There are two currencies in Cuba – one for locals and one for tourists. Tourists use CUC (pronounced kook), which has the exact value as USD. CUC stands for “Convertible Peso” which is written on the bills. CUP is the local currency and is valued at $25CUP to $1USD. During our 10-days in Cuba we did not see a single CUP. Unless you plan to visit areas that do not cater to tourists, having CUP is unnecessary.
When exchanging money in Cuba, USD is subject to a 10% exchange fee. Bring either CAD, EUR, or GBP, which are subject to the standard 3% exchange fee. Cash is used everywhere and credit cards are useless. On the rare occasion credit cards are accepted, American transactions will be denied.
An easy way to acquire this foreign currency, such as EUR, is through your personal bank in the US. Shortly after it is requested most banks will have the desired currency waiting at a local branch. It will be subject to a small fee, but will be less than the 10% exchange fee for converting USD to CUC.
Calculating the Budget
With that being said, how can you estimate the amount of money you will need? You must have a budget in order to know how much foreign currency to request from your bank. Bringing too little money could result in sacrificing activities on the itinerary. Bringing too much money means transferring currency back to USD, which will once again be subject to a fee.
The itinerary below details every dollar I spent in Cuba. Hopefully this will help you decide on a budget. For more information on what to expect while traveling to Cuba click here.
Although I traveled with two other people, each amount below represents the cost for a single person. Prices that don’t change with a different number of people, such as taxi rides, are shown as the total amount we paid (even though it was split 3 ways). Tips are on average 10% per meal and $0.50 – $1 per drink.
Blue – Payed for ahead of time.
Red – Expensive. Can get for a cheaper price.
Day 1
Round-trip DELTA flight – $330.81
Travel insurance via AXA – $41.00
Cuban visa acquired at airport – $50.00
Taxi from airport to casa particular – $30.00
Accommodation for one night – $38.22
Taxi around Havana – $5.00
Dinner (1 drink, 1 entree, 1 side of fries, +tip) – $13.00
Day 2
Breakfast at casa particular – $5.00
Taxi to Trinidad (4 hours) – $160.00
Public restroom fee – $1.00
Drinks (1 mojito +tip) – $3.50
Lunch (1 drink, 1 entree, +tip) – $15.00
Accommodation in Trinidad (three nights) – $94.42
Drinks (2 mojitos +tip) – $6.00
Drinks (2 mojitos, 1 kola, +tip) – $7.34
Day 3
Espresso (+tip) – $1.50
Taxi to beach – $8.00
Taxi from beach – $8.00
Lunch (ham and cheese sandwich, 2 drinks, +tip) – $10.70
Cabana rental – $7.00
Iced coffee (+tip) – $2.50
Dinner (1 entree, 2 drinks, +tip) – $12.80
Tip for live music – $1.00
Day 4
Hiking tour to Topes National Park – $55.00
Coffee grounds from coffee farm – $5.00
Cup of coffee – $2.00
Tip for tour guide – $5.00
Drinks (1 mojito +tip) – $4.00
Souvenirs (2 cups) – $8.00
Tip for live music – $1.00
Dinner (1 entree, 1 drink, +tip) – $20.00
Day 5
Bus to Havana (6 hours) – $25.00
Luggage storage on bus – $1.00
Lunch (ham and cheese sandwich) – $2.50
Taxi (from bus station to Airbnb) – $10.00
Accommodation in Havana (1 night) – $15.88
Coffee (+tip) – $2.00
Happy Hour (2 mojitos, 1 appetizer, +tip) – $5.50
Dinner (1 entree, 1 drink, +tip) – $14.00
Drinks (1 mojito +tip) – $2.00
Taxi (from downtown to Airbnb) – $10.00
Day 6
Taxi to Vinales via tour company (2.5 hours) – $200.00
3-day tour to Vinales – $150.00
Tip for riding a bull – $1.00
Tip for live music – $1.00
Souvenir (bottle of rum and 4 cigar holders) – $12.00
Coffee (+tip) – $1.35
Souvenir (20 cigars from tobacco farm) – $60.00
Drinks (sugar cane juice) – $3.00
Dinner (1 appetizer, 1 entrée, +tip) – $8.35
Day 7
Drinks (2 mojitos +tip) – $3.15
Tip for tour guide – $25.00
Tip for live music – $2.00
Souvenir (CD) – $10.00
Coffee – $1.00
Drinks (1 mojito +tip) – $3.00
Dinner (1 drink, 1 sandwich, +tip) – $6.70
Day 8
Accommodation in Havana (3 nights) – $97.59
Lunch (1 pizza, 1 drink, +tip) – $8.35
Souvenirs (3 Cohiba cigars) – $40.00
Drinks (1 daiquiri at Floridita, +tip) – $6.50
Souvenirs (1 pin, 2 postcards, 1 tiny house) – $7.00
Dessert (ice cream) – $2.00 for 1 scoop
Water (small bottle) – $1.00
Day 9
Mob Tour in classic car (1.5 hours with Havana Super Tours) – $120.00
Lunch (ham and cheese sandwich, 1 drink, +tip) – $5.50
Souvenir (humidor) – $20.00
Drinks (2 mojitos +tip) – $7.00
Classic car ride (30 minutes, waved down in front of Capital Building) – $25.00
Dinner (1 drink, 1 entrée, +tip) – $8.35 each
Bottle of rum – $4.50
Dessert (chocolate shake +tip) – $2.50
Cabaret show – $35.00
Day 10
Taxi to airport – $30.00
Conclusion
For those on a budget Cuba can be very cheap. As with most destinations, everything is cheaper a couple blocks from the main tourist attractions. Through trial and error we also found that paying more for food made no difference in taste. Expensive restaurants offer more variety, but not better quality of food. Here are two menus from restaurants in Havana.
May 10, 2019 at 9:16 pm
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