A Cuban identified as Kevin (@kevin_sin.filtro) posted a video on TikTok in which he expresses his frustration about the impossibility of surviving on the minimum wage on the island, a complaint that resonated with thousands of compatriots both inside and outside of Cuba.
“How is a person supposed to live an entire month on three dollars? Yes, per month, not per day, not per week, per month. Three dollars a month. That is the salary of a Cuban,” says Kevin in the clip, published on June 17.
The young man dismisses in advance the criticisms from those who accuse him of exaggerating, maintaining that the minimum wage in Cuba ranges from three to five dollars a month, a figure that, according to him, is insufficient even for the most basic needs.
"How is it supposed that people can buy food, how is it supposed that people can buy clothes, how is it supposed that people can handle any emergency with three to five dollars a month?" she asks.
The numbers support his argument. The official minimum wage in Cuba was 2,100 Cuban pesos until June 30, equivalent to about four or five dollars at the informal exchange rate.
The regime announced in June a minimum wage increase to 3,210 pesos, a nominal increase of 53% effective from July first, although workers will not receive it until August.
The adjustment, however, does not improve the situation in real terms: at the informal exchange rate of about 690 pesos per dollar, the new minimum equals barely 4.65 dollars per month, representing less purchasing power than before given the rate of peso devaluation.
The government itself acknowledged that the increase is "insufficient" and described it as a "first step."
The gap between salaries and prices is staggering. Kevin illustrates this with concrete examples: "A dozen eggs costs more than the minimum wage for a Cuban, seriously," he says, adding that "a little oil is nearly the entire salary."
The data supports that description: a carton of 30 eggs costs between 3,000 and 4,000 pesos, equal to or greater than the total minimum wage, while a liter of oil ranges from 1,100 to 1,800 pesos and a sack of rice exceeds 31,800 pesos — equivalent to ten minimum wages.
Economists estimate that meeting basic needs in Cuba requires about 96,000 pesos per month, thirty times the new minimum wage, of which more than 70,000 is allocated just for food.
Kevin's video falls within a growing trend of Cubans using social media to highlight the crisis. In January, a young woman identified as @yaneisycanta_98 posted a clip that garnered over three million views, showcasing that with 2,500 pesos, she was only able to purchase sausages, spaghetti, macaroni, and soap.
The phenomenon reflects a loss of fear in speaking publicly about the situation, something that has historically been repressed on the island. According to the VIII Study of OBSERVACUBA, published in March 2026, 89% of the Cuban population lives in extreme poverty, and 78% intend to emigrate.
Kevin ends his video with a phrase that summarizes the reality of millions: "In Cuba, you don't live; in Cuba, you survive. I'm not exaggerating. That's the reality of the Cuban."
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