The dollar hovers around 800 pesos in Cuba: this is how the informal currency market closes this Thursday

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By CiberCuba Editorial Team

Friday, October 16, 2026 - 00:00

Havana Street and 100-dollar bill (Reference image)Photo © CiberCuba/ChatGPT

At 8:00 PM, local Cuban time, concludes the day this Thursday, October 15, 2026, with the dollar and euro on the rise.

The two main cash currencies are gaining compared to the previous session and consolidating an upward trend that extends throughout the week. The MLC, for its part, is also experiencing an upward movement, although its valuation should be regarded as indicative due to the low trading volume that supports it.

The U.S. dollar closes this Thursday at 798 Cuban pesos (CUP), its average value in the informal market. This represents an increase of 3 pesos compared to the previous day, when it stood at 795 CUP. In weekly perspective, the North American currency rises by 22.5 pesos from the 775 CUP it was at seven days ago, which equates to a 2.9% increase.

The comparison over 30 days shows an increase of 100 pesos—from 698 CUP in mid-September—although this variation may partly reflect adjustments in the methodology of the index rather than solely market movement.

In the past month, the dollar has fluctuated between a low of 698 and a high of 798 CUP recorded today. It continues to gauge the pulse of the informal market in a context of structural currency shortages.

Exchange Rate Evolution

The euro closes the day at 895 Cuban pesos (CUP), its average value at closing. Compared to the previous session, the European currency has risen by 5 pesos from 890 CUP yesterday, marking an increase of 0.6%.

In the last week, the euro has gained 28 pesos, reaching 867 CUP compared to seven days ago, an increase of 3.2%. Over the past 30 days, the rise is 100 pesos from 795 CUP; however, as with the dollar, this comparison should be interpreted with caution due to potential methodological adjustments.

The euro today reached its highest value in the last 30 days, with a low during that period of 795 CUP. It surpasses the dollar by 97 pesos, consolidating its dominant position in the Cuban parallel market.

The MLC closes around 637 Cuban pesos (CUP) on average, although this figure should be considered indicative due to the low volume of transactions recorded during this time frame. According to data from the previous session, the MLC stood at 587 CUP, which would suggest a jump of 50.5 pesos in a single day; such a significant variation underscores the need to handle this data with caution.

In the last week, it has risen by 60.5 pesos from 577 CUP seven days ago. Without physical existence, its use is limited to the state-owned businesses that accept it, which restricts its circulation compared to cash foreign currencies.

Exchange rate of the dollar USD to CUP: 798 CUP.
Exchange rate of the euro EUR to CUP: 895 CUP.
Exchange rate from MLC to CUP: 637 CUP (indicative value, limited data).

The official exchange rate of the Central Bank of Cuba (Segment III), set today at 711 CUP per dollar and 790 CUP per euro, remains well below the values that prevail in everyday practice in the informal currency market. The gap between the official dollar rate and the informal rate exceeds 87 pesos today; in the case of the euro, the difference is 105 pesos.

Although Segment III was presented as a more flexible exchange mechanism, its official rate remains far removed from that of the informal market and fails to meet the actual demand for foreign currency from the population. In the past month, the official dollar has risen from 659 to 711 CUP, and the official euro from 761 to 790 CUP, advances that fall short of the pace at which the parallel market operates.

In a scenario of sustained inflation, low state wages, and growing partial dollarization of the economy, every fluctuation in the informal market directly impacts internal prices and the purchasing power of Cubans. Today's close, with the dollar at its highest in the last 30 days and the euro at its peak for the same period, exacerbates 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 Cuban informal market, created through the automated analysis of thousands of currency buying and selling posts in Telegram and Facebook groups. The calculation disregards atypical offers and spam messages, weighs each transaction based on its recency, and consolidates a representative value that is updated multiple times a day.