Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cayo Coco and Santa Lucia

For one person, living is cheaper in Cayo Coco: $1,224 a month against $1,276 in Santa Lucia, rent and utilities included – about $620 less a year. The total is higher in Santa Lucia despite lower rent and utilities.

59

Cost of Living Index in Cayo Coco
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Cayo Coco Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Santa Lucia
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Santa Lucia Living Index

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Cayo Coco

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,224

/mo nomad

Santa Lucia

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,276

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,224 in Cayo Coco versus $1,276 in Santa Lucia.

Cayo Coco $1,224
Santa Lucia $1,276

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,689 in Cayo Coco versus $1,819 in Santa Lucia.

Cayo Coco $1,689
Santa Lucia $1,819

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,155 in Cayo Coco versus $2,361 in Santa Lucia.

Cayo Coco $2,155
Santa Lucia $2,361

Living in Cayo Coco costs roughly 4% less than in Santa Lucia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities sit below the global median: Cayo Coco 10% lower, Santa Lucia 6% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.11 CUP 123

$9.83 CUP 236

-48.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$14.92 CUP 358

$30.34 CUP 728

-50.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.90 CUP 166

$6.98 CUP 167

-1.15%

Cappuccino

$0.97 CUP 23.34

$3.35 CUP 80.5

-71.04%

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

$2.05 CUP 49.24

$1.11 CUP 26.66

84.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 CUP 23.61

$0.92 CUP 22.18

6.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.94 CUP 46.63

$2.04 CUP 48.84

-4.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 CUP 74.0

$2.96 CUP 71.1

4.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$3.04 CUP 72.9

$1.92 CUP 46.07

58.33%

White Bread (500g)

$0.99 CUP 23.72

$1.87 CUP 44.95

-47.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 CUP 47.29

$1.53 CUP 36.83

28.76%

Eggs

$3.69 CUP 88.6

$3.60 CUP 86.4

2.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.86 CUP 141

$6.21 CUP 149

-5.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.06 CUP 121

$5.91 CUP 142

-14.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.80 CUP 235

$11.15 CUP 268

-12.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.07 CUP 122

$2.75 CUP 65.9

84.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.01 CUP 24.25

$1.57 CUP 37.59

-35.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.02 CUP 24.48

$2.06 CUP 49.49

-50.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.99 CUP 23.73

$2.19 CUP 52.6

-54.79%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 CUP 23.58

$1.95 CUP 46.77

-49.74%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 CUP 74.2

$1.79 CUP 42.87

72.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.01 CUP 24.30

$1.02 CUP 24.46

-0.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 CUP 23.64

$1.03 CUP 24.62

-3.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.95 CUP 70.8

$3.97 CUP 95.3

-25.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 CUP 241

$12.12 CUP 291

-17.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 CUP 46.99

$1.63 CUP 39.10

20.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 CUP 47.01

$2.36 CUP 56.7

-16.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 CUP 5.00

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$20.39 CUP 489

$24.63 CUP 591

-17.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.97 CUP 23.33

$3.27 CUP 78.5

-70.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.02 CUP 24.48

$0.38 CUP 9.18

168.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.19 CUP 485

$15.19 CUP 365

32.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 CUP 23.42

$1.02 CUP 24.46

-3.92%

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

$71.3K CUP 1.7M

$69.8K CUP 1.7M

2.14%

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

$80.8K CUP 1.9M

$80.4K CUP 1.9M

0.44%

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

$39.92 CUP 958

$34.72 CUP 833

14.98%

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

$40.23 CUP 966

$14.96 CUP 359

168.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$221 CUP 5,307

$251 CUP 6,021

-11.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.44 CUP 971

$40.36 CUP 969

0.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.03 CUP 241

$14.78 CUP 355

-32.14%

Cinema Ticket

$0.99 CUP 23.71

$1.02 CUP 24.50

-2.94%

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

$89.0 CUP 2,136

$164 CUP 3,939

-45.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K CUP 362.8K

$4,059 CUP 97.4K

272.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.38 CUP 969

$70.5 CUP 1,691

-42.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.55 CUP 709

$55.0 CUP 1,321

-46.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.9 CUP 1,773

$101 CUP 2,416

-26.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.3 CUP 1,950

$106 CUP 2,546

-23.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$404 CUP 9,699

$548 CUP 13.1K

-26.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$417 CUP 10.0K

$344 CUP 8,245

21.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,031 CUP 24.7K

$755 CUP 18.1K

36.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$623 CUP 14.9K

$502 CUP 12.0K

24.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$300 CUP 7,202

$334 CUP 8,024

-10.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$354 CUP 8,487

$368 CUP 8,836

-3.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$19.60 CUP 471

$55.8 CUP 1,338

-64.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.94

102.43%

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

Last update for Cayo Coco: October 26, 2026

Last update for Santa Lucia: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cayo Coco

$417 34.1%

Santa Lucia

$344 26.9% 17.6% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cayo Coco

$301 24.6%

Santa Lucia

$301 23.6% 0.2% $0.7

Groceries & Markets

Cayo Coco

$234 19.2%

Santa Lucia

$245 19.2% 4.7% $11

Eating Out

Cayo Coco

$101 8.3%

Santa Lucia

$164 12.9% 62% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Cayo Coco

$101 8.3%

Santa Lucia

$150 11.7% 47.6% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Cayo Coco

$42 3.5%

Santa Lucia

$42 3.3% 0% $0

Getting Around

Cayo Coco

$26 * 2.2%

Santa Lucia

$31 2.4% 15.8% $4.2

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 $404 in Cayo Coco and $548 in Santa Lucia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Lucia pays about 2.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $15 in Cayo Coco vs $30 in Santa Lucia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $245 per month, with Cayo Coco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇺 Cayo Coco

🇨🇺 Santa Lucia

🕒 Local time

09:21 9:21 AM

Same time as Cayo Coco

🌤 Weather

💱 Currency

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.73 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.73 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cayo Coco Santa Lucia 180 km

From you

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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 Santa Lucia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cayo Coco wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Santa Lucia. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cayo Coco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 65% lower in Cayo Coco. 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: $404 in Cayo Coco versus $548 in Santa Lucia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Cayo Coco runs roughly 17% less than in Santa Lucia. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Childcare runs $89 in Cayo Coco versus $164 in Santa Lucia. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Both cities are expensive relative to $1,000. Cayo Coco is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

For families, Cayo Coco is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Santa Lucia, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find Cayo Coco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Santa Lucia. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.