Cuban Woman in the U.S. Argues for Life in Cuba: "It's Like Being a Millionaire Without the Millions"

A Cuban woman living in the United States has sparked a heated discussion online after sharing a TikTok video where she argues that residing in Cuba—owning a home and not paying rent—represents a form of wealth that many immigrants overlook.

Identified as @candysantos_01, the creator has spent a decade in the U.S. and recorded the video in response to another user's post on the platform. In just over a minute, she drew a direct comparison between the two countries, garnering more than 51,000 views, 2,642 likes, and 560 shares.

The core of Candy Santos's argument is that one can enjoy the same material comforts in Cuba as in the U.S., but without the relentless need to work to cover monthly expenses. “I can have my home with the same comforts here, but the difference is you don't have to wake up every day and work all year like a beast just to pay for those little things you came looking for monthly,” she stated.

For her, true wealth lies not in a bank balance but in the freedom from having to work to maintain a roof over one’s head. “If you have everything set up, everything paid for, and you don't have to get out of bed to work just because you need to pay for your home, that’s being a millionaire without having millions in your account,” she asserted.

The Cuban woman also criticized those who condemn this lifestyle: “Stop that poor mentality and letting others dictate how you should live your life, because life is yours and you only live once.”

The video taps into an ongoing debate among the Cuban diaspora about the pros and cons of living on the island versus abroad, a discussion particularly vibrant on TikTok.

Candy Santos's argument is rooted in reality: in Cuba, most homes are owned by their occupants, a legacy of the socialist system that banned the real estate market for decades, thus eliminating rental costs.

Yet, this "advantage" stands in stark contrast to the harsh realities faced by millions of Cubans in 2026: power outages lasting up to 20 hours a day, shortages of food, water, and medicine, and a housing deficit exceeding 929,000 homes that the regime has failed to address.

The new Cuban Housing Law of 2026 also requires building owners to pay monthly maintenance fees and allows the state to seize abandoned properties.

In Havana’s informal market, rents have soared to as high as $3,000 a month, a figure unattainable for most Cubans who earn salaries in pesos.

Other Cubans on social media have shared different views: some warn that in the U.S., “you live to work,” dealing with more stress and high bills, while others argue that living in Cuba without resources is unsustainable due to the widespread decline in basic services.

Since 2000, nearly 800,000 Cubans have settled as permanent residents in the United States, a migration that highlights the tension between the relative emotional security of the island and the opportunities—and pressures—offered abroad.