The dollar and the euro unstoppable towards new heights: this is how the informal market closes

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By CiberCuba Editorial Team

Sunday, October 25, 2026 - 10:39 PM

The dollar and the euro rise in the Cuban informal market (reference image)Photo © CiberCuba / ChatGPT

At 20:00, local Cuban time, closes this Sunday, October 25, 2026, with the dollar and the euro gaining ground compared to the previous day.

The U.S. dollar closes the session around 838 Cuban pesos, while the euro stands at 930 pesos. The MLC, with a low volume of operations and indicative data, appears to be declining close to 547 pesos, a figure that should be approached with caution.

The US dollar is quoted at 838 Cuban pesos (CUP) at the close of this Sunday. This represents an increase of 3.5 pesos compared to the previous trading day, when the North American currency was closing around 834 pesos. In the past week, the dollar has risen by 29.5 pesos — a 3.7% increase — from the 808 CUP it was at seven days ago.

The comparison over 30 days places the current exchange rate at 105 pesos above the level from the end of September, although this figure may partly reflect adjustments in the methodology of the index. In the past month, the dollar has reached a maximum of 838 CUP — the current level — and a minimum of 733 CUP. It continues to dictate the trends of the informal market in a context of structural foreign currency scarcity.

The euro is quoted at 930 Cuban pesos (CUP), its highest in the last 30 days. This represents an increase of 3.5 pesos compared to the previous session, when the European currency was at 927 pesos. In the last week, the euro has risen by 27.5 pesos, which is 3% more than seven days ago.

Exchange Rate Evolution

Thirty days ago, it was priced around 836 pesos, although this comparison should be taken with caution as it may incorporate methodological adjustments. It is established as the most expensive currency in the Cuban parallel market, surpassing the dollar by 92 pesos at the close of this Sunday.

The MLC closes with a reference value of 547 Cuban pesos (CUP), although the data available during this time period is limited and the figure should be regarded with caution. This represents a drop of 34.5 pesos compared to the previous day, when the reference value was around 582 pesos. Over the last week, the MLC has decreased by a total of 82.5 pesos.

In the last 30 days, it has fluctuated between a maximum of 742 CUP and a minimum of 457 CUP, reflecting the high volatility of this digital currency. With no physical existence, its use is limited to state-run businesses that accept it, which restricts its circulation compared to cash currencies.

Exchange rate of the dollar USD to CUP: 838 CUP.
Exchange rate of the euro EUR to CUP: 930 CUP.
Exchange rate from MLC to CUP: 547 CUP (indicative value, limited data).

The official exchange rate of the Central Bank of Cuba (Segment III), at 743 CUP per dollar and 832 CUP per euro, remains far 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 95 pesos as of this Sunday; in the case of the euro, the difference is 98 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 real demand for foreign currency among the population. In the last month, the official dollar exchange rate increased from 678 to 743 CUP, and the euro from 771 to 832 CUP, but this adjustment has not managed to bridge the gap with the parallel market.

In a scenario of sustained inflation, low state wages, and increasing partial dollarization of the economy, every change in the informal market directly impacts internal prices and the purchasing power of Cubans. The bullish close this Sunday, with the dollar at a 30-day high, reinforces the pressure on the wallets of those who rely on the Cuban peso for their daily expenses.

The Exchange Rate of CiberCuba is an index of the informal Cuban market created from the automated analysis of thousands of currency trading postings 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.