The informal market in Cuba closes with the rise of the dollar and the euro

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By CiberCuba Editorial Team

Wednesday, September 23, 2026 - 8:57 PM

Money, reference imagePhoto © CiberCuba

At 8:00 PM, local Cuban time, the informal currency exchange market in Cuba closes this Wednesday, September 23, 2026, with increases in the two main currencies.

The US dollar ends the day at 725 Cuban pesos, the euro reaches 826 pesos, and the MLC is around 468 pesos, although this last figure should be considered indicative due to the low volume of transactions recorded during this time period. You can check the full evolution at .

The US dollar is trading at 725 Cuban pesos (CUP) as of the close on Wednesday. This represents an increase of 5 pesos compared to the previous day, when the currency closed at 720 pesos.

The upward trend remains strong: in the last week, the dollar has risen by 25.5 pesos, which represents an increase of 3.6%, and over the past month, it has accumulated a gain of 57 pesos, or 8.5% more, although this 30-day comparison may partly reflect methodological adjustments in the index.

Exchange Rate Evolution

In the last 30 days, the dollar has fluctuated between a low of 668 and the high of 725 pesos it marks today. The demand for dollars remains high among those looking to protect their savings against the depreciation of the peso.

The euro is quoted at 826 Cuban pesos (CUP) at the end of the trading day. This represents an increase of 3 pesos compared to the previous day when the currency was at 823 pesos according to data from the prior session.

In the last week, the euro has risen by 30.5 pesos, a 3.8% increase, and over the past month, it has accumulated an additional 73 pesos, a 9.7% rise, while applying the same caution to the monthly comparison due to potential methodological adjustments.

The maximum for the last 30 days is 827 pesos, just one peso above today's closing. It surpasses the dollar by 101 pesos, solidifying its dominant position in the Cuban parallel market.

The MLC is situated around 468 Cuban pesos (CUP), although it's advisable to treat this value with caution due to the low volume of operations recorded. Compared to the previous day, the digital currency has decreased by 24.5 pesos, representing a drop of 5%. However, in the past week, it has accumulated an increase of 18.5 pesos.

In the last 30 days, it has fluctuated between a minimum of 415 and a maximum of 542 pesos. Without physical existence, its use is limited to the state-run businesses that accept it, which restricts its circulation compared to cash currencies.

Exchange rate of the dollar USD to CUP: 725 CUP.
Exchange rate of the euro EUR to CUP: 826 CUP.
Exchange rate from MLC to CUP: 468 CUP (indicative value, limited data).

The official exchange rate of the Central Bank of Cuba (Segment III), set today at 673 CUP per dollar and 770 CUP per euro, remains well below the values that apply in daily practice in the informal currency market. The gap between the official dollar rate and the informal rate exceeds 52 pesos; in the case of the euro, the difference is nearly 56 pesos.

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.

In the last month, the official exchange rate of the dollar rose from 638 CUP to 673 CUP, and that of the euro increased from 745 CUP to 770 CUP, a adjustment that has not managed to narrow the gap with the parallel market.

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

The bullish close this Wednesday, with the dollar reaching a 30-day high, intensifies the pressure on the wallets of those who rely on the Cuban peso for their daily expenses.

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

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