A video published from Trinidad, in central Cuba, showed egg cartons for sale at 4,500 Cuban pesos in the informal market, a price that triggered a wave of outrage among Cubans both on the island and abroad.
The clip, shared by the Facebook account «Con mirelis dapresa», gathered more than 345,000 views and hundreds of comments.
The price of 4,500 pesos corresponds to a carton of 30 units, at 150 pesos per egg, a figure that is difficult for many Cuban state workers to manage.
The average monthly salary in Cuba was 6,930 pesos in 2025, which means that purchasing a carton of eggs would consume nearly 65% of that income. For those earning the minimum wage—set at 3,210 pesos since July 2026—the cost exceeds 140% of their monthly pay.
The reactions of Cubans to the price of eggs
For decades, eggs have been a regular and relatively accessible source of protein for many Cuban families. However, nowadays, having an egg has become a luxury that many families cannot afford.
The price of eggs sparked numerous reactions on social media, where several users resorted to irony to illustrate just how difficult this staple food has become to afford.
“And I thought the story of the golden egg-laying hen was just a tale”, commented one user, while another pointed out: “Out of sheer misery, that’s my salary for the month.”
A user sarcastically remarked that "the price of eggs has given us a great lesson: never underestimate those you may need one day".
The egg is one of the most important products in the Cuban diet and for decades it was subsidized by the State through the supply booklet. The collapse of national production and the insufficiency of regulated distribution have driven many Cubans to rely on the informal market, where prices have no limits.
The price disparity between provinces is enormous. In Santiago de Cuba last August, the carton of eggs exceeded 7,500 pesos, while in Havana, it was sold for between 180 and 250 pesos.
In Las Tunas, eggs have been reported at 135 pesos each, while Villa Clara and Matanzas attempted to set a cap of 110 pesos per unit, although the actual market consistently surpasses this limit.
Trinidad is not an isolated exception. This locality recorded pork at 850 pesos per pound at an agricultural fair in August, and cooking oil reached 2,650 pesos per liter in July.
The backdrop is an economic crisis that intensifies relentlessly. The official inflation in Cuba reached 20.70% year-on-year in July 2026, with food and beverages as the main driving force.
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