A cup of ice cream with two flavors costs 1,580 Cuban pesos at the 17 & L Shopping Center, a private business in Havana's Vedado neighborhood, which is nearly half of the monthly minimum wage of a Cuban worker. A video posted on Facebook by content creator Yasiel Humor displays the prices of the establishment and has sparked a wave of reactions among Cubans who deem them unattainable.
The establishment operates as an ice cream parlor, restaurant, market, and space to watch football, featuring a children's area and Halloween decorations. Its digital menu, under the slogan "Frightening Flavors!", offers more than 30 flavors with prices starting at 890 CUP for a single cone and going up to 8,500 CUP for a kilogram of ice cream. According to Yasiel, a single scoop is around 700 pesos.
"I went to the shopping center at 17 and L in Vedado, and this is how the prices are. Hold on tight," says Yasiel Humor in the video. The creator tried three products: a two-flavor cup for 1,580 CUP, some salchipapas for 1,850 CUP, and a michelada for 1,440 CUP, all of which he rated with a ten. His wife's frappuccino, priced at 1,750 CUP, received a seven. A 10% service charge is added to the total.
The response from Cubans was decisive. "That place is extremely expensive. The cotton candy costs 600 pesos, the food is very good too, and the ice cream is creamy and tastes like what it claims to be... but your wallet is left trembling," wrote one user. Another was more straightforward: "Not just expensive, it's super expensive. Who can eat anything at that place? The prices are shocking."
The average state salary in Cuba is 7,354 CUP per month, according to data from the National Office of Statistics and Information published in October. The minimum wage, set at 3,210 CUP since July, makes the two-flavor cup nearly half of the monthly income for those earning the minimum.
"Words fail me. I've been working since I was 15, and I can't even think about enjoying a simple ice cream. I can barely meet basic needs to ensure a light meal. This is the situation for thousands in this country. I feel disappointed and sad," wrote another Cuban in the comments.
In Santiago de Cuba, a scoop at a MIPYME reached a cost of 200 CUP in October.
The phenomenon is set against a relentless price crisis. The accumulated inflation from January to September 2026 reached 24.8%, with food and beverages rising by 42.66% year-on-year. The informal exchange rate hovers around 920 CUP per dollar.
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