The Cuban informal market opened this Monday with new increases in the exchange rates of the main currencies: the dollar reached 625 Cuban pesos (CUP), the euro rose to 710 CUP, and the MLC stood at 455 CUP, according to the informal rate monitoring recorded by elTOQUE.
In comparison to the day before, the dollar rose five CUP —closing on Sunday at 620 CUP— and the euro also continued its ascent, having fluctuated between 705 and 710 CUP the previous day.
Informal exchange rate in Cuba Monday, June 8, 2026 - 06:45
Exchange rate of the dollar (USD) to Cuban pesos CUP: 625 CUP
Exchange rate of the euro (EUR) to Cuban pesos CUP: 710 CUP
Exchange rate from (MLC) to Cuban pesos CUP: 455 CUP
The week of June 2 to 8 has been particularly tumultuous for the informal currency market. Last Monday, the dollar was trading at 595 CUP and the euro at 635 CUP. In just seven days, the dollar has seen an increase of 30 CUP (+5%) and the euro of 75 CUP (+11.8%).
The rise has been daily and without pauses: on Wednesday, the dollar reached 600 CUP and the euro jumped to 680 CUP; on Thursday, both currencies set new records at 610 and 690 CUP respectively; on Friday, the dollar hit 615 CUP and the euro crossed for the first time the barrier of 700 CUP; and on Saturday, the dollar and euro set a new sales record before continuing to rise this Monday.
Exchange Rate Evolution
The perspective becomes even more alarming when the time horizon is extended. At the end of March 2026, the dollar was trading at 515 CUP in the informal market; today it stands at 625 CUP, which represents an increase of 110 CUP in just over two months. Only between the end of April and the beginning of June, the Cuban peso lost 12.1% of its value against the dollar, according to monitoring by elTOQUE.
The gap with the official rate of the Central Bank of Cuba is tremendous: the institution maintains an exchange rate of 533 CUP per dollar and 619.77 CUP per euro, which indicates a difference of over 90 CUP in both currencies compared to the informal market.
Analysts attribute the sustained escalation to a combination of structural factors inherent to the crisis facing the dictatorship: chronic fiscal deficit, high monetary issuance, contraction of GDP, collapse of tourism —only 35,561 visitors arrived in Cuba in March 2026, an 82% decrease compared to the same month in 2025—, an energy crisis marked by prolonged blackouts, and informal dollarization of the economy.
The economist Elías Amor publicly warned that the dollar could continue to rise if the underlying macroeconomic imbalances are not corrected, in a warning that summarized the situation as "Cuba on the brink."
Consulted analysts regarding the possible continuation of the rise were emphatic: the dollar "has no limits in the short term," given that the peso remains weak and the structural imbalances driving the depreciation show no signs of correction.
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