The Cuban content creator Sisi Aguilera shared her surprise on Facebook this Friday upon discovering that a single apple cost 500 pesos during a family outing at Boca Ciega beach in East Havana last weekend.
The video was published following the controversy generated by another viral clip from the influencer, in which she reported that renting a tent in Boca Ciega cost 9,000 pesos, more than the monthly salary of many Cubans.
Aguilera attempted to showcase a simple and low-budget getaway with her family at the old wooden bridge in the mentioned coastal area.
He explained that they arrived by tricycle because “thanks to tricycles, many people in Cuba can still get around,” due to the almost complete fuel shortage in the country, and he clarified that they did not rent umbrellas or lounge chairs.
According to his account, the first things they bought were some doughnuts that he described as "affordable and very tasty," priced at 100 pesos. However, the tone of the video changed when he asked about the price of the fruits.
"What truly shocked me was the price of the apples. 500 pesos each," Aguilera commented, visibly surprised in the video, which has already garnered over 8,700 views.
The figure illustrates the accelerated deterioration of purchasing power in Cuba. The average monthly salary on the island reached 6,930 pesos in 2025, according to data from the National Office of Statistics and Information, equivalent to about 15 dollars at the unofficial exchange rate. The price of a single apple represents approximately seven percent of that monthly income.
The situation is even more critical for Cuban retirees, one of the sectors most affected by inflation and shortages. A recent report revealed that Cuban retirees' pensions last no more than a week.
"When that money comes into my hands after five, six, seven, or eight days, it disappears," one of them confessed.
Aguilera's video adds to a growing number of testimonies on social media that reflect how basic goods, food, and recreational activities have become unattainable luxuries for much of the Cuban population.
This trend of Cubans documenting prices on social media has solidified in 2026 as a barometer of the crisis. Another creator recently demonstrated that a small purchase of basic food items cost 3,875 pesos, which is more than 56% of the average monthly salary.
The salary landscape is equally bleak. Only Havana, Artemisa, and Villa Clara surpassed an average salary of 7,000 pesos in 2025, while the rest of the country falls well below that threshold.
Independent economists estimate that the minimum cost of living per person exceeds 50,000 pesos per month, which is about seven times the average salary.
The supply booklet has collapsed and no longer meets the most basic needs, while the official inflation rate for food reached 16.65% year-on-year in March, and independent estimates place the actual inflation rate around 70% in 2025.
The Cuban Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa himself acknowledged in February 2026 that "you cannot live on 6,000 pesos due to high prices," an admission that has not been accompanied by any structural measures to reverse the decline.
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