This is how the informal market closes in Cuba: The dollar and the euro end up rising

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By CiberCuba Editorial Team

Saturday, October 17, 2026 - 8:18 PM

DollarsPhoto © CiberCuba

At 8:00 PM, local Cuban time, concludes the day this Saturday, October 17, 2026, with the dollar and euro on the rise.

The US dollar ends the day at an average of 805 Cuban pesos, while the euro rises to 904 pesos.

The MLC, with a low volume of operations, is approximately at 652 pesos, a figure that should be viewed with caution.

The United States dollar (USD)

The United States dollar is trading at 805 Cuban pesos (CUP) at the close of this Saturday. This represents an increase of 2.5 pesos compared to the previous day, when it closed at 803 CUP.

In the last week, the currency has risen by 22.5 pesos —a 2.9% increase— from the 783 CUP it was at seven days ago. Over the past month, the dollar has gained a total of 102.5 pesos compared to the 703 CUP from 30 days ago, although it is important to note that this comparison may partially reflect methodological adjustments in the index.

Exchange Rate Evolution

In the last 30 days, the highest recorded was 805 CUP and the lowest was 703 CUP. It continues to reflect the pulse of the informal market in a context of structural currency shortages.

The euro (EUR)

The euro closes at 904 Cuban pesos (CUP), compared to 898 CUP in the previous session, marking an increase of 6 pesos for the day — a 0.7% rise.

Compared to seven days ago, when it was at 876 CUP, the European currency has increased by 28 pesos, equivalent to 3.2%.

In the last month, the euro has gained 106 pesos from 798 CUP thirty days ago, although this variation may include methodological adjustments of the index.

The maximum of the last 30 days stands at 905 CUP and the minimum at 798 CUP. It surpasses the dollar by 99 pesos, consolidating its dominant position in the Cuban parallel market.

The MLC

The MLC closes with a reference value of 652 Cuban pesos (CUP), with caution due to the low volume of transactions recorded during this time period.

This represents an increase of 20 pesos compared to the previous day, when it was at 632 CUP.

In the last week, the variation is particularly striking: it has increased by 154.5 pesos from the 497 CUP recorded seven days ago, a 31.1%, although this figure should be interpreted cautiously given the limited sample of operations.

Without a physical existence, its use is limited to state-run businesses that accept it, which restricts its circulation compared to cash currencies.

Summary of exchange rates as of the close on October 17, 2026

Exchange rate of the dollar USD to CUP: 805 CUP.
Exchange rate of the euro EUR to CUP: 904 CUP.
Exchange rate from MLC to CUP: 652 CUP (indicative value, limited data).

The official exchange rate of the Central Bank of Cuba (Segment III), set today at 720 CUP per dollar and 811 CUP per euro, remains well below the values that prevail in everyday practice in the informal currency market.

Although Segment III was presented as a more flexible exchange mechanism, its official rate remains far from that of the informal market and does not meet the actual foreign currency demand of the population. The gap between the official and informal rates in the case of the dollar exceeds 85 pesos, while for the euro it approaches 93 pesos.

In a scenario of sustained inflation, low state wages, and increasing partial dollarization of the economy, each variation in the informal market directly impacts internal prices and the purchasing power of Cubans. The accumulated rise of the dollar in the last month —more than 100 pesos— illustrates the ongoing pressure on the Cuban peso, which finds no relief in the regime's policies.

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 excludes atypical offers and spam messages, weighs each transaction according to its recency, and consolidates a representative value that is updated several times a day.