Cost of living in Cuba

Compare the cost of your home country to the actual living costs in Cuba, simply select your home currency and see the difference!

All data is kept up to date by local members and actual students. Our latest update was on: 30th of June 2020

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Food			Price in $
12 eggs dozen, large			12.50 CUP
1 beer pint in local shops, markets			7 CUP
1 kg of tomatoes			8.50 CUP
Full chicken 2kg			38.75 CUP
1litre 100% fruit juice			8.50 CUP
1 package of cigarettes imported brands			25 CUP
1 kg (2 lb.) of apples			7.50 CUP
1 bottle of red table wine, good quality			48.95 CUP
2.5 liters of Coca-Cola			0.95 CUP
1 Bread loaf standard			9.50 CUP
Whole fat Yogurt. 500ml			12 CUP
1x6 pack Dardanelle tuna			18.50 CUP
Heinz baked beans 1 tin			8 CUP
1.5 kg Sugar			10 CUP
2 liter cooking oil			20 CUP
Yum-yum noodles per pack			2.00 CUP
1 kg (2 lb.) of potatoes			5.50 CUP
1 liter milk			8.50 CUP
Fast food restaurant large serving/ take away			25 CUP
Housing
Utilities per month (water, electricity, gas) for 2 people in flat			165 CUP
Wi-Fi monthly fee 8 Mbps (1 month)			145 CUP
Laundry detergent (bleach, sunlight liquid, washing surf… altogether)			58.50 CUP
House Cleaning fee per day			105 CUP
Large Gas heater price range upwards.			200 CUP
Original branded Electric Fans			200 CUP
Original branded Electric kettle.			120 CUP
40 inches Beko flat screen HD TV set			2000 CUP
Single bed Blankets			120 CUP
Personal Care
Avon for women and men cologne			100 CUP
Ladies hair plaiting.			60 CUP
Ladies Sanitaryware (Pads and Tampoons)			18 CUP
Men's haircut			40 CUP
Ibuprofen, Panadol, Grandpa Pain killers box of 12 dosses			24.50 CUP
Mobile package local network providers’ talk-time, data and messages			65 CUP
1 month of gym subscription.			105 CUP
Earphones original (Samsung. iPhone)			90 CUP
Unisex Loris perfume			30 CUP
Gadgets maintenance and repairs (cellphone, laptops, tablets...) starting price.			100 CUP
Smart phones (Samsung, Xiaomi, HTC, IPhone) price range upwards			1000 CUP
Laptops (Samsung, Lenovo, Hp, Monster, Dell etc.) price range upwards			3000 CUP
Entertainment
Boat cruise with refreshments and finger snacks			120 CUP
Go carting 30mins			120 CUP
Movie House 3d cinema			30 CUP
Summer Festivals (jet, bumper cars, lucky deep ...(per ticket)			15 CUP
Photo shoot			120 CUP
Cappuccino / expresso/ coffee			12.50 CUP
3 course dinner local restaurant two people			96.50 CUP
3 course dinner classy, exotic restaurant two people			150 CUP
Play station 4 console without games.			2000 CUP
Spalding Basketball			200 CUP
Original branded Racket and Wilson’s tennis balls			500 CUP
Transportation
Taxi fare on average 5-10km			45 CUP
Public transport per trip one way maximum fare			30 CUP
1 liter petrol/diesel			6.50 CUP
1 day rent a car cost			140 CUP
Driver’s license			2300 CUP
Clothes
1 pair of jeans (Denim or similar)			150 CUP
1 pair of men’s formal shoes			215 CUP
1 pair original sport/casual shoes (Nike, Adidas, or equivalent brands)			280 CUP
1 classy summer dress (Zara, H&M or similar retailers)			135.79 CUP
Ladies formal shoes original and durable			120 CUP
Back-pack, gym bag (Nike, Adidas, New balance)			150 CUP

When figuring out your projected living expenses before considering a move abroad, be sure to take into account the following factors: currency variations, the relative cost and availability of consumer items, the price of entertainment, housing prices, and health care. You should also consider the cost of hiring a vehicle, registration, fuel, maintenance, and insurance if you eventually qualify to be in Cuba.

IMPORTANT TO NOTE: High import taxes are a way of life in almost all Latin American countries. Therefore, you will be better off buying domestic goods, if possible and if available.

Before you bring anything from abroad be sure and find out how much duty you will have to pay. Once you have lived in Cuba for quite a while, learned all of the ropes, studied the advice in this book, and made contacts, you will be able to cut your living costs substantially.

Even though the vast majority of everyday prices are fixed, or in some way controlled, by the Cuban government there is no doubt that the famous nightlife of the country is still there for all to see and enjoy.

While it will depend on which area of the country you live in it’s relatively inexpensive to enjoy a good night out in Cuba as long as you stay out of tourist traps.

Most Cubans do expend a portion of their monthly salary to supplement their allotment of rice, beans, bread, and other necessities. Pork, the protein staple of the Cuban diet, costs a little under $0.02 per pound.

The cost of bottled drinking water in Cuba ranges from $0.75 to $1 USD equivalent.

One of the biggest expenditures for the average Cuban is transportation. The local city bus costs about $0.02. Collective taxis, another popular form of urban transport, cost just more than $0.40.

Outside major cities like Havana and Santiago De Cuba, transportation is much more expensive and harder to come by apparently. In general, Cubans do very little traveling outside of their respective cities or towns compared to other Latin countries.

It is very difficult to compare your future costs in Cuba with the average spendings of its citizens due to the massive difference in the monthly salaries and spending habits.

As they earn pretty low amounts, they devote most of it to the expenses that are of the utmost importance, such as food, transportation, and utilities. For foreigners whose salary is high, the monthly expenses might differ much.

The following table gives an idea of basic price estimates in Cuba—in USD.