A Cuban resident in Barcelona for 25 years reopened this month the eternal debate of the diaspora: where is it better to live, in Spain or in the United States? The content creator known as @dailyluna posted a nearly six-minute video on TikTok on July 17 that sparked conversation among Cubans living in both countries.
Filmed at her friend Dulce's house, the video stems from an observation that the TikToker finds revealing: most of the Cubans she knows in the U.S. have the same life plan.
"The plan that Cubans have to go there and work themselves to the bone in the United States only to come back here," she summarizes, interpreting this pattern as evidence that Spain offers a superior quality of life.
The creator argues that in Spain, one can live well with between 1,000 and 1,400 euros per month, without the need to have two or three jobs at the same time. "For me, life is better in Spain. You can live wonderfully with 1,000 euros. With 1,000 euros, we are happy," she states in the video.
One of his most concrete arguments is the comparison of fixed expenses. His third-party car insurance costs 250 euros a year, while his mother in the U.S. pays 350 dollars a month. He adds that three people in his household cover all food and hygiene product expenses with between 500 and 600 euros monthly.
In terms of labor, it is noted that Spain guarantees one month of paid vacation per year and that worked holidays are compensated at double the rate, while in the U.S.—according to their experience—many workers have barely 15 days and not everyone takes them. The data supports this difference: Spain legally guarantees 30 calendar days of paid vacation, while the U.S. has no federal minimum, and the actual average in the private sector hovers around 10 or 11 days after the first year of service.
The TikToker also points to healthcare and education as decisive advantages. "Schools are free, and healthcare is also free," she says, adding that the absence of school shootings is an invaluable factor of peace of mind.
The economic contrast between both countries is real but nuanced. The average salary in the U.S. is nearly double that of Spain —about 76,971 euros compared to 35,121 euros—, but the cost of living in the United States exceeds that of Spain by between 20% and 55%, with healthcare being a particularly heavy expense: the average family cost surpassed 26,993 dollars annually in 2025. The Numbeo quality of life index places the U.S. slightly above Spain (192.1 compared to 187.2), although both countries fall within the "very high" category. Life expectancy, on the other hand, favors Spain: 83.2 years compared to 78.5 in the U.S.
This recurring debate among emigrated Cubans often becomes polarized between those who advocate for the high salaries and lifestyle in the United States and those who value the tranquility and public services of Spain. The phenomenon of Cubans working in the U.S. with the intention of retiring in Spain has grown, also driven by the Spanish Law of Democratic Memory, which opened pathways to nationality by descent: the Spanish Consulate in Miami had over 17,000 active applications through this route in 2025.
The creator, who has spent a quarter of a century in Barcelona and claims to have no intention of moving, concluded the video with an ironic recommendation addressed to Cubans in Miami: "I recommend to the Cubans in Miami, those who are thinking of coming to Spain, to stay in their homeland in the United States, where you said you were going to make your fortune, and leave us here in Spain alone, as we are doing very well, we are few, and we are fine."
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