A Cuban woman documented on video the economic paradox that defines daily life on the island, where the meager average salary, around 6,000 pesos, is far from the tens of thousands needed to cover basic expenses in a month.
The content creator Sisi Aguilera published the testimony on her Facebook profile, recorded during a walk through Guanabo, a coastal town east of Havana, where she went out to search for bearings for her motorcycle and ended up highlighting the stark gap between incomes and prices that Cubans face in 2026.
In her visit, Aguilera first stopped by a private business where she found a variety of items and bearings priced at 1,500 pesos each, about three dollars at the informal exchange rate, with the dollar trading at 518 pesos in the informal market.
"We found a new store, and when I say store, I mean a private one, not state-owned. It's a lovely shop, by the way; they had everything: new items, variety, and some beautiful lamps," he reflected.
He also mentioned that he needed to buy two boxes of blue ones, which cost 20 dollars each.
"In total, in national currency, it amounts to 20,600 pesos when the basic salary in Cuba is approximately 3,000 pesos. I don't know about you, but I find that expensive. So tell me what you think of these crazy prices," he remarked.
The situation reflects a reality that impacts millions of Cuban families, with a cost of living exceeding 50,000 pesos per month, a figure that is more than 15 times the basic state salary and turns every outing to address needs into an exercise in financial juggling.
The average monthly salary in Cuba reached 6,830 pesos by the end of November 2025, according to official data, an annual increase of 18%, but insufficient in the face of the continual rise in prices that suffocates workers and that the regime has been unable to control.
The contrast between the state sector and the private sector is evident at every turn. While private businesses offer variety and availability, the prices are unreachable for those relying on a salary in pesos.
This is compounded by the fact that more than 209 stores and 60 gas stations operate in foreign currency, excluding most of the population from access.
Food prices are not immune to this spiral, as recent reports indicate that a single onion can cost up to 900 Cuban pesos, an expense that alone represents almost a third of the monthly minimum wage for many state workers.
In the midst of this crisis, the government has issued new 2,000 and 5,000 peso bills in response to inflation, a measure that for many Cubans does not address the underlying issue, which is the significant gap between what people earn and the cost of living.
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