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The announcement of the new minimum wage of 3,210 Cuban pesos, presented this Thursday by Prime Minister Manuel Marrero Cruz before the National Assembly as part of a package of 176 economic measures, sparked a flood of comments on social media marked by sarcasm and resignation, rather than enthusiasm.
The question that was repeated in the comments was the same: what can be bought with that money? The answer, according to Cubans themselves, is almost nothing.
On the current informal exchange rate this Friday —690 pesos per dollar, already nearing 700—, the new minimum wage is equivalent to just 4.65 dollars per month.
The most frequently cited reference in social media reactions was the egg carton, which in the informal market ranges between 3,000 and 4,000 pesos, meaning it can cost more than the entire minimum wage.
"Now you can almost buy a carton of eggs," wrote a user sarcastically. Another replied bluntly: "It's still not enough."
The comparisons with other staple products were just as devastating.
A bottle of oil exceeds 1,800 pesos according to user reports, the kilogram of sugar is around 900 pesos, and a sack of rice is priced at about 31,800 pesos in the informal market. "You have to choose: either 10 pounds of rice or the bottle of oil," summarized one commentator.
Several users brought concrete numbers to the table. "They know that the dollar is at 670 and that everything is expensive, for example, a bottle of oil is at 1,800 and a kilo of sugar is at 900, will it be enough for us?" asked a Cuban woman.
Another pointed out a paradox of the salary scale: "Imagine that I earn 3,000 as a retiree and my niece, who is a doctor, earns 5,000."
The narrowness of that scale was also questioned. A user pointed out that a technician's salary is 3,410 pesos, just 200 pesos above the new minimum, which diminishes any work incentive.
"It's the same dog with a different collar," declared another person.
Skepticism about the actual effect of the increase was another common thread. "They raise the salary and inflation will rise even more; opportunists will raise the prices of essential goods," warned a user.
Another commentator was more direct: "Gentlemen, this is magnificent. With the new minimum wage, we can buy: NOTHING. We're still in the same situation."
The macroeconomic context supports this pessimism. The Food Monitor Program estimated in 2025 that the basic food basket for two adults cost between 39,595 and 41,735 pesos per month, a figure that is over 12 times the new minimum wage. In June 2026, a Cuban spent 60,000 pesos in a single purchase of basic food items.
Some users pointed out the real underlying issue. "The problem isn't about raising wages or salaries, but rather about lowering the prices of basic goods; this has been proven in history and economics," wrote an older commentator.
Another person summed it up with bitterness: "All they have to do is try to bring down the prices so that at least we can buy coal to heat water for me to bathe without soap."
The new minimum wage of 3,210 pesos will take effect on July 1, 2026, as announced by the regime.
The previous one, set at 2,100 pesos, was established on January 1, 2021, during the so-called "monetary reordering," when the informal dollar was trading at around 100 pesos. Five years later, that same currency is worth almost seven times more, and the purchasing power of wages has collapsed proportionally.
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