A butcher's board photographed this Saturday and shared on Facebook by the user Yoryany Veranes displays the price of pork leg, loin, neck, shoulder, rib, and trimmings at 1,400 Cuban pesos per pound, while lard reaches 1,900 pesos per pound, in what has become a daily depiction of the food crisis affecting the island.
The image, which sparked extensive debate on social media, reflects the price surge that has turned pork—historically the most accessible protein source for Cubans—into a luxury item for the majority of the population.
On the same board, the cheaper cuts and by-products are listed: liver at 850 pesos per pound, beef lungs at 600 pesos each, feet at 250 pesos each, and head at 350 pesos per pound.
"This is open to debate because I know that many of us have already looked at the prices and asked, 'Where am I supposed to get that from?'," Veranes wrote when posting the photograph.
The author acknowledged that, despite everything, there are those who manage to buy meat with effort when it comes at a better price: "As unbelievable as it may seem, today even eating meat can become a luxury."
The contrast with income is staggering. The official average salary in Cuba was 7,074 pesos per month between January and April 2026, equivalent to about 12-15 dollars at the informal exchange rate. With the price of pork at 1,400 pesos, a worker earning that average salary could only buy about five pounds of meat per month by dedicating their entire salary to that one product.
Studies cited in 2026 estimate that a person needs approximately 96,000 pesos per month to cover their basic needs in Cuba, which leaves the average salary at just 7% of that threshold.
The official year-on-year inflation in July 2026 reached 20.70% according to the National Office of Statistics and Information, with food and non-alcoholic beverages as the main driver: they rose by 26.36% year-on-year and accounted for 63.18% of the monthly increase in the consumer price index.
Prices in the informal market far exceed those official figures. The day before the viral post, Cubans reported on social media that the price of pork was between 1,500 and 1,900 pesos, oil was 6,000 pesos per liter, eggs were 4,200 pesos per dozen, and chicken was 11,300 pesos per package.
This Saturday, another board from a store circulated on social media showing rice at 330 pesos, powdered milk at 1,700 pesos, and chicken breast at 10,500 pesos, highlighting the extent of the crisis across all food categories.
In response to rising prices, several municipal and provincial governments attempted to set price caps in August 2026: Matanzas capped cut chicken at 500 pesos per pound, Isla de la Juventud set it at 620 pesos, and Villa Clara established limits on eggs and oil.
However, the actual prices in the market remain well above those caps, partly because the regime removed the limits on chicken and oil in June, which contributed to the subsequent escalation.
"We're not here to judge anyone. Every family knows how to manage their budget and what their possibilities are," concluded Veranes, inviting his followers to share the prices they face in their own provinces.
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