we cannot say whether a foreign bank card goes through. Our comparison of an eSIM for Cape Verde against a local SIM from Unitel T+ or Alou covers the stores, the physical SIM packs and roaming from home.

Pros and cons of each eSIM

Unitel T+ Morabeza

• For: the lowest price per gigabyte we found (10 GB for €10); a local number and 30 national minutes; unlimited options; hotspot listed as supported.
• Against: the QR code works once and cannot move to another phone; unlimited packs renew only twice; no 30-day pack on the tourist shop.

Alou eSIM

• For: the lowest prices in absolute terms; on-net calls and texts included; Alou measured fastest on every island in the regulator's tests.
• Against: Portuguese-only shop; prices in escudos; we could not confirm that foreign cards are accepted.

Airalo

• For: durations from 3 to 30 days; the network (Unitel) is named on the page.
• Against: about €22.50 for 3 GB over a week, far above the local operators.

Nomad

• For: 10 GB for 30 days at EUR 40.15; hotspot allowed; Unitel T+ named.
• Against: the smallest plan, 1 GB for 7 days at EUR 13.38, costs more than Saily's.

Yesim

• For: 30-day validity on every data plan; long activation window of 180 days.
• Against: no operator named; unlimited plans are costly (€77.00 for a week).

Saily and Ubigi

• For: Saily's 1 GB for 7 days at $9.99 is the cheapest small plan from a large brand.
• Against: neither names its network on a page we could read; Ubigi's Cape Verde plans (€18.00 for 1 GB over 7 days) are the dearest in the table.

Before you buy: check the phone

Every option above needs a phone that supports eSIM and is not locked to your home operator. Unitel T+ says plainly that its eSIM does not work on locked devices, and the same holds for travel eSIMs, as our guide to whether you need an unlocked phone for a travel eSIM explains.

• Check your model in our list of eSIM-compatible phones, or on the pages for the iPhone, the Galaxy S25 series and Google Pixel.
• Some shops ask for your EID: here is how to find the EID number on Android, Samsung and iPhone.
• Install the eSIM before you fly, on Wi-Fi, and switch it on when you land. If it hangs, follow our fixes for an eSIM stuck on activating.
• On Android, our step-by-step Android activation guide covers the menus.
• Keeping your home line for calls? See how to run two eSIMs at the same time.

Cape Verde is outside the European Union, so the EU's roam-like-at-home rule does not apply there: leave data roaming off on your home line once the Cape Verde eSIM is set for mobile data.