A survey by the Cuban Observatory of Citizen Auditing (OCAC) sparked a flood of reactions on social media after stating that at least 30,000 Cuban pesos per month are needed to cover basic food needs on the island.
The figure exceeds the minimum wage of Cubans by more than 14 times, but it fell short according to hundreds of comments on CiberCuba's social media, where readers warn that living in the country costs up to three times more than what OCAC estimated.
“A package of chicken costs 4,000 pesos, a dozen eggs 2,800 pesos, rice... With just the chicken and the eggs, the salary is gone,” commented a user. Others pointed directly to the severity of the situation: “When it comes to food, Cubans do not eat, eat poorly, in other words, they survive with great difficulty. That is the harsh truth.”
Many people placed the monthly cost of food between 70,000 and 100,000 pesos, and did not include in that calculation other expenses such as hygiene, medicine, electricity, or transportation.
"For breakfast, lunch, and decent meals, about 3,000 CUP daily will do without luxuries, which would be approximately 90,000 pesos a month. In my case, two adults and two children... if we add water, electricity, gas, cleaning supplies, and other expenses, at least 100,000 CUP per month is needed to live tightly and save," explained another mother.
“About 80 thousand... no luxury food... just the basics,” commented a citizen. “Right now prices are like in Dubai,” said another.
A third person was emphatic: “Every day prices go up as if it were an auction, and no one in the government does anything. It’s obvious they don’t care.”
The OCAC report, titled “Without Agriculture, There Is No Country, and With GAESA, There Is No Future”, identifies the centralized economic model as the main cause of the food crisis.
They detail that the state budget allocates 13 times more resources to tourism than to production in Cuban agriculture. More than 80% of the food consumed in the country is imported, much of it from the United States.
A user left a scathing comment: “We work for pleasure, only to sustain a policy”.
Frequently asked questions about the cost of living and food in Cuba
How much money is needed for basic sustenance in Cuba?
According to a survey by the Cuban Citizen Audit Observatory (OCAC), at least 30,000 Cuban pesos per month are needed to cover basic nutrition. However, many citizens claim that the actual cost exceeds this figure, ranging between 70,000 and 100,000 pesos per month.
What is the relationship between the minimum wage and the cost of living in Cuba?
The minimum wage in Cuba is 2,100 CUP, while the monthly cost of living, including basic food, can exceed 45,000 CUP for a couple. This highlights a significant gap between income and the expenses necessary to survive.
Why are food prices in Cuba so high?
More than 80% of the food consumed in Cuba is imported, which increases its costs. Furthermore, the centralized economic model prioritizes tourism over agricultural production, affecting the availability and price of staple foods.
What solutions are proposed to improve the economic situation in Cuba?
Experts from OCAC suggest dismantling GAESA's monopoly, opening the economy to investment from the diaspora, promoting agricultural development banking, and allowing free agricultural trade. However, they caution that without deep political changes, there will be no effective solution to the food crisis.
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