A Cuban identified on TikTok as @yanelasinfiltro published a video this week showing what she was able to purchase with 10,500 Cuban pesos in a regular shopping trip, and the outcome starkly summarizes the crisis of purchasing power that the island is experiencing.
In the video posted on Wednesday, the TikToker showcases nine products: two packages of detergent at 1,000 pesos each, a jar of mayonnaise for 1,000 pesos, a can of condensed milk for 550 pesos, a bottle of lemon for 1,500 pesos, two bottles of oil priced at 1,450 and 1,350 pesos respectively, and a 400-gram package of chocolate for 1,400 pesos.
"Two small packets of detergent at 1,000 pesos each, a bottle of mayonnaise for 1,000 pesos, this condensed milk for 550 pesos, this bottle of lemon for 1,500 pesos, two bottles of oil for 1,450 pesos each, and this one that cost me 1,350," the Cuban woman listed in front of the camera.
Neither meat, nor rice, nor beans: the purchase was limited to cleaning supplies, seasonings, and a sweet treat.
The 10,500 pesos spent amounts to only about 19 dollars at the current informal exchange rate, which is around 550 pesos per dollar.
The most revealing aspect is the comparison with the actual income of Cubans: those 10,500 pesos exceed the average monthly salary of a worker on the island, which, according to the National Office of Statistics and Information, was 6,930 pesos in 2025, equivalent to about 13 or 15 dollars at the informal exchange rate.
The minimum pension in Cuba is only 4,000 pesos per month, less than half of what Yanela spent on that purchase.
This type of video has become a recurring trend on TikTok, where Cubans living on the island document their shopping experiences to highlight the gap between salaries and prices. In February, another TikToker showed that 10,000 pesos were enough to buy rice, beans, sugar, powdered milk, oil, sausages, detergent, and soap, completely exhausting the money. This month, another Cuban showcased a "mini shopping trip" for basic food items that cost 3,875 pesos, which is over 56% of the average monthly salary.
The macroeconomic context further exacerbates the situation: the monthly basic basket for two people in Havana exceeds 41,000 pesos according to the Food Monitor Program, while the average salary covers less than 20% of that amount.
The Cuban peso has experienced a depreciation of about 48% against the dollar in a year, and the accumulated inflation between 2024 and 2026 exceeds 200% according to independent estimates, a spiral that turns every purchase into a survival exercise for millions of Cuban families.
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