For one person, living is cheaper in Cuba: $1,273 a month against $2,462 in the United Kingdom, rent and utilities included – about $14,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.
How much you'll spend in Cuba and in the United Kingdom
Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cuba and in the United Kingdom actually costs, broken down by who's living it.
Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,273 in Cuba versus $2,462 in the United Kingdom.
Cuba $1,273
United Kingdom $2,462
Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,737 in Cuba versus $3,600 in the United Kingdom.
Cuba $1,737
United Kingdom $3,600
Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,201 in Cuba versus $4,738 in the United Kingdom.
Cuba $2,201
United Kingdom $4,738
📏
Internal cost variation is higher in the United Kingdom: monthly costs span $1,126 to $4,646, compared to $185–$1,570 in Cuba. City choice carries more weight in the United Kingdom.
🌍
Living in Cuba costs about 48% less than in the United Kingdom on average.
📊
Cuba (6% below) and the United Kingdom (81% above) straddle the global median.
Currency
No currencies found
🍽 Eating Out
Cuba
United Kingdom
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.18CUP 148
$21.48£16.15
-71.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.62CUP 591
$85.7£64.4
-71.29%
Fast Food Meal(McDonalds, etc)
$6.65CUP 160
$10.61£7.98
-37.32%
Cappuccino
$1.71CUP 40.99
$4.91£3.69
-65.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82CUP 43.65
$2.66£2.00
-31.58%
Water(0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10CUP 26.46
$1.87£1.40
-41.18%
Local Beer(0.5 liter draught)
$2.04CUP 48.93
$6.63£4.98
-69.23%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43CUP 58.3
$6.84£5.14
-64.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cuba
United Kingdom
Difference
Milk(1 liter)
$2.69CUP 64.6
$1.68£1.26
60.12%
White Bread(500g)
$1.20CUP 28.83
$1.72£1.29
-30.23%
Rice(white)(1kg)
$1.98CUP 47.56
$2.17£1.63
-8.76%
Eggs
$3.41CUP 81.9
$4.00£3.01
-14.75%
Local Cheese(1kg)
$5.86CUP 141
$9.42£7.08
-37.79%
Chicken Fillets(1kg)
$5.11CUP 123
$9.19£6.90
-44.40%
Beef Round Steak(1kg)
$11.44CUP 275
$14.77£11.10
-22.55%
Apples(1kg)
$4.19CUP 101
$2.97£2.23
41.08%
Banana(1kg)
$1.16CUP 27.86
$1.62£1.22
-28.40%
Oranges(1kg)
$1.78CUP 42.63
$2.85£2.15
-37.54%
Tomato(1kg)
$1.88CUP 45.08
$3.52£2.65
-46.59%
Potato(1kg)
$1.88CUP 45.17
$1.83£1.38
2.73%
Onion(1kg)
$2.55CUP 61.2
$1.61£1.21
58.39%
Lettuce(1 head)
$0.96CUP 23.14
$1.25£0.94
-23.20%
Water(1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94CUP 22.52
$1.66£1.25
-43.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack(Marlboro, Camel)
$3.20CUP 76.8
$23.65£17.77
-86.47%
Wine(Bottle)
$9.55CUP 229
$10.50£7.89
-9.05%
Local Beer(0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79CUP 42.86
$2.98£2.24
-39.93%
Imported Beer(0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10CUP 50.4
$3.51£2.64
-40.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Cuba
United Kingdom
Difference
One-way Ticket(Public Transport)
$0.17CUP 4.17
$3.98£2.99
-95.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass(Regular Price)
$19.66CUP 472
$107£80.7
-81.70%
Taxi Start(Normal Tariff)
$2.31CUP 55.4
$5.18£3.89
-55.41%
Taxi(Normal Tariff)(1km)
$0.38CUP 9.16
$2.35£1.76
-83.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting(Normal Tariff)
$19.70CUP 473
$26.84£20.17
-26.60%
Gasoline(1 liter)
$1.29CUP 31.08
$1.99£1.49
-35.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l(Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$70.7KCUP 1.7M
$39.4K£29.6K
79.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l(Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$73.0KCUP 1.8M
$40.5K£30.4K
80.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuba
United Kingdom
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment(Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage)(85m2)
$36.43CUP 874
$327£246
-88.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan(Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.75CUP 834
$18.21£13.69
90.83%
Internet(50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$225CUP 5,403
$43.60£32.77
416.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cuba
United Kingdom
Difference
Gym Membership(Monthly)
$39.62CUP 951
$42.36£31.83
-6.47%
Tennis Court(1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.71CUP 305
$18.22£13.69
-30.24%
Cinema Ticket
$1.02CUP 24.57
$13.85£10.41
-92.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cuba
United Kingdom
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child(Monthly)
$115CUP 2,767
$1,868£1,404
-93.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child(Yearly)
$13.5KCUP 323.1K
$22.6K£17.0K
-40.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cuba
United Kingdom
Difference
Jeans(Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.90CUP 1,030
$92.9£69.8
-53.84%
Summer Dress(H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.23CUP 845
$45.92£34.51
-23.28%
Sport Shoes(Adidas, Nike)
$71.7CUP 1,720
$102£76.4
-29.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.0CUP 1,704
$102£76.8
-30.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cuba
United Kingdom
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$332CUP 7,972
$1,342£1,009
-75.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$454CUP 10.9K
$1,073£807
-57.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center(Monthly)
$876CUP 21.0K
$2,231£1,677
-60.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center(Monthly)
$589CUP 14.1K
$1,742£1,309
-66.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center(m2)
$355CUP 8,524
$5,601£4,210
-93.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center(m2)
$335CUP 8,044
$4,265£3,205
-92.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cuba
United Kingdom
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary(After Tax)
$35.80CUP 859
$3,349£2,517
-98.93%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate(Annual %)
9.38
5.32
76.32%
CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.
Last update for Cuba: October 27, 2026
Last update for the United Kingdom: October 26, 2026
Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Share of the monthly basket for a family of three, rent included.
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cuba
$454 35.7%
United Kingdom
$1.1K 43.6% ↑ 136%$619
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuba
$296 23.3%
United Kingdom
$389 15.8% ↑ 31.3%$93
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cuba
$240 18.9%
United Kingdom
$307 12.5% ↑ 27.8%$67
🍽Eating Out
Cuba
$117 9.2%
United Kingdom
$328 13.3% ↑ 181%$211
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cuba
$99 7.8%
United Kingdom
$154 6.3% ↑ 55.2%$55
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cuba
$42 3.3%
United Kingdom
$70 2.9% ↑ 68.1%$28
🚌Getting Around
Cuba
$25 1.9%
United Kingdom
$140 5.7% ↑ 471%$116
🏠Accommodation & Living
Cuba
$589 26.8%
United Kingdom
$1.7K 36.8% ↑ 196%$1.2K
🧾Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuba
$331 15%
United Kingdom
$407 8.6% ↑ 23%$76
🛒Groceries & Markets
Cuba
$562 25.5%
United Kingdom
$705 14.9% ↑ 25.5%$143
🍽Eating Out
Cuba
$352 16%
United Kingdom
$1.1K 23.1% ↑ 211%$742
👕👟Clothing & Footwear
Cuba
$221 10%
United Kingdom
$343 7.2% ↑ 55.2%$122
🎉Sport & Entertainment
Cuba
$96 4.4%
United Kingdom
$158 3.3% ↑ 64.8%$62
🚌Getting Around
Cuba
$49 2.3%
United Kingdom
$288 6.1% ↑ 483%$239
Cost Breakdown
🏠National rent averages: $380 in Cuba, $1,287 in the United Kingdom. Capital cities: $243 in Havana vs $2,811 in London.
💰National salary averages: $37 in Cuba, $3,251 in the United Kingdom. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.
Cost Highlights
⭐Rent is 239% higher in the United Kingdom.
⭐Dining out costs 196% more in the United Kingdom.
⭐Public transport is 339% more expensive in the United Kingdom.
⭐Salaries are about 88 times higher in the United Kingdom, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United Kingdom.
Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.
City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)
The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Cuba vs United Kingdom: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
How does the cost of living in Cuba compare to the cost in the United Kingdom?
At $1,273 per month in Cuba and $2,462 in the United Kingdom, there’s a 93% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.
How do daily expenses compare in Cuba vs the United Kingdom?
Day-to-day life is cheaper in Cuba: lower grocery prices, cheaper commutes, and more affordable meals out. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.
Is rent more expensive in Cuba or in the United Kingdom?
Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,287 in the United Kingdom and $380 in Cuba. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.
Which country is better for expats: Cuba or the United Kingdom?
It depends on what you’re after: Cuba wins on affordability; the United Kingdom may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.