Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mayari and Varadero

For one person, living is cheaper in Varadero: $1,173 a month against $1,504 in Mayari, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Mayari
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Mayari Living Index
56

Cost of Living Index in Varadero
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Varadero Living Index

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Mayari

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,504

/mo nomad

Varadero

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,173

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Mayari and in Varadero

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,504 in Mayari versus $1,173 in Varadero.

Mayari $1,504
Varadero $1,173

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,433 in Mayari versus $1,546 in Varadero.

Mayari $2,433
Varadero $1,546

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,363 in Mayari versus $1,920 in Varadero.

Mayari $3,363
Varadero $1,920

Living in Mayari is roughly 28% more expensive than in Varadero, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

The two cities straddle the global median: Mayari is 11% above, Varadero is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$5.83 CUP 140

$3.59 CUP 86.2

62.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.63 CUP 471

$19.95 CUP 479

-1.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.33 CUP 152

$5.12 CUP 123

23.63%

Cappuccino

$1.27 CUP 30.50

$1.01 CUP 24.20

25.74%

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

$2.25 CUP 54.0

$1.58 CUP 37.97

42.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.23 CUP 29.45

$0.99 CUP 23.81

24.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.57 CUP 61.6

$1.22 CUP 29.24

110.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 CUP 72.5

$2.01 CUP 48.31

50.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.93 CUP 70.2

$2.71 CUP 65.0

8.12%

White Bread (500g)

$0.78 CUP 18.64

$1.48 CUP 35.41

-47.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 CUP 60.4

$1.50 CUP 35.98

67.33%

Eggs

$3.19 CUP 76.6

$2.16 CUP 51.9

47.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.00 CUP 144

$4.51 CUP 108

33.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.33 CUP 128

$4.41 CUP 106

20.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.03 CUP 289

$8.74 CUP 210

37.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 CUP 119

$3.49 CUP 83.7

42.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.17 CUP 28.09

$1.05 CUP 25.28

11.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.38 CUP 33.12

$1.58 CUP 37.96

-12.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.46 CUP 35.08

$1.61 CUP 38.52

-9.32%

Potato (1kg)

$1.94 CUP 46.45

$2.21 CUP 53.1

-12.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 CUP 67.0

$2.77 CUP 66.4

0.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.99 CUP 23.70

$0.66 CUP 15.78

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.12 CUP 26.78

$0.52 CUP 12.57

115.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.44 CUP 82.6

$1.63 CUP 39.22

111.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.02 CUP 241

$5.28 CUP 127

89.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 CUP 42.98

$0.89 CUP 21.29

101.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 CUP 47.56

$2.15 CUP 51.7

-7.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.20 CUP 4.75

$0.09 CUP 2.13

122.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.62 CUP 471

$15.73 CUP 378

24.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.25 CUP 54.0

$1.98 CUP 47.41

13.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.41 CUP 9.95

$0.34 CUP 8.10

20.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.04 CUP 481

$19.68 CUP 472

1.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 CUP 30.46

$1.33 CUP 31.91

-4.51%

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

$69.1K CUP 1.7M

$70.4K CUP 1.7M

-1.92%

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

$80.6K CUP 1.9M

$81.3K CUP 2.0M

-0.79%

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

$35.62 CUP 855

$39.23 CUP 941

-9.20%

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

$40.42 CUP 970

$39.53 CUP 949

2.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$246 CUP 5,916

$91.0 CUP 2,184

170.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.68 CUP 976

$39.45 CUP 947

3.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.29 CUP 367

$15.04 CUP 361

1.66%

Cinema Ticket

$0.99 CUP 23.68

$0.88 CUP 21.05

12.50%

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

$115 CUP 2,768

$89.4 CUP 2,144

29.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.8K CUP 427.4K

$12.6K CUP 302.0K

41.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.9 CUP 1,342

$39.42 CUP 946

41.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.64 CUP 951

$30.09 CUP 722

31.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$44.32 CUP 1,064

$75.7 CUP 1,818

-41.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.81 CUP 1,196

$68.0 CUP 1,631

-26.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$213 CUP 5,102

$492 CUP 11.8K

-56.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$668 CUP 16.0K

$573 CUP 13.7K

16.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$383 CUP 9,186

$1,197 CUP 28.7K

-68.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,764 CUP 42.3K

$644 CUP 15.5K

174.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$392 CUP 9,408

$396 CUP 9,494

-0.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$345 CUP 8,274

$347 CUP 8,323

-0.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$21.86 CUP 525

$19.53 CUP 469

11.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.1

9.89%

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

Last update for Mayari: October 27, 2026

Last update for Varadero: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mayari

$668 44.4%

Varadero

$573 48.9% 14.3% $95

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mayari

$323 21.4%

Varadero

$170 14.5% 47.4% $153

Groceries & Markets

Mayari

$247 16.4%

Varadero

$197 16.8% 20.3% $50

Eating Out

Mayari

$114 7.6%

Varadero

$77 6.5% 32.6% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Mayari

$85 5.7%

Varadero

$96 8.2% 12.4% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Mayari

$43 2.8%

Varadero

$41 3.5% 3.4% $1.4

Getting Around

Mayari

$25 1.6%

Varadero

$20 1.7% 20.1% $5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $213 in Mayari and $492 in Varadero. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mayari pays 12% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $20 in Mayari vs $20 in Varadero. Groceries flip the comparison at $247 vs $197, with Varadero cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇨🇺 Mayari

🇨🇺 Varadero

🕒 Local time

07:09 7:09 AM

Same time as Mayari

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,259

27,170

💱 Currency

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.74 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mayari Varadero 640 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Mayari
Varadero

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

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated December 2025)

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

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Mayari vs Varadero: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Varadero wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Mayari. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Varadero the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 12% higher in Mayari, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $213 in Mayari versus $492 in Varadero. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 26% higher in Mayari. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you’ll spend $1,504 per month in Mayari versus $1,173 in Varadero – a 28% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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

It comes down to priorities – Varadero wins on affordability, Mayari on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.