How Much Does a Seychelles Trip Cost? 2026 Daily Budget Table (Praslin & La Digue)
Plan on about EUR 95-120 per person per day for guesthouse-style travel, assuming a EUR 80 room shared by two, and EUR 155-200 with a EUR 170 hotel room. Flights add roughly EUR 700-1,200. Itemised 7-night Praslin and La Digue sum, with and without flights.
By Ivy Underhill (editorial pen name), November 2026
- Budget (guesthouse, self-catering, takeaway and one restaurant meal): about EUR 95-120 a day per person (roughly SCR 1,550-1,950), assuming a EUR 80 room a night shared by two.
- Mid-range (a simple three-star hotel room, two restaurant meals): about EUR 155-200 a day per person (roughly SCR 2,500-3,250), assuming a EUR 170 room a night shared by two. Better hotels and villas cost much more.
- Biggest costs: the room, then the ferries (a Mahé-Praslin-La Digue-Mahé loop costs SCR 2,142 each in Cat Cocos economy, about EUR 132).
- Small guesthouses no longer add a tourist levy. The SCR 25 per person per night ended on 1 January 2026 for places with 1-24 rooms.
- Rupees first where an authority or operator publishes them. The fee table and the ferry fares are in SCR. The food and room figures are guide ranges or my assumptions. I convert at SCR 16.26 to the euro, the Central Bank of Seychelles mid-rate of 10 November 2026; check the day's rate before you change money. Pounds and dollars use the European Central Bank reference rates of 13 November 2026: EUR 1 = GBP 0.83559 and USD 1.1052. Round to the nearest ten, and expect them to move.
On this page
A week in the Seychelles costs about EUR 1,370-2,040 per person on a guesthouse budget, flights included (about GBP 1,140-1,710 or USD 1,510-2,260). Mid-range is about EUR 1,790-2,580. On the ground that is about EUR 95-120 a day per person on a guesthouse budget and EUR 155-200 mid-range. Flights are the big unknown: I use EUR 700-1,200 return from a seller's guide, not a fare quote.
The day figures assume two people share a room on Praslin and La Digue: EUR 80 a night budget, EUR 170 mid-range. Those room prices are my assumptions, checked against dated listings further down. The next section shows what real room prices do to the sum.
Two things drive the bill: the room and the boats between islands. The rest is small by comparison. Is the Seychelles expensive? Yes, but it is a bill of a few big lines, not a thousand small ones.
If you can only upgrade one thing, upgrade the room, not the restaurant. And book the guesthouse first and the ferries second, since the room is the bigger bill.
What does a day cost, and why do blogs disagree?
A day costs what your room costs, plus food, plus a share of the ferries and park fees. Food is EUR 25-48 a day per person on the budget plan and EUR 40-80 mid-range. Blogs disagree because they count different rooms and different meals, and many use prices that are ten years old.
Old forum threads still turn up for this search. They quote prices from before the levy, before the fee rises and before today's exchange rate.
Numbers age fast. A 2013 news item (Nation, 9 January 2013) quoted Cat Cocos tourist fares of R835 on the economy decks and R1,080 in business class. It gave R70 for the Inter Island Ferry between Praslin and La Digue. Do not budget with those. Cat Cocos now charges an adult visitor SCR 890 one way from Mahé to Praslin in economy, in its booking engine on 14 November 2026.
I do not trust a single "$10 street food, $30 restaurant" anecdote either. One person's good week is not a price list. I use ranges with a named source, and I say when the source is weaker.
Seven nights on Praslin and La Digue: the worked example
This is a worked example, not a diary. It is a sum I built: land on Mahé, ferry to Praslin for 4 nights, ferry to La Digue for 3 nights, return to Mahé. Two people share a room. All figures are per person, in euros, at SCR 16.26 to EUR 1.
| Line | Budget | Mid-range | Where the number comes from |
|---|---|---|---|
| Travel Authorization | EUR 10-12 | EUR 10-12 | Tourism ministry notice, 7 Feb 2024 (EUR 10); one local outlet reported EUR 12.06 in total, Jan 2026 |
| Ferries (Mahé-Praslin, Praslin-La Digue, La Digue-Mahé) | EUR 132 | EUR 132 | Cat Cocos economy: SCR 890 + 188 + 1,064 = SCR 2,142 (booking engine, 14 Nov 2026); see "Ferries" below |
| Local bus (about 6 rides plus a card) | EUR 7 | EUR 7 | SPTC fare SCR 10 a ride, card SCR 50 (Inside Seychelles, Jan 2026); the fare may now be lower, see "Fees in rupees" |
| Park and reserve fees (Curieuse, Vallée de Mai) | EUR 46 | EUR 46 | SCR 300 + 450 = SCR 750. L'Union Estate on La Digue charges a fee at the gate but publishes no price, so it is not in the sum |
| Bikes on La Digue (2 days) | EUR 20-30 | EUR 20-30 | SeyVillas: EUR 10-15 a day |
| Food, 7 days | EUR 175-336 | EUR 280-560 | SeyVillas ranges: takeaway EUR 5-8, restaurant EUR 20-40 |
| Room, 7 nights (per person, room shared by two) | EUR 280 | EUR 595 | My planning assumption, checked against listings below: EUR 80 a room a night (budget), EUR 170 (the cheapest three-star hotel doubles we found) |
| Total per person | EUR 670-843 | EUR 1,090-1,382 | |
| Per day | EUR 96-120 | EUR 156-197 |
Scroll sideways for more columns.
Budget food means one takeaway meal and one restaurant meal a day. Mid-range means two restaurant meals. Breakfast is assumed to come with the room.
Not included: travel insurance, the airport transfer on Mahé and any night there, the L'Union Estate gate fee, other excursions, and drinks beyond meals. The Curieuse boat trip is also extra, because the SCR 300 is only the park entry.
If your room costs more than my assumption, add the difference. EUR 170 buys a simple three-star double; a better hotel or a villa on Praslin or La Digue can cost well above that. A mid-range hotel with 25-50 rooms also adds the levy (see the next section), about EUR 4.60 per person per night.
With flights: the whole trip
Flights are the one line I cannot price myself. SeyVillas, a holiday seller, gives economy returns from Germany, Austria and Switzerland of EUR 800-1,200 in high season and EUR 700-900 in low season. STORY Seychelles, a resort, says economy fares from Europe "start around" EUR 700 (page dated 27 August 2026). Neither is a fare search. I use EUR 700-1,200 and you should price your own dates.
| Per person, 7 nights | Budget | Mid-range |
|---|---|---|
| On the ground (table above) | EUR 670-843 | EUR 1,090-1,382 |
| Return flight, guide range | EUR 700-1,200 | EUR 700-1,200 |
| Total with flights, EUR | EUR 1,370-2,043 | EUR 1,790-2,582 |
| In GBP (x 0.83559) | about GBP 1,140-1,710 | about GBP 1,500-2,160 |
| In USD (x 1.1052) | about USD 1,510-2,260 | about USD 1,980-2,850 |
Rates: ECB euro reference rates, 13 November 2026.
What your room does to the sum
The EUR 80 and EUR 170 rooms are the cheap end. Two guides price rooms by type, and both are sellers with no dated rate card:
| Type (per night) | SeyVillas | STORY Seychelles |
|---|---|---|
| Guesthouse (self-catering) | EUR 70-150 a room | EUR 70-150 |
| Apartment | EUR 100-200 | not given |
| Mid-range or boutique hotel | EUR 200-400 a room | EUR 150-250 |
| Villa | EUR 250-500 | not given |
| Resort | EUR 500-2,000 or more a room | five-star from about EUR 450 |
So my EUR 170 "mid-range" room sits at the bottom of that band.
Dated listings say the same. We searched Booking.com on 14 November 2026 for two adults in February 2027. The cheapest rooms and studios for two cost about EUR 54-90 a night on Praslin and about EUR 81-110 on La Digue. That puts my EUR 80 budget room near the middle of the cheap end. The cheapest doubles in three-star hotels on Praslin came to about EUR 162-170 a night (Oasis Hotel, Palm Beach Hotel), and other hotels on the list EUR 210-280. That is why my mid-range sum uses EUR 170: it buys the cheapest three-star double we found, and nothing fancier.
The rule for your own sum: every EUR 20 more on the room adds EUR 10 per person per day when two share. A EUR 300 hotel room instead of my EUR 170 adds about EUR 65 per person per day. Over 7 nights that is about EUR 455 each. STORY, quoting a traveller-reported cost site, puts luxury at EUR 370-550 a day per person, flights excluded.
Extras that are not in my table
| Extra | Guide range | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Car hire, Mahé or Praslin, per day | EUR 50-70 (about GBP 42-58) | SeyVillas; STORY says EUR 42-53. Fuel and insurance on top |
| Day boat trip with snorkelling, per person | EUR 55-140 (about GBP 46-117) | STORY; SeyVillas says day trips start at EUR 100 |
| Private boat for the day | EUR 500-800 | SeyVillas |
| Diving, per person | EUR 100-150 | SeyVillas; STORY says EUR 55-140 for a two-tank dive |
| Tip in a restaurant | 5-10%, not mandatory | SeyVillas, STORY |
Car or bus? On Praslin and La Digue my example needs no car, and a bike on La Digue costs EUR 10-15 a day. A car at EUR 50-70 a day is about EUR 100-140 for a two-day hire. One day of hire costs more than 70 bus rides at SCR 10, so hire one only for the days you want the remote beaches. For a boat trip, ask the operator for its own price; these are guide ranges.
Fees in rupees
The authorities publish these in SCR, so they hold up better than the euro lines.
| Item | Non-resident adult | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Curieuse marine park | SCR 300 | SPGA visitor page |
| Vallée de Mai, Praslin | SCR 450 at the gate | Seychelles Islands Foundation |
| Veuve Reserve, La Digue (unguided / guided) | SCR 150 / SCR 200 | SPGA visitor page |
| L'Union Estate (the way to Anse Source d'Argent) | Fee paid at the gate, no published price | The estate publishes no price list; check at the gate |
| SPTC bus ride | SCR 10 | Inside Seychelles, January 2026 |
SPGA lists its nature trails as free for non-residents under 12. For the marine parks and the Veuve Reserve it gives fees only for visitors over 12. SIF's ticket page lets children under 12 into the Vallée de Mai free, with ID, and charges adults SCR 410 if you buy online.
Reports say the government has cut the standard bus fare to SCR 8 from 1 February 2026, and plans SCR 6 by 2028. I could not open an official fare notice, so I budget SCR 10. Check the SPTC app or the driver.
SIF accepts rupees, euros, US dollars or pounds. SPGA's page says card on site, so keep a card handy.
Is there a tourist tax on top of the room price?
Only in bigger places. Since 1 January 2026 the tourism levy is SCR 75 per person per night in medium accommodation (25-50 rooms) and SCR 100 in larger hotels, island resorts and on yachts. The Tourism Department says small establishments no longer pay it, and the Ministry of Finance defines them as places with 1-24 rooms.
Children aged 12 and under are exempt. So a guesthouse stay costs SCR 25 a night less per person than it did in 2025, which is one reason older budget pages overstate the bill.
Ferries: the second big cost
In its cheapest class, Cat Cocos charges an adult visitor SCR 890 one way between Mahé and Praslin. Praslin to La Digue costs SCR 188, and Mahé to La Digue SCR 1,064. That is about EUR 55, EUR 12 and EUR 65 at the Central Bank of Seychelles rate of 10 November 2026. We read these fares in the operator's booking engine on 14 November 2026, one way, with VAT and the port fee included; the return legs cost the same. Our Cat Cocos ferry guide has the timetable and luggage rules.
| Route, one way | Coco de Mer (economy) | Island Hopper | Lazio Lounge (business) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mahé to Praslin | SCR 890 | SCR 977 | SCR 1,237 |
| Praslin to La Digue | SCR 188 | SCR 188 | SCR 188 |
| Mahé to La Digue | SCR 1,064 | SCR 1,150 | SCR 1,410 |
Scroll sideways for more columns.
Cat Cocos runs boats between Mahé, Praslin and La Digue. A second operator, Cat Rose, also crosses between Praslin and La Digue, but we could not confirm its fares with the operator. The booking engine prices children and seniors separately; we did not price those. The Cat Cocos terms give non-residents 25 kg of luggage free in economy and 30 kg in business. They say infants up to 2 years travel free but need a ticket. A first ticket change costs SCR 25 and later changes SCR 50.
Old and wrong numbers that still circulate
| Claim you may see | What I found |
|---|---|
| Ferry "EUR 50-70" (SeyVillas) or "from about EUR 56" (STORY) for Mahé-Praslin | Cat Cocos' own one-way fare is SCR 890 in economy, about EUR 55, and SCR 1,237 in business, about EUR 76. |
| Mahé-La Digue "EUR 70-75" (SeyVillas) | Cat Cocos charges SCR 1,064 one way in economy, about EUR 65. |
| Bus "SCR 7, about EUR 0.50" (STORY) | SCR 7 is about EUR 0.43 at SCR 16.26. Reports of the fare differ (SCR 7, 8, 10); I budget SCR 10. |
| Curieuse and Sainte Anne marine parks "about EUR 13 each" (STORY) | SPGA lists Curieuse at SCR 300, about EUR 18. |
Where the money goes: room, food, bus, taxi
The room is the part you control most. A small guesthouse stays free of the levy, and every meal you make yourself replaces a EUR 20-40 restaurant bill.
Food is the second lever. Takeaway runs EUR 5-8 and a sit-down restaurant EUR 20-40 per person according to SeyVillas. A litre of water is about EUR 1.40 and a Seybrew about EUR 2.50.
Taking the bus instead of a taxi is the biggest daily saving. A bus ride was SCR 10 (about EUR 0.60) in January 2026 and may be SCR 8 now. Inside Seychelles estimates about EUR 20 for a 20-minute taxi ride, and says to agree the price first when there is no meter. SPTC buses are cashless: you need a card or wristband (SCR 50 or SCR 100) or the SPTC app.
How to spend less without wrecking the trip
Pick small places, cook sometimes, take the bus and travel in a quieter month. Room rates and flights are what move with the season; the park fees above are single published prices.
- Choose a guesthouse with 24 rooms or fewer. No levy for the whole stay.
- Mix self-catering with one proper meal a day. A restaurant every night is where budgets go wrong.
- Ride the SPTC bus and rent a bike on La Digue instead of a taxi tour.
- Avoid the peaks. Guides agree July, August and the Christmas holidays are the dear time. They disagree on the rest. SeyVillas calls November-January and July-August high season and February-June and September-October low. STORY calls October-April low, with January-March cheapest. I found no official Tourism Department calendar and no dated rate card, so I give no percentage saving. Compare fares for your dates.
- Share a boat for day trips when the price per head is lower than a private charter: divide the charter price by your group size and compare.
- Pay park fees by card and keep SCR for small things.
None of this is a trick. Paradise has a price list; it just spreads it over a lot of small lines.
FAQ
Is the Seychelles expensive?
Yes, on rooms and inter-island boats, which is where most of the money goes. My pick for a first trip: a small guesthouse, the bus, and one proper restaurant meal a day.
How much should I budget for 7 days?
For two people sharing a room on Praslin and La Digue, about EUR 670-843 each on a guesthouse budget, assuming a EUR 80 room a night. Mid-range is EUR 1,090-1,382 each, assuming a EUR 170 room. Flights add roughly EUR 700-1,200, so the whole trip is about EUR 1,370-2,043 on a budget and EUR 1,790-2,582 mid-range. The room prices are my assumptions, so swap in your own. Insurance, the Curieuse boat trip and airport transfers are not included. The table above shows every line.
Do I need to pay a Travel Authorization fee?
Yes, foreign visitors apply before arrival on the official government site, seychelles.govtas.com, which the tourism department names as the only official channel. The tourism ministry gave a standard fee of EUR 10 in a February 2024 notice, and one local outlet reported EUR 12.06 in total in January 2026. The tourism ministry warns that third-party sites charge much more.
Can I pay in euros?
Sometimes. The Seychelles Islands Foundation takes rupees, euros, US dollars and pounds at the Vallée de Mai. Most day-to-day prices are in rupees, and SPGA asks for card payment on site.
