The euro reaches 788 pesos and the dollar approaches 700 CUP in the Cuban informal market

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By CiberCuba Editorial Team

Saturday, September 12, 2026 - 9:44 PM

The dollar and the euro continue to rise while the Cuban peso plunges in the informal marketPhoto © CiberCuba

At 8:00 PM, local Cuban time, closes this Saturday, September 12, with the dollar and euro once again on the rise.

The US dollar ends the day at 693 Cuban pesos (CUP), one peso above yesterday's close, while the euro climbs to 788 CUP, three more than in the previous session. The MLC, for its part, is around 460 pesos, although this figure should be taken as a reference given the low volume of transactions supporting its quotation.

The US dollar is quoted at 693 CUP at the close of this session. This represents an increase of 1 peso compared to the previous session, when it closed at 692 CUP. From a weekly perspective, the currency has accumulated a rise of 10 pesos from the 683 CUP recorded seven days ago, which equates to an increase of 1.5%.

In the monthly outlook, the dollar has gained about 27.5 pesos over the past 30 days, although this comparison should be interpreted cautiously, as it may partly reflect methodological adjustments of the index. Over the last 30 days, the dollar has fluctuated between a minimum of 663 and the maximum of 693 CUP that it reaches today. It continues to dictate the rhythm of the informal market in a context of structural currency shortages.

Exchange Rate Evolution

The euro closes the day at 788 CUP, which represents an increase of 3 pesos compared to the rate from the previous session, when it was at 785 CUP. In the last week, the European currency has risen by 10.5 pesos from the 777 CUP of seven days ago, marking an advance of 1.4%.

Compared to 30 days ago, when it was priced around 760 pesos, the euro has gained 27.5 pesos, although this monthly variation may include methodological adjustments. The maximum in the last 30 days is precisely 788 CUP today, while the minimum for the period was 746 CUP. It surpasses the dollar by 95 pesos, consolidating its dominant position in the Cuban parallel market.

The MLC is situated around 460 CUP, although this value should be considered as a guideline due to the low volume of transactions recorded during this time period. According to data from the previous session, the rate was 461 CUP, indicating a slight decrease of 1 peso.

In the past week, however, the MLC has risen by 19 pesos from the 441 CUP recorded seven days ago, representing an increase of 4.3%. Over the last 30 days, it has fluctuated between a minimum of 408 and a maximum of 529 CUP, a range that reflects the volatility associated with the low volume of transactions. Without physical existence, its use is limited to state-run establishments that accept it, which restricts its circulation in comparison to cash currencies.

Exchange rate of the dollar USD to CUP: 693 CUP.
Exchange rate of the euro EUR to CUP: 788 CUP.
Exchange rate from MLC to CUP: 460 CUP (indicative value).

The official exchange rate of the Central Bank of Cuba (Segment III), set today at 655 CUP per dollar and 760 CUP per euro, remains significantly below the values that prevail in everyday practice in the informal currency market. The gap between the official and informal rates today reaches 38 pesos for the dollar and 28 pesos for the euro.

Although Segment III was presented as a more flexible exchange mechanism, its official rate remains very far from that of the informal market and fails to meet the actual demand for foreign currency from the population. It is worth noting that in the last month, the official rate of the dollar has increased from 624 to 655 CUP, and that of the euro from 720 to 760 CUP, which shows a rising trend also in the official channel, although it has yet to reach the levels of the parallel market.

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

The closing this Saturday, with the dollar at its highest in the last 30 days and the euro also at its peak for the period, intensifies the pressure on the Cuban peso and on those who rely on it to meet their daily needs.

The Exchange Rate of CiberCuba is an index of the Cuban informal market created through the automated analysis of thousands of currency buying and selling posts on Telegram and Facebook groups. The calculation disregards atypical offers and spam messages, weighs each transaction based on its age, and consolidates a representative value that is updated several times a day.