Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Cuba Cost of Living Comparison Between United States and Cuba

Name: Cuba
Address: CU

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in United States versus $932 in Cuba.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,830 in United States versus $1,316 in Cuba.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,033 in United States versus $1,699 in Cuba.

Living in United States is roughly 182% more expensive than in Cuba on average.

United States (90% above) and Cuba (32% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.83 $19.83

$5.92 CUP 142

234.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 $78.8

$24.68 CUP 592

219.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 $12.19

$6.39 CUP 153

90.77%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$1.78 CUP 42.63

214.04%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$1.81 CUP 43.44

53.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.06 CUP 25.50

105.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.86 $5.86

$2.05 CUP 49.17

185.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$2.51 CUP 60.2

219.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$2.78 CUP 66.7

-61.51%

White Bread (500g)

$3.68 $3.68

$1.27 CUP 30.52

189.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$2.01 CUP 48.12

131.84%

Eggs

$4.20 $4.20

$3.37 CUP 80.9

24.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.78 $12.78

$5.64 CUP 135

126.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.40 $12.40

$5.13 CUP 123

141.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.90 $16.90

$10.83 CUP 260

56.05%

Apples (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$4.18 CUP 100

25.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.12 CUP 26.99

48.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.80 CUP 43.18

140.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$1.84 CUP 44.12

169.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.99 CUP 47.69

41.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.43 CUP 58.3

27.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 $2.19

$0.96 CUP 22.98

128.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$0.96 CUP 23.08

135.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.35 $10.35

$3.16 CUP 75.8

227.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$10.07 CUP 242

47.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.82 CUP 43.77

14.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.12 CUP 50.8

72.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 $2.38

$0.21 CUP 4.98

1033.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.5 $64.5

$19.85 CUP 476

224.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.19 CUP 52.5

61.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 $1.86

$0.43 CUP 10.27

332.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.34 $30.34

$19.92 CUP 478

52.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.28 CUP 30.61

-21.88%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$69.9K CUP 1.7M

-49.17%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$73.7K CUP 1.8M

-64.92%

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

$222 $222

$37.37 CUP 897

494.57%

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

$61.1 $61.1

$34.65 CUP 832

76.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.7 $74.7

$224 CUP 5,378

-66.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.49 $44.49

$39.47 CUP 947

12.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.35 $22.35

$12.73 CUP 305

75.57%

Cinema Ticket

$15.03 $15.03

$1.01 CUP 24.35

1388.12%

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

$1,431 $1,431

$107 CUP 2,568

1237.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.9K $25.9K

$13.1K CUP 315.0K

97.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.6 $53.6

$41.47 CUP 995

29.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.46 $43.46

$31.93 CUP 766

36.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.5 $91.5

$71.1 CUP 1,707

28.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$68.5 CUP 1,644

65.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 $1,633

$333 CUP 7,993

390.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,328 $1,328

$479 CUP 11.5K

177.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,606 $2,606

$879 CUP 21.1K

196.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,206 $2,206

$618 CUP 14.8K

257.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,323 $3,323

$363 CUP 8,711

815.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,653 $2,653

$339 CUP 8,145

681.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,306 $4,306

$35.13 CUP 843

12157.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.21

9.38

-33.80%

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

Last update for United States: September 7, 2026

Last update for Cuba: September 6, 2026

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,604 in United States, $269 in Cuba. Capital cities: $1,360 in Columbia, TN vs $251 in Havana.

National salary averages: $4,526 in United States, $36.00 in Cuba. Higher pay doesn't always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 496% higher in United States.

Dining out costs 241% more in United States.

Public transport is 93% more expensive in United States.

Salaries are 12472% higher in United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in United States.

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

United States vs Cuba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

At $802 per month in Cuba and $3,142 in United States, there's a 292% gap. Keep in mind it varies by city – the difference can be bigger or smaller depending on where you settle within each country.

Day-to-day life is simply cheaper in Cuba: lower food prices, cheaper commutes, smaller household bills. Over time, those daily savings make a real difference to your monthly budget and ability to put money away.

Rent in United States is consistently higher than in Cuba across the board, especially in major cities. Housing is usually the single biggest driver of the overall cost difference between the two countries.

In Cuba, $2,000 covers most cities easily; in United States it stretches only to regional areas and falls short in the capital – you'll need to make trade-offs on housing or lifestyle.

It depends on what you're after: Cuba wins on affordability; United States may offer higher salaries, better infrastructure, and different cultural perks. Both attract large expat communities for different reasons.