Surviving in Cuba costs 50,000 pesos a month, warns economist

The Cuban economist Javier Pérez Capdevila estimated that the cost of living on the island exceeds 50,000 pesos per month, a figure well above the average state salary, which is just a fraction of that amount.

According to a post on their profile, the specialist shared a personal and approximate calculation of the expenses a person needs to cover basic necessities such as food, hygiene, medication, transportation, and services.

Pérez clarified that his analysis "is not an official assessment," but rather an exercise based on his own experience as a citizen.

In his breakdown, the economist estimated that the basic food basket amounts to over 37,000 pesos, including products such as rice, beans, chicken, pork, eggs, cheese, oil, milk, and root vegetables.

In addition to that figure, there are costs for medication—2,150 pesos—personal and household hygiene—6,750 pesos—basic services—1,007 pesos—and transportation—1,300 pesos—bringing the estimated total to 50,157 Cuban pesos per month.

Pérez emphasized that this calculation excludes other unavoidable expenses such as clothing, school supplies, or recreation.

In his reflection, he added that a decent minimum wage in Cuba should range between 40,000 and 45,000 pesos, based on the actual cost of living.

"The debate on the minimum wage is not just technical, but ethical: it is about ensuring that work sustains life with dignity," wrote the economist, who called for an honest citizen dialogue about the Cuban family economy and the real conditions of subsistence.

The economist conducted this analysis, which was published in December 2025. However, a study from the Food Monitor Program calculated in August the approximate cost of a basic food basket for two Cuban adults: 41,735 pesos in Havana and 39,595 pesos in Cienfuegos, which amounts to more than six current average salaries in the country.

At the same time, that same month, the Cuban regime announced with great fanfare that the average monthly salary in the country rose to 6,649 pesos during the first half of 2025, marking an increase of 16.4% compared to the same period the previous year.