A video posted on Facebook by the user Yela Bermudes about the markets of Vedado in Havana sparked outrage among Cubans.
The market, located at the corner of 19 and B in Vedado, is one of the most well-stocked agromarkets in Havana, but also the most expensive. The images from the video show signs with prices of 200 and 250 pesos in national currency per pound for products like bananas and tomatoes. However, data from previous months reveals even higher figures: in March 2025, mango reached 500 pesos per pound, soursop at 500 pesos, lemon at 600 pesos, and ají cachucha at 1,000 pesos per pound.
These prices stand in stark contrast to the actual income of the population. The average salary in Cuba in 2025 was 6,930 Cuban pesos per month, equivalent to barely five dollars at the current informal exchange rate.
According to the Food Monitor Program, two adults in Havana need at least 41,735 pesos per month just to cover their basic food needs, more than six times the average salary. The Cuban Citizen Audit Observatory estimates that a person needs at least 30,000 pesos a month to eat.
The comments on the video sharply capture the popular sentiment. "The most expensive market in the city of Havana, 19 and B, Vedado, Plaza de la Revolución. Bring a bag of money," wrote José Israel Caraballo. Yadira Pérez Rodríguez was even more direct: "Market? You mean the boutique... 19 and B is the most expensive in Vedado."
Other users pointed out the inequality that the market reflects. "Your salary disappears in just five days of food, without meat, without eggs," denounced Dionisio Díaz Sánchez. Yaimara Acosta added: "God bless the relatives who help them from abroad, because those of us who are getting by on foot no longer even know."
The government attempted to curb the rising prices through the Resolution 148/2025, which set maximum limits on agricultural products in September 2025, but subsequent reports confirmed that vendors systematically violated the regulations without facing effective consequences.
As one user stated in the comments on the video: "The most expensive food on the planet, and I'm not going to debate it."
Filed under: