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 U.S. dollar ends the day at 693 Cuban pesos (CUP), one peso above yesterday's closing, while the euro rises to 788 CUP, three more than in the previous session. The MLC, on the other hand, is around 460 pesos, although this figure should be taken as a guideline due to the low volume of transactions supporting its quotation.

The US dollar is priced at 693 CUP at the close of this trading day. This represents an increase of 1.00 peso compared to the previous day, when it closed at 692 CUP. Over the course of the week, the currency has seen a rise of 10 pesos from the 683 CUP recorded seven days ago, which is equivalent to a 1.5% increase.

In the monthly outlook, the dollar has gained around 27.5 pesos over the past 30 days, although this comparison should be approached with caution, as it may partly reflect methodological adjustments of the index. In the last month, the dollar has fluctuated between a minimum of 663 and the maximum of 693 CUP, which it hits precisely today. It continues to set the tone for the informal market in a context of structural currency shortages.

Exchange Rate Evolution

The euro closes the day at 788 CUP, representing an increase of 3.00 pesos compared to the exchange rate from the previous session, when it was at 785 CUP. Over the past week, the European currency has risen by 10.5 pesos from 777 CUP seven days ago, marking an increase 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 for the last 30 days is precisely 788 CUP today, while the minimum for the period was 746 CUP. It outpaces the dollar by 95 pesos, consolidating its dominant position in the Cuban parallel market.

The MLC is around 460 CUP, although this figure should be considered as a guideline given the low volume of operations recorded during this time frame. According to data from the previous session, the exchange rate was 461 CUP, indicating a slight drop of 1.00 peso.

In the last week, however, the MLC has risen by 19 pesos from the 441 CUP recorded seven days ago, a 4.3% increase. Over the past 30 days, it has fluctuated between a low of 408 and a high 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 businesses that accept it, which restricts its circulation compared 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 in the case of the dollar and 28 pesos in the case of the euro.

Although Segment III was introduced as a more flexible exchange mechanism, its official rate remains far from that of the informal market and fails to meet the actual demand for foreign currency among the population. It is noteworthy that over the last month, the official dollar rate has increased from 624 to 655 CUP, and the euro rate has risen from 720 to 760 CUP, which shows a rising trend also in the official channel, although it has not reached the levels of the parallel market.

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

The close this Saturday, with the dollar at its highest level 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 informal Cuban market created from automated analysis of thousands of currency trading posts in 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.