The US dollar reached a new historical high in the Cuban informal market on Thursday, reaching 535 CUP for sale, three pesos more than the day before.
It is the second consecutive day of increase for the U.S. dollar, which had already set a record on Wednesday, climbing to 532 CUP, two pesos above Tuesday's closing.
With this new value of 535 CUP, reached on the last day of the month, the dollar has already exceeded the maximum projection that the Observatory of Currencies and Finance of Cuba (OMFi) had set for the end of April, which was 533 CUP.
The euro, for its part, shows no movement this Thursday, maintaining the 605 CUP it reached the previous day, a level that also exceeds the OMFi's forecast of 604 CUP for this month.
Exchange Rate Evolution
The euro broke the psychological barrier of 600 CUP on April 19, a historic milestone, and had not decreased since then, maintaining that level for ten days before rising five more pesos yesterday, Wednesday.
Regarding the freely convertible currency (MLC), it is indeed retreating this Thursday: it has fallen by ten pesos to 400 CUP, continuing the downward trend that started yesterday when it dropped to 410 CUP.
Exchange rate today 04/30/2026 - 8:08 a.m. in Cuba:
Exchange rate of the dollar USD to CUP according to elTOQUE: 535 CUP.
Exchange rate of the euro EUR to CUP according to elTOQUE: 605 CUP.
Exchange rate of MLC to CUP according to TOQUE: 400 CUP.
The dollar on the rise: Slow but steady
The rise of the dollar throughout April has been steady: from 515 CUP at the end of March, the currency has recorded an increase of 20 pesos this month, equivalent to a rise of 3.9%.
The previous record before the current bullish cycle was set by the dollar on April 22, when it rose four pesos in a single day to 530 CUP, a level it maintained for several consecutive days.
The gap between the informal and official markets is becoming increasingly pronounced: the Central Bank of Cuba set the dollar at 494 CUP and the euro at 578.67 CUP in its official rate on April 28, far below the prices in the streets.
Among the structural factors explaining the continuous depreciation of the Cuban peso are the energy crisis caused by the interruption of Venezuelan crude oil shipments and the suspension of Mexican supplies since January 2026, the decline in tourism, the scarcity of foreign currency in the banking system, and excessive monetary issuance related to the fiscal deficit.
Historically, the Cuban peso has lost approximately 95% of its value against the dollar since 2020, when it was exchanged at 42 CUP per dollar. In just the last 12 months, the US currency has increased by 47.8% in the informal market, rising from 345 CUP to the current 535 CUP.
Equivalence of United States Dollar (USD) to Cuban Peso (CUP), based on the exchange rates as of this April 30th:
1 USD = 535 CUP.
5 USD = 2,675 CUP.
10 USD = 5,350 CUP.
20 USD = 10,700 CUP.
50 USD = 26,750 CUP.
100 USD = 53,500 CUP.
Equivalent of Euro (EUR) banknotes to Cuban Peso (CUP):
1 EUR = 605 CUP.
5 EUR = 3.025 CUP.
10 EUR = 6,050 CUP.
20 EUR = 12,100 CUP.
50 EUR = 30,250 CUP.
100 EUR = 60,500 CUP.
200 EUR = 121,000 CUP.
500 EUR = 302,500 CUP.
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