A young Cuban known on social media as Cubanito Sim Filtro posted a video documenting his purchase of basic food items for 60,000 Cuban pesos, an amount that equates to more than eight average monthly salaries on the island and starkly portrays the food crisis facing the country.
"As a young person, I could spend the money on other things, but unfortunately the needs in Cuba and the responsibility of taking care of a mother are much stronger than any luxury," the young man explains at the beginning of the video, which he titled "I Spent 100,000 Pesos Living in Cuba" as a hook, although in the end he confesses that the actual spending was 60,000.
What stands out most about the account is not just the total amount, but the speed at which prices are rising.
"I was buying a bag of rice for 31,800 pesos, but just two days earlier it cost only 30,000," he recounts.
The price of oil faced the same fate: it jumped from 1,150 to 1,400 pesos per unit in just 48 hours.
The shortage of oil also forced him to visit several establishments.
"I couldn't find a box in one place and had to search in various locations to complete it," he recounts, explaining that resellers buy large quantities as soon as the product becomes available, only to sell it at higher prices, a widespread practice despite being penalized by the Cuban Penal Code.
Coal holds a central place in purchases: a sack costs 2,800 pesos, although there are also small bags available for 400 pesos for those who cannot afford the full sack.
"If it weren't for coal, I don't know what we would do," says the young man, in a statement that summarizes the dependence of millions of Cubans on this fuel in light of the blackouts affecting food preparation in more than 80% of households.
The beans complete the list: a five-kilogram package costs 8,000 pesos.
"The bean has become the main dish for every Cuban simply because it is very filling," she notes, describing a reality that is reflected in millions of Cuban tables.
The economic context makes those figures even more compelling. According to data from the National Office of Statistics and Information, in April 2026, the average state salary in Cuba was just 6,930 pesos per month in 2025, equivalent to about 13 dollars at the informal exchange rate.
The 60,000 pesos from the purchase represent more than eight times that salary.
Economist Omar Everleny calculated that a couple would need 45,401 pesos per month just for basic expenses by the end of 2024, while the Food Monitor Program estimated that the food basket for two people exceeded 40,000 pesos monthly.
Economist Pavel Vidal estimated a real inflation rate close to 70% in 2024, far above the official 14%.
Coal and firewood, which the Cuban government itself has normalized as an energy alternative, are today involuntary protagonists of a business born out of darkness and blackouts that can last more than 30 consecutive hours.
"Unfortunately, living in Cuba and with high prices, not everyone can have so many things at the same time, especially when the salary is not enough for anything," concludes the young man, in a statement that encapsulates what millions of Cubans face every day.
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