A Cuban family documented their visit to Jalisco Park, the amusement park in Havana's El Vedado, and revealed that the outing cost them more than 14,700 pesos in total, an amount equivalent to more than two average monthly salaries in Cuba.
The video, published by content creator Zona Pau on Facebook, has garnered over 37,000 views and accurately details every expense of the day, from admission to games and food.
The entrance to the park currently costs 1,000 pesos per person and includes a drink —beer for adults, soda for children— and a snack: nachos for the older ones and cookies for the little ones. It also grants free access to all attractions in the area, which previously required purchasing individual stickers for each ride.
"Now the entrance fee is a thousand pesos per person, which used to be around a little over a hundred, 200, something like that, I don't remember exactly, but it didn't include anything at all," explained Zona Pau.
For food, the bill quickly escalated. The family spent nearly 7,700 pesos on pizzas, which cost 2,550 pesos each, ordered from an external establishment by the park and billed separately. The chicken fajitas added another 3,654 pesos, along with croquettes and fries.
The games and other expenses made up the second part of the bill: 7,076 pesos. Among the attractions, the stuffed animal machine charges 350 pesos for just 20 seconds of play. The park also introduced new features: a pool table and video game machines.
"The other part of the bill was 7,076 pesos, totaling just over 14,700, which I think is reasonable for the quality and quantity of items we consumed," evaluated the video creator, who described the experience as positive despite the expense.
The menu from Jalisco Park shared on social media features a mixed platter for 4,180 pesos, spaghetti carbonara for 3,245 pesos, and a chicken burger for 2,310 pesos. Even the toppings for pizza reach up to 825 pesos per ingredient.
The figures starkly contrast with the economic reality of most Cuban families. In a country where the average monthly salary is around 6,930 pesos (less than 12 dollars at the informal exchange rate), and with the basic basket exceeding 96,000 pesos, very few can afford to pay the prices at Jalisco Park.
In June, a person reported on Facebook that they went with their children, but upon seeing that they had to pay 1,000 pesos per person for admission, they had to leave without entering, as they could not afford that amount.
"I went with my children full of excitement so they could have some fun, but I had to turn back because I didn’t have that money, and even if I did, I wouldn’t pay it," she wrote.
The park, located at 23 and 18 in Vedado, reopened in July 2023 under the management of the non-agricultural cooperative "Pekín," promising free entry for children and only 50 pesos for adults. Since then, prices have continued to rise. Even at that time, Cuban parents were reporting that up to 20,000 pesos were needed for a complete family visit, including food.
The pattern is repeated in other recreational spaces across the country. A water park in Ciego de Ávila charges 500 pesos for just 30 minutes of children's swimming, while the El Mambisito park in Holguín is in ruins, with missing roofs and non-functional attractions.
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