Related videos:
A state-run store in Old Havana put a 650 ml bottle of Head & Shoulders shampoo up for sale at 17.30 dollars per unit, triggering a wave of ironic and indignant comments on social media from Cubans who believe the price is completely beyond their reach.
The post was made by Tiendas Caribe through its profile at Plaza Bella, located on San Ignacio Street between Teniente Rey and Muralla, in Old Havana, where two variants of the product are offered: Hair Purification with Activated Charcoal and Grow Strong from the Root with Vitamin E, both at the same price of 17.30 dollars.
At the current informal exchange rate —525 Cuban pesos per dollar, 525 Cuban pesos per dollar equates to approximately 9,082 Cuban pesos, which is more than four times the minimum monthly wage.
Even compared to the national average salary, which reached 6,830 pesos by the end of November 2025 according to the National Office of Statistics and Information, shampoo represents more than an entire monthly salary.
The phrase that captured the popular sentiment was written by Sofía García in the comments: "I assume this shampoo comes with a complimentary wig in case it doesn't suit you."
Other users were more direct in their outrage. "It's a lack of respect, gentlemen; a worker in this country doesn't earn that," wrote another internet user, in a context where with an average salary of 5,000 pesos, one cannot live, not even on 6,000 pesos.
It is not the first time that prices in state-run stores have generated outrage: recently, the price of a tube of toothpaste that costs 1,150 pesos in the informal Cuban market also caused a stir.
Filed under: