The informal market closes in Cuba: The dollar and the euro rise at the end of the day

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By CiberCuba Editorial Team

Wednesday, October 21, 2026 - 9:04 PM

Money, reference imagePhoto © CiberCuba

At 8:00 PM, Cuban local time, the informal currency market in Cuba ends the day this Wednesday, October 21, 2026, with the dollar and the euro rising.

The US dollar ends the day at 823 Cuban pesos, while the euro rises to 912 pesos.

The MLC, for its part, registers a reference value that should be taken with caution due to the low volume of transactions during this time period. You can check the complete evolution in the .

The United States dollar

The U.S. dollar is quoted at 823 Cuban pesos (CUP) at the close of this trading day. This represents an increase of 5 pesos compared to the previous day, when it closed at 818 CUP.

In the weekly perspective, the currency has accumulated an increase of 27.5 pesos compared to the 795 CUP recorded seven days ago, which corresponds to a rise of 3.5%.

Exchange Rate Evolution

In the past month, the dollar has climbed from 718 CUP, although it's worth noting that part of this variation may reflect methodological adjustments to the index rather than just market movement.

The highest recorded in the last 30 days is exactly today's value: 823 CUP. It continues to reflect the pulse of the informal market in a context of structural currency scarcity.

The euro

The euro rises to 912 Cuban pesos by the close of this Wednesday, compared to 908 CUP the previous day, marking an increase of 4 pesos.

In the last week, the European currency has gained 21.5 pesos compared to the 890 CUP from seven days ago, an increase of 2.4%.

The value today also represents the highest point in the last 30 days, a period during which the exchange rate started from 818 CUP. It is affirmed as the most expensive currency in the Cuban black market, exceeding the dollar by 89 pesos and consolidating its dominant position.

The MLC

The MLC records an indicative average value of 733 Cuban pesos at the end of the trading session, although the available data is limited during this time frame and the figure should be interpreted with caution.

Regarding the previous session, where it was at 587 CUP, the variation is significant, but the low volume of transactions limits the reliability of this reading.

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

Summary of exchange rates

Exchange rate of the dollar USD to CUP: 823 CUP.
Exchange rate of the euro EUR to CUP: 912 CUP.
Exchange rate from MLC to CUP: 733 CUP (indicative value, limited data).

The official exchange rate of the Central Bank of Cuba (Segment III), at 729 CUP per dollar and 819 CUP per euro, remains well below the values that prevail in everyday practice in the informal currency market.

Although Segment III was introduced as a more flexible currency exchange mechanism, its official rate remains far from that of the informal market and fails to meet the real demand for foreign currency among the population.

In the past month, the official dollar has risen from 669 to 729 CUP, and the official euro from 767 to 819 CUP, a rising trend that, however, does not close the gap with the parallel market: today that difference is 94 pesos for the dollar and 93 pesos for the euro.

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

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

The calculation dismisses atypical offers and spam messages, weighs each operation based on its age, and consolidates a representative value that is updated several times a day.