The US dollar reached a new sales record in the Cuban informal market early this Tuesday, climbing to 526 CUP.
The previous high was 525 CUP, a level that the dollar had maintained since April 12.
The rise of the dollar has been steady -though modest- throughout April: it started at 517 CUP on April 3, increased to 520 CUP on the 5th, to 522 CUP on the 11th, and reached 525 CUP on the 12th, before setting a new high today.
The euro, for its part, remains today at 600 CUP, the psychological barrier it broke this past Sunday, April 19, consolidating another historic milestone in the currency crisis of the Island.
Exchange Rate Evolution
The Freely Convertible Currency (MLC) also increases in price this April 21, reaching up to 400 CUP, after being quoted at 395 CUP on Monday.
Exchange rate today 04/21/2026 - 8:22 a.m. in Cuba:
Exchange rate of the dollar USD to CUP according to elTOQUE: 526 CUP.
Exchange rate of the euro EUR to CUP according to elTOQUE: 600 CUP.
Exchange rate from MLC to CUP according to elTOQUE: 400 CUP.
The currency collapse is part of a broader economic crisis: the Cuban GDP dropped by 5% in 2025, marking the third consecutive year of contraction, with a cumulative decline of over 15% since 2020, and an additional contraction of 7.2% is projected for 2026.
Since 2020, the peso has lost approximately 95% of its value against the dollar in the informal market, changing from 42 CUP per dollar to the current 526 CUP.
This is compounded by the cut in Venezuelan oil supply following the fall of the regime of Nicolás Maduro in January 2026, which worsened the energy crisis with widespread blackouts and further devastated tourism, two factors that increase the demand for foreign currency and weaken the peso.
The OMFi projected that by the end of April, the dollar would reach 533 CUP and the euro 604 CUP, with a variation range of between 503 and 590 CUP for the US currency, suggesting that the upward trend has not yet ended.
Equivalence of United States Dollar (USD) to Cuban Peso (CUP), according to the exchange rates as of this April 21:
1 USD = 526 CUP.
5 USD = 2,630 CUP.
10 USD = 5,260 CUP.
20 USD = 10,520 CUP.
50 USD = 26,300 CUP.
100 USD = 52,600 CUP.
Equivalence of Euro (EUR) banknotes to Cuban Peso (CUP):
1 EUR = 600 CUP.
5 EUR = 3,000 CUP.
10 EUR = 6,000 CUP.
20 EUR = 12,000 CUP.
50 EUR = 30,000 CUP.
100 EUR = 60,000 CUP.
200 EUR = 120,000 CUP.
500 EUR = 300,000 CUP.
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