This is how the informal market in Cuba starts the day: The dollar stabilizes and the euro gains ground

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By CiberCuba Editorial Team

Saturday, September 5, 2026 - 12:04

Dollars and Cuban pesos (Reference image)Photo © CiberCuba

At 10:00 a.m., local Cuban time, opens this Saturday, September 5, 2026, showing mixed signals: the US dollar remains unchanged compared to the previous day, the euro continues to rise, and the MLC shows a notable decline, although this data should be approached with caution due to the scarcity of recorded transactions during this time period.

The U.S. dollar is quoted at 683 Cuban pesos (CUP) in the informal market, with a buying rate of 680 CUP and a selling rate of 685 CUP.

It remains unchanged compared to the previous day, confirming a stability that should not be confused with structural calm: over the past week, the greenback has risen by 8.5 pesos, 1.3% more than seven days ago, when it hovered around 674 CUP.

Compared to 30 days ago, the quotation has increased by 10 pesos (+1.5%), although this comparison may partly reflect adjustments in the index methodology.

Exchange Rate Evolution

In the last 30 days, the dollar has fluctuated between a low of 663 CUP and the current high of 683 CUP. It continues to set the tone for the informal market in a context of structural currency shortages.

The euro opens at 777 Cuban pesos (CUP), with a buying price of 773 CUP and a selling price of 780 CUP. This represents an increase of 3 pesos compared to the previous day, when it was at 774 CUP.

The weekly trend is also upward: seven days ago, the euro was trading at 763 CUP, which represents a gain of 14 pesos during that period (+1.8%).

The comparison over 30 days shows a slight decrease of 6 pesos (-0.8%) compared to the 783 CUP at that time, although this figure may be influenced by methodological adjustments to the index.

In the last month, the European currency has reached a high of 785 CUP and a low of 746 CUP. It surpasses the dollar by 94 pesos, solidifying its dominant position in the Cuban parallel market.

The MLC is around 451 Cuban pesos (CUP) as a guideline, with an estimated buying rate of 432 CUP and a selling rate of 470 CUP. The available data for this currency is limited during this timeframe, so the value should be treated with caution.

According to data from the previous session, the MLC was quoted at 477 CUP, which would represent a decline of 26 pesos (-5.5%), although this variation should be interpreted cautiously due to the limited sample of transactions. A week ago, it was at 467 CUP, and 30 days ago it was at 450 CUP.

In the past month, it has fluctuated between a maximum of 529 CUP and a minimum of 408 CUP. Without physical existence, its use is limited to state-run businesses that accept it, which restricts its circulation compared to cash currencies.

Exchange rate of the dollar USD to CUP: 683 CUP.
Exchange rate of the euro EUR to CUP: 777 CUP.
Exchange rate of MLC to CUP: 451 CUP (reference value, limited data).

The official exchange rate set by the Central Bank of Cuba (Segment III) is 640 CUP per dollar and 744 CUP per euro, which remains significantly below the rates that apply in everyday practice in the informal currency market.

The gap between the official and informal rates is 43 pesos for the dollar and 33 pesos for the euro, a disparity that highlights the disconnection between the formal economy and the reality faced by Cubans on a daily basis.

Although Segment III was presented as a more flexible currency mechanism, its official rate remains far from that of the informal market and fails to meet the actual demand for foreign exchange from the population.

In the last month, the official exchange rate of the dollar has risen from 618 to 640 CUP, and that of the euro from 714 to 744 CUP, which reflects a progressive devaluation of the peso also in the official channel, without narrowing the gap with the parallel market.

In a scenario of sustained inflation, low state salaries, and increasing partial dollarization of the economy, every variation in the informal market directly impacts internal prices and the purchasing power of Cubans.

The stability of the dollar at this opening does not relieve the accumulated pressure on the wallet of those who depend on remittances or the buying and selling of currencies to meet their daily needs.

The Exchange Rate of CiberCuba is an index of the Cuban informal market developed from the automated analysis of thousands of currency trading posts in Telegram and Facebook groups.

The calculation discards atypical offers and spam messages, weights each operation according to its age, and consolidates a representative value that is updated several times a day.