Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cayo Coco and Santa Clara

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Clara: $955 a month against $1,236 in Cayo Coco, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Cayo Coco
🇨🇺 Cuba
$1,236
/mo nomad
Santa Clara
🇨🇺 Cuba
$955
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cayo Coco and in Santa Clara

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 Santa Clara actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,236 in Cayo Coco versus $955 in Santa Clara.

  • Cayo Coco $1,236
  • Santa Clara $955

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,692 in Cayo Coco versus $1,433 in Santa Clara.

  • Cayo Coco $1,692
  • Santa Clara $1,433

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,148 in Cayo Coco versus $1,911 in Santa Clara.

  • Cayo Coco $2,148
  • Santa Clara $1,911

Living in Cayo Coco is roughly 29% more expensive than in Santa Clara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cayo Coco 9% lower, Santa Clara 30% lower.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cayo Coco
Santa Clara
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$4.92 CUP 118
$3.65 CUP 87.5
34.79%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$14.82 CUP 356
$27.82 CUP 668
-46.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.98 CUP 168
$4.92 CUP 118
41.87%
Cappuccino
$1.02 CUP 24.56
$1.05 CUP 25.23
-2.86%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.95 CUP 46.75
$1.57 CUP 37.75
24.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.02 CUP 24.53
$0.98 CUP 23.42
4.08%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.01 CUP 48.33
$1.23 CUP 29.53
63.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 CUP 73.9
$2.01 CUP 48.33
53.23%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cayo Coco
Santa Clara
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$3.05 CUP 73.3
$2.70 CUP 64.9
12.96%
White Bread (500g)
$1.03 CUP 24.60
$1.17 CUP 28.02
-11.97%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.04 CUP 48.95
$1.71 CUP 40.93
19.30%
Eggs
$3.71 CUP 88.9
$3.54 CUP 84.9
4.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.11 CUP 147
$4.48 CUP 108
36.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.86 CUP 117
$4.60 CUP 110
5.65%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.97 CUP 239
$8.60 CUP 206
15.93%
Apples (1kg)
$5.12 CUP 123
$5.96 CUP 143
-14.09%
Banana (1kg)
$1.02 CUP 24.42
$1.07 CUP 25.66
-4.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.02 CUP 24.52
$3.96 CUP 94.9
-74.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$0.97 CUP 23.34
$2.36 CUP 56.7
-58.90%
Potato (1kg)
$1.01 CUP 24.36
$2.79 CUP 67.1
-63.80%
Onion (1kg)
$3.06 CUP 73.4
$2.71 CUP 65.1
12.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.97 CUP 23.39
$0.67 CUP 15.97
44.78%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.98 CUP 23.42
$0.54 CUP 12.92
81.48%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.03 CUP 72.8
$1.67 CUP 40.09
81.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.83 CUP 236
$5.30 CUP 127
85.47%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.95 CUP 46.69
$1.71 CUP 40.96
14.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.02 CUP 48.42
$2.13 CUP 51.1
-5.16%
🚌 Getting Around
Cayo Coco
Santa Clara
Difference
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.63 CUP 471
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.03 CUP 24.64
$2.64 CUP 63.5
-60.98%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.03 CUP 24.67
$0.36 CUP 8.69
186.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.65 CUP 472
$19.80 CUP 475
-0.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.02 CUP 24.42
$1.26 CUP 30.30
-19.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$69.0K CUP 1.7M
$60.5K CUP 1.5M
14.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$79.6K CUP 1.9M
$60.0K CUP 1.4M
32.56%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cayo Coco
Santa Clara
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$39.88 CUP 957
$48.17 CUP 1,156
-17.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$40.74 CUP 978
$38.81 CUP 931
4.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$223 CUP 5,340
$90.9 CUP 2,181
144.87%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cayo Coco
Santa Clara
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.30 CUP 967
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.86 CUP 237
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$1.02 CUP 24.46
$0.82 CUP 19.75
24.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cayo Coco
Santa Clara
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$90.0 CUP 2,160
$154 CUP 3,693
-41.52%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$15.0K CUP 359.4K
$12.3K CUP 295.8K
21.53%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cayo Coco
Santa Clara
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$40.51 CUP 972
$52.4 CUP 1,258
-22.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.52 CUP 708
$41.64 CUP 999
-29.11%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$75.2 CUP 1,806
$81.4 CUP 1,954
-7.60%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$79.9 CUP 1,917
$66.3 CUP 1,590
20.57%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cayo Coco
Santa Clara
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$394 CUP 9,451
$349 CUP 8,374
12.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$427 CUP 10.3K
$353 CUP 8,473
20.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,071 CUP 25.7K
$739 CUP 17.7K
44.98%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$615 CUP 14.8K
$598 CUP 14.3K
2.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$296 CUP 7,112
$275 CUP 6,596
7.82%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$356 CUP 8,534
$295 CUP 7,082
20.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cayo Coco
Santa Clara
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$19.74 CUP 474
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10
9.1
9.89%

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

Last update for Cayo Coco: October 18, 2026

Last update for Santa Clara: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cayo Coco
$427
Santa Clara
$353 17.3% $74
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cayo Coco
$303
Santa Clara
$178 41.3% $125
Groceries & Markets
Cayo Coco
$235
Santa Clara
$232 1.3% $3
Clothing & Footwear
Cayo Coco
$101
Santa Clara
$109 7.4% $7.5
Eating Out
Cayo Coco
$101
Santa Clara
$77 23.6% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Cayo Coco
$42
Santa Clara
$1.7 * 96.1% $41
Getting Around
Cayo Coco
$26 *
Santa Clara
$4.5 * 82.7% $21

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 $349 in Santa Clara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $15.00 in Cayo Coco vs $28.00 in Santa Clara. Groceries flip the comparison at $235 vs $232, with Santa Clara cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇨🇺 Cayo Coco
🇨🇺 Santa Clara
🕒 Local time
08:15 8:15 AM
08:15 8:15 AM
Same time as Cayo Coco
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
216,056
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CUP – Cuban Peso Converter

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.98 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cayo Coco Santa Clara 160 km
From you
  • Cayo Coco
  • Santa Clara

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 Santa Clara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cayo Coco or Santa Clara?
Santa Clara wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Cayo Coco. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santa Clara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Cayo Coco and in Santa Clara?
You'd need roughly $1,853 in Cayo Coco and $1,432 in Santa Clara to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Cayo Coco compared to Santa Clara?
Rent for a central apartment: $394 in Cayo Coco versus $349 in Santa Clara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
Are groceries more expensive in Cayo Coco or in Santa Clara?
Supermarket bills run roughly 1% higher in Cayo Coco. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
How much does it cost to live in Cayo Coco compared to Santa Clara?
All in, you'll spend $1,236 per month in Cayo Coco versus $955 in Santa Clara – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Cayo Coco or in Santa Clara?
At $955 in Santa Clara versus $1,236 in Cayo Coco, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Santa Clara but tight or insufficient in Cayo Coco. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Clara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Cayo Coco or Santa Clara?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Santa Clara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Cayo Coco. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Cayo Coco vs other spots: cost of living compared

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