This Friday, the Cuban informal market reports a shift in the Freely Convertible Currency (MLC), which rises to 400 Cuban pesos (CUP), while the dollar remains at 525 CUP and the euro at 590 CUP, according to monitoring by elTOQUE.
The MLC thus recovers the level it had reached on Wednesday, after falling to 390 CUP on Thursday and hitting its weekly low of 385 CUP on Monday, representing fluctuations of 25 pesos in just 72 hours.
The dollar has been at its historic high of 525 CUP, a level it reached for the first time on Sunday, April 12, and has accumulated an increase of between five and ten pesos since April 2, when it was priced at 515 CUP.
Exchange rate today 04/17/2026 - 8:22 a.m. in Cuba:
Exchange rate of the dollar USD to CUP according to elTOQUE: 525 CUP.
Exchange Rate Evolution
Exchange rate of the euro EUR to CUP according to elTOQUE: 590 CUP.
Exchange rate from MLC to CUP according to EL TOQUE: 400 CUP.
The Cuban Observatory of Currency and Finance (OMFi) warns that the apparent stability of recent days does not reflect a structural improvement, but rather a slowdown in economic activity in an environment marked by the energy crisis and a 56% decrease in tourist arrivals on a year-over-year basis.
According to the OMFi, "this lower pressure in the market reflects an economy with less capacity for movement and currency generation."
Among the factors explaining this temporary moderation are the reduction of imports by small and medium-sized enterprises (mipymes) and the contraction of domestic trade.
In addition, the serious crisis in the tourism sector has worsened: the number of visitor arrivals has plummeted by 56% year-on-year, and according to recent data, Cuba received only 1.9 million tourists and generated 917 million dollars, figures that reflect the collapse of one of the country's main sources of foreign exchange.
The exchange rate pressure is also influenced by the issue of 2,000 and 5,000 CUP banknotes, which came into circulation on April 1, a measure that creates uncertainty about the evolution of inflation.
The situation is further exacerbated by the macroeconomic outlook: the IMF projects a contraction of the Cuban GDP of 7.2% in 2026, which foreshadows a greater depreciation of the peso in the coming months.
The Cuban tourism recorded only 917 million dollars in revenue and 1.9 million visitors in 2025, a 14% decrease compared to 2024, according to the National Office of Statistics and Information (ONEI), and in February 2026, arrivals dropped by 56% year-on-year.
What is expected for the remainder of April in the informal market?
As April comes to a close, the most likely scenario projected by the OMFi indicates a new moderate depreciation of the Cuban peso: the dollar could reach 533 CUP, the euro 604 CUP, and the MLC around 393 CUP.
Analysts warn, however, of high uncertainty in those projections, with wide ranges of variation: the euro could fluctuate between 574 and 640 CUP, and the dollar between 503 and 590 CUP by the end of the month.
Equivalence of United States Dollar (USD) bills to Cuban Peso (CUP), according to the exchange rates on this April 17:
1 USD = 525 CUP.
5 USD = 2,625 CUP.
10 USD = 5,250 CUP.
20 USD = 10,500 CUP.
50 USD = 26,250 CUP.
100 USD = 52,500 CUP.
Currency exchange rate from Euros (EUR) to Cuban Peso (CUP):
1 EUR = 590 CUP.
5 EUR = 2,950 CUP.
10 EUR = 5,900 CUP.
20 EUR = 11,800 CUP.
50 EUR = 29,500 CUP.
100 EUR = 59,000 CUP.
200 EUR = 118,000 CUP.
500 EUR = 295,000 CUP.
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