Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuba and the United Kingdom

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.

Cuba
United Kingdom
🇨🇺 Cuba
$1,273
/mo nomad
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,462
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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
🍽 Eating Out
Cuba
United Kingdom
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$6.18 CUP 148
$21.48 £16.15
-71.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$24.62 CUP 591
$85.7 £64.4
-71.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$6.65 CUP 160
$10.61 £7.98
-37.32%
Cappuccino
$1.71 CUP 40.99
$4.91 £3.69
-65.17%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.82 CUP 43.65
$2.66 £2.00
-31.58%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.10 CUP 26.46
$1.87 £1.40
-41.18%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.04 CUP 48.93
$6.63 £4.98
-69.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.43 CUP 58.3
$6.84 £5.14
-64.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cuba
United Kingdom
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$2.69 CUP 64.6
$1.68 £1.26
60.12%
White Bread (500g)
$1.20 CUP 28.83
$1.72 £1.29
-30.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.98 CUP 47.56
$2.17 £1.63
-8.76%
Eggs
$3.41 CUP 81.9
$4.00 £3.01
-14.75%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$5.86 CUP 141
$9.42 £7.08
-37.79%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.11 CUP 123
$9.19 £6.90
-44.40%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$11.44 CUP 275
$14.77 £11.10
-22.55%
Apples (1kg)
$4.19 CUP 101
$2.97 £2.23
41.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.16 CUP 27.86
$1.62 £1.22
-28.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.78 CUP 42.63
$2.85 £2.15
-37.54%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.88 CUP 45.08
$3.52 £2.65
-46.59%
Potato (1kg)
$1.88 CUP 45.17
$1.83 £1.38
2.73%
Onion (1kg)
$2.55 CUP 61.2
$1.61 £1.21
58.39%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.96 CUP 23.14
$1.25 £0.94
-23.20%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.94 CUP 22.52
$1.66 £1.25
-43.37%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$3.20 CUP 76.8
$23.65 £17.77
-86.47%
Wine (Bottle)
$9.55 CUP 229
$10.50 £7.89
-9.05%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.79 CUP 42.86
$2.98 £2.24
-39.93%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.10 CUP 50.4
$3.51 £2.64
-40.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Cuba
United Kingdom
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.17 CUP 4.17
$3.98 £2.99
-95.73%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.66 CUP 472
$107 £80.7
-81.70%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.31 CUP 55.4
$5.18 £3.89
-55.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.38 CUP 9.16
$2.35 £1.76
-83.83%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$19.70 CUP 473
$26.84 £20.17
-26.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.29 CUP 31.08
$1.99 £1.49
-35.18%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$70.7K CUP 1.7M
$39.4K £29.6K
79.21%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$73.0K CUP 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)
$36.43 CUP 874
$327 £246
-88.87%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$34.75 CUP 834
$18.21 £13.69
90.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$225 CUP 5,403
$43.60 £32.77
416.38%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cuba
United Kingdom
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$39.62 CUP 951
$42.36 £31.83
-6.47%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$12.71 CUP 305
$18.22 £13.69
-30.24%
Cinema Ticket
$1.02 CUP 24.57
$13.85 £10.41
-92.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cuba
United Kingdom
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$115 CUP 2,767
$1,868 £1,404
-93.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$13.5K CUP 323.1K
$22.6K £17.0K
-40.51%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cuba
United Kingdom
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$42.90 CUP 1,030
$92.9 £69.8
-53.84%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$35.23 CUP 845
$45.92 £34.51
-23.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$71.7 CUP 1,720
$102 £76.4
-29.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$71.0 CUP 1,704
$102 £76.8
-30.58%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cuba
United Kingdom
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$332 CUP 7,972
$1,342 £1,009
-75.26%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$454 CUP 10.9K
$1,073 £807
-57.69%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$876 CUP 21.0K
$2,231 £1,677
-60.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$589 CUP 14.1K
$1,742 £1,309
-66.19%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$355 CUP 8,524
$5,601 £4,210
-93.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$335 CUP 8,044
$4,265 £3,205
-92.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cuba
United Kingdom
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$35.80 CUP 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.
Accommodation & Living
Cuba
$454
United Kingdom
$1.1K 136% $619
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuba
$296
United Kingdom
$389 31.3% $93
Groceries & Markets
Cuba
$240
United Kingdom
$307 27.8% $67
Eating Out
Cuba
$117
United Kingdom
$328 181% $211
Clothing & Footwear
Cuba
$99
United Kingdom
$154 55.2% $55
Sport & Entertainment
Cuba
$42
United Kingdom
$70 68.1% $28
Getting Around
Cuba
$25
United Kingdom
$140 471% $116

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.

Good to know
🇨🇺 Cuba
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
🕒 Local time
04:47 4:47 AM
08:47 8:47 AM
4 h ahead of Cuba
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
10,985,974
67,326,569
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, USD, EUR to CUP – Cuban Peso Converter

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.71 CUP (100 CUP = 3.74 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 0.752 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.836 GBP (1 GBP = 1.2 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Cuba United Kingdom 7,490 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cuba
  • 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.

Cuba vs other spots: cost of living compared

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