A Cuban resident in Florianópolis, Brazil, showed this week on TikTok how much it cost to fill up his cart at a local supermarket: 149 Brazilian reais, equivalent to about 29 dollars, for a purchase he describes as "quite a bit of food."
The video, posted on Wednesday by the user @locuras_con_yendry on that social network, shows a walk through the aisles of the market with a list in hand and ends with all the products gathered in the cart.
Throughout the journey, the protagonist cannot help but compare his new reality with what he left behind in Cuba. "Here, you enter a market and find everything on a different corner, my friend," he says in the video.
The reference to the island is direct and filled with emotion: "Many times there was nothing to buy, and when something finally appeared, ha, you know, it would spoil due to the power outages."
For this Cuban, being able to make a complete purchase is not an everyday task but a sign of something deeper. "It’s the little things that make you appreciate a life with more possibilities and more dignity, living as human beings," he reflects.
Regarding Brazil, its assessment is clear, though without idealizations: "Perhaps it is not the richest country in the world, but there are opportunities for everyone, sir, for those who have a lot, for those who have a little, and for those who have even less."
The contrast with Cuba is striking when considering the current food prices on the island: rice ranges from 280 to 350 Cuban pesos per pound, beans from 300 to 500 pesos, and eggs can reach as high as 570 pesos each, amidst a backdrop of chronic scarcity.
In the dollar supermarkets of Havana, prices are also not affordable: white beans reach $5.10, chorizo costs $9.45, and flour ranges between $3 and $3.20. According to recent data, Cubans need about 96,000 pesos to cover basic needs monthly, an amount that is unattainable for most with state salaries.
Florianópolis, the capital of the state of Santa Catarina, is one of the cities with the highest cost of living in Brazil, with a basic basket estimated at around R$858 per person per month. Nevertheless, for Cuban emigrants accustomed to scarcity, the opportunity to access a well-stocked supermarket represents a radical change.
This type of content is part of a well-established trend among Cuban emigrants in Brazil. A Cuban showcased in July 2025 a purchase of R$556.71 sufficient for two people for about 15 days, while another revealed in March 2025 spending around R$509 weekly on food.
At the end of the video, the Cuban poses the question that summarizes the entire narrative: "Is it worth it or not worth it to live here in Brazil?"
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