Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cayo Coco and Cienfuegos

For one person, living is cheaper in Cienfuegos: $935 a month against $1,236 in Cayo Coco, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

60

Cost of Living Index in Cayo Coco
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Cayo Coco Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Cienfuegos
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Cienfuegos Living Index

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Cayo Coco

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,236

/mo nomad

Cienfuegos

🇨🇺 Cuba

$935

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cayo Coco and in Cienfuegos

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cayo Coco and in Cienfuegos actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,236 in Cayo Coco versus $935 in Cienfuegos.

Cayo Coco $1,236
Cienfuegos $935

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,692 in Cayo Coco versus $1,384 in Cienfuegos.

Cayo Coco $1,692
Cienfuegos $1,384

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,148 in Cayo Coco versus $1,834 in Cienfuegos.

Cayo Coco $2,148
Cienfuegos $1,834

Living in Cayo Coco is roughly 32% more expensive than in Cienfuegos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cayo Coco 9% lower, Cienfuegos 31% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.92 CUP 118

$3.63 CUP 87.2

35.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.82 CUP 356

$27.37 CUP 657

-45.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.98 CUP 168

$4.89 CUP 117

42.74%

Cappuccino

$1.02 CUP 24.56

$1.01 CUP 24.21

0.99%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 CUP 46.75

$1.59 CUP 38.16

22.64%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.02 CUP 24.53

$0.91 CUP 21.94

12.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.01 CUP 48.33

$0.99 CUP 23.66

103.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 CUP 73.9

$1.98 CUP 47.52

55.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.05 CUP 73.3

$2.03 CUP 48.61

50.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.03 CUP 24.60

$0.72 CUP 17.34

43.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.04 CUP 48.95

$1.52 CUP 36.51

34.21%

Eggs

$3.71 CUP 88.9

$3.41 CUP 81.8

8.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.11 CUP 147

$3.95 CUP 94.8

54.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.86 CUP 117

$3.71 CUP 89.1

31.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.97 CUP 239

$6.68 CUP 160

49.25%

Apples (1kg)

$5.12 CUP 123

$4.69 CUP 113

9.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.02 CUP 24.42

$1.07 CUP 25.58

-4.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 CUP 24.52

$1.44 CUP 34.46

-29.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.97 CUP 23.34

$1.64 CUP 39.37

-40.85%

Potato (1kg)

$1.01 CUP 24.36

$1.59 CUP 38.22

-36.48%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 CUP 73.4

$2.02 CUP 48.57

51.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.97 CUP 23.39

$0.72 CUP 17.20

34.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 CUP 23.42

$0.53 CUP 12.84

84.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.03 CUP 72.8

$2.35 CUP 56.4

28.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.83 CUP 236

$5.17 CUP 124

90.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 CUP 46.69

$1.78 CUP 42.70

9.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 CUP 48.42

$1.87 CUP 44.91

8.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.36 CUP 8.69

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.63 CUP 471

$19.62 CUP 471

0.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.03 CUP 24.64

$0.97 CUP 23.29

6.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.03 CUP 24.67

$0.34 CUP 8.12

202.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.65 CUP 472

$13.24 CUP 318

48.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 CUP 24.42

$1.28 CUP 30.79

-20.31%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$69.0K CUP 1.7M

$50.4K CUP 1.2M

36.92%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$79.6K CUP 1.9M

$63.0K CUP 1.5M

26.26%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$39.88 CUP 957

$34.98 CUP 839

14.01%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$40.74 CUP 978

$39.09 CUP 938

4.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$223 CUP 5,340

$90.9 CUP 2,183

144.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.30 CUP 967

$40.14 CUP 963

0.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.86 CUP 237

$10.02 CUP 240

-1.60%

Cinema Ticket

$1.02 CUP 24.46

$1.01 CUP 24.30

0.99%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$90.0 CUP 2,160

$108 CUP 2,600

-16.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.0K CUP 359.4K

$10.0K CUP 240.7K

49.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.51 CUP 972

$34.89 CUP 837

16.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.52 CUP 708

$27.99 CUP 672

5.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.2 CUP 1,806

$57.0 CUP 1,368

32.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$79.9 CUP 1,917

$51.5 CUP 1,236

55.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 CUP 9,451

$367 CUP 8,811

7.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$427 CUP 10.3K

$370 CUP 8,868

15.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,071 CUP 25.7K

$1,022 CUP 24.5K

4.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$615 CUP 14.8K

$603 CUP 14.5K

2.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$296 CUP 7,112

$347 CUP 8,332

-14.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$356 CUP 8,534

$249 CUP 5,971

42.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$19.74 CUP 474

$37.68 CUP 904

-47.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

49.93%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Cayo Coco: October 18, 2026

Last update for Cienfuegos: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Cayo Coco

$427 34.6%

Cienfuegos

$370 39.5% 13.5% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cayo Coco

$303 24.5%

Cienfuegos

$165 17.7% 45.6% $138

Groceries & Markets

Cayo Coco

$235 19%

Cienfuegos

$183 19.5% 22.4% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Cayo Coco

$101 8.2%

Cienfuegos

$77 8.3% 23.9% $24

Eating Out

Cayo Coco

$101 8.2%

Cienfuegos

$75 8% 25.8% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Cayo Coco

$42 3.4%

Cienfuegos

$42 4.5% 0.4% $0.2

Getting Around

Cayo Coco

$26 * 2.1%

Cienfuegos

$24 2.5% 8% $2.1

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $394 in Cayo Coco and $367 in Cienfuegos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cienfuegos pays 91% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $15.00 in Cayo Coco vs $27.00 in Cienfuegos. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $183, with Cienfuegos cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇺 Cayo Coco

🇨🇺 Cienfuegos

🕒 Local time

09:55 9:55 AM

Same time as Cayo Coco

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,404

💱 Currency

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cayo Coco Cienfuegos 210 km

From you

Cayo Coco
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Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Cayo Coco vs Cienfuegos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cienfuegos wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Cayo Coco. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cienfuegos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 91% lower in Cienfuegos. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $394 in Cayo Coco versus $367 in Cienfuegos. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cienfuegos runs roughly 0% less than in Cayo Coco. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $90.0 in Cayo Coco versus $108 in Cienfuegos. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $935 in Cienfuegos versus $1,236 in Cayo Coco, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cienfuegos but tight or insufficient in Cayo Coco. The gap between the two cities makes Cienfuegos the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Expats usually find Cienfuegos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Cayo Coco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.