Renting Shade at Boca Ciega Beach in Havana Exceeds Average Salary, Highlighting Cuba's Economic Collapse

Securing a sunshade at Boca Ciega Beach, located east of Havana, now costs a staggering 9,000 Cuban pesos (CUP). This revelation was made by content creator Sisi Aguilera in a Facebook video that sparked widespread outrage on Sunday.

"Nine thousand pesos, the currency in Cuba is losing its value completely, money is worthless now, 9,000 CUP, folks, what you see there is madness," Aguilera remarked while filming some of the sun shelters available on the beach.

The exorbitant cost becomes even more alarming when compared to the actual income of Cubans, as the average monthly salary is only 6,930 pesos, roughly equivalent to $14 at the informal exchange rate. This means that renting such a cabana costs more than an entire month's salary for the average worker.

The official minimum pension stands at 4,000 pesos, which is less than half the price of the cabana. Meanwhile, the Cuban Observatory of Human Rights estimates that a minimum of 30,000 pesos per month is necessary just for basic food needs.

Comments on the video reflected a mix of sarcasm and frustration that often characterizes the public's reaction to such exorbitant pricing.

Maykel Barroso commented that if one pays the 9,000 CUP, it must include "breakfast, lunch, and snacks, they have to stop."

Lidia Hidalgo highlighted another hidden cost by adding, "And don't forget how you got to Boca Ciega, because the transport is unspeakable."

Pavel Valdes summed up the harsh reality for many. "It's madness, we have to sunbathe, there's no other option, not to mention the cost of transportation and the need to eat because the beach makes you hungry," he noted.

Lázara Madelin Herrera offered a practical solution, suggesting people bring "four long sticks and a couple of old sheets, and you've got your tent."

Marino Benítez delivered the most striking remark, emphasizing that "it's not the money that lost value, it's the shame."

A user named Janette pointed out the structural cause. "Unfortunately, everything here revolves around the dollar and the euro... we know who imposed it."

Pavel González Tejeda's sarcastic comment in the video encapsulates 67 years of disastrous economic management under the socialist system: "Thanks to the REVOLUTION."

The irony is even sharper given that Boca Ciega is a dilapidated area. In March, Aguilera herself documented the neglect in Boca Ciega, with vacation homes in ruins, collapsed structures, and overgrown vegetation.

The El Dorado complex, with its empty pool and stagnant water, was also documented as another abandoned site in Cuba since at least June 2025.

In nearby Tarará, the coastal area showcases both abandonment and opulence, with ruins next to luxury homes managed by the military monopoly GAESA.

Unbearably high prices extend across all sectors. At the market on 19 and B in Vedado, April prices showed bananas and tomatoes at 200-250 pesos per pound, while cachucha peppers reached 1,000 pesos.

An individual pizza with a malt beverage costs 600 pesos, representing 13% of the 4,600 pesos salary most workers earn, highlighting the unbearable pressure on wages and pensions.

Even Cuban Vice President Salvador Valdés Mesa admitted in February that "one cannot live on 6,000 pesos due to high prices," yet this acknowledgment has not led to any structural solution.

The official annual inflation rate hit 13.42% in March, although independent estimates suggest it is closer to a staggering 70%, according to economist Pavel Vidal.