Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Cuba

Name: Cuba
Address: CU

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuba: $1,273 a month against $2,734 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

131

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Cuba
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Cuba Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,734

/mo nomad

🇨🇺 Cuba

$1,273

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Cuba

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,734 in the United States versus $1,273 in Cuba.

United States $2,734
Cuba $1,273

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,985 in the United States versus $1,737 in Cuba.

United States $3,985
Cuba $1,737

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,235 in the United States versus $2,201 in Cuba.

United States $5,235
Cuba $2,201

Internal cost variation is higher in the United States: monthly costs span $979 to $5,160, compared to $185–$1,570 in Cuba. City choice carries more weight in the United States.

Living in the United States is roughly 115% more expensive than in Cuba on average.

The United States (101% above) and Cuba (6% below) straddle the global median.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.03 $20.03

$6.18 CUP 148

224.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.0 $80.0

$24.62 CUP 591

225.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.80 $11.80

$6.65 CUP 160

77.44%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$1.71 CUP 40.99

224.56%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$1.82 CUP 43.65

46.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.10 CUP 26.46

97.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$2.04 CUP 48.93

200.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$2.43 CUP 58.3

226.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$2.69 CUP 64.6

-61.34%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$1.20 CUP 28.83

199.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.98 CUP 47.56

128.28%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$3.41 CUP 81.9

25.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$5.86 CUP 141

125.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.60 $12.60

$5.11 CUP 123

146.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.60 $17.60

$11.44 CUP 275

53.85%

Apples (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.19 CUP 101

26.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.16 CUP 27.86

45.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$1.78 CUP 42.63

149.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$1.88 CUP 45.08

153.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.88 CUP 45.17

57.98%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.55 CUP 61.2

23.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$0.96 CUP 23.14

129.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.94 CUP 22.52

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.98 $10.98

$3.20 CUP 76.8

243.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$9.55 CUP 229

57.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.79 CUP 42.86

15.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.10 CUP 50.4

80.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$0.17 CUP 4.17

1041.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.4 $59.4

$19.66 CUP 472

202.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$2.31 CUP 55.4

54.98%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$0.38 CUP 9.16

394.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.84 $29.84

$19.70 CUP 473

51.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.29 CUP 31.08

-20.93%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$70.7K CUP 1.7M

-59.32%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$73.0K CUP 1.8M

-64.09%

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

$218 $218

$36.43 CUP 874

498.30%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$34.75 CUP 834

79.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.5 $74.5

$225 CUP 5,403

-66.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.86 $41.86

$39.62 CUP 951

5.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.81 $22.81

$12.71 CUP 305

79.46%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$1.02 CUP 24.57

1341.18%

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

$1,489 $1,489

$115 CUP 2,767

1191.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.3K $25.3K

$13.5K CUP 323.1K

87.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.3 $54.3

$42.90 CUP 1,030

26.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.71 $42.71

$35.23 CUP 845

21.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.1 $94.1

$71.7 CUP 1,720

31.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$71.0 CUP 1,704

59.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,659 $1,659

$332 CUP 7,972

399.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,348 $1,348

$454 CUP 10.9K

196.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,682 $2,682

$876 CUP 21.0K

206.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,169 $2,169

$589 CUP 14.1K

268.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,283 $3,283

$355 CUP 8,524

824.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$335 CUP 8,044

640.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,296 $4,296

$35.80 CUP 859

11900.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

9.38

-30.17%

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

Last update for the United States: October 25, 2026

Last update for Cuba: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 49.3%

Cuba

$454 35.7% 66.3% $893

Groceries & Markets

United States

$415 15.2%

Cuba

$240 18.9% 42.1% $175

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Cuba

$296 23.3% 16.5% $59

Eating Out

United States

$328 12%

Cuba

$117 9.2% 64.4% $211

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Cuba

$99 7.8% 27.5% $38

Getting Around

United States

$80 2.9%

Cuba

$25 1.9% 69.3% $56

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$71 2.6%

Cuba

$42 3.3% 41.5% $30

Cost Breakdown

National rent averages: $1,620 in the United States, $380 in Cuba. Capital cities: $2,768 in Washington, DC vs $243 in Havana.

National salary averages: $4,549 in the United States, $37 in Cuba. Higher pay doesn’t always mean more spending money – weigh income against local costs.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 326% higher in the United States.

Dining out costs 168% more in the United States.

Public transport is 174% more expensive in the United States.

Salaries are about 123 times higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇨🇺 Cuba

🕒 Local time

04:47 4:47 AM

Same time as the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

10,985,974

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇺 Cuban Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

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).

CUP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

United States Cuba 1,460 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

United States
Cuba

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

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

At $1,273 per month in Cuba and $2,734 in the United States, there’s a 115% 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 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.

Rent for a central one-bedroom averages $1,620 in the United States and $380 in Cuba. Rents vary a lot between cities, so the gap depends on where you settle.

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