A Cuban woman, known as @yanelasinfiltro on TikTok, recently shared a video detailing her purchase of essential items with 7,000 Cuban pesos, highlighting the severe purchasing power crisis affecting the island. Her haul included five pounds of white sugar, two pounds of brown sugar, six 100-gram bars of bath soap, a one-liter bottle of vinegar, and a one-kilogram pack of detergent.
And that’s everything.
The breakdown of her shopping list underscores the current market prices in Cuba: white sugar is priced at 450 pesos per pound (totaling 2,250 pesos), brown sugar at 550 pesos per pound (1,100 pesos), each bar of soap at 300 pesos (1,800 pesos for all six), vinegar at 700 pesos, and detergent at 1,300 pesos.
A particularly striking element of the video is her note about the soap: “Each bar of bath soap, folks, is 100g, which is enough for just two showers.”
In other words, spending 1,800 pesos—more than half of a monthly minimum wage—yields a mere 12 showers with soap.
Independent estimates suggest that an individual in Cuba requires approximately 96,000 pesos monthly to meet basic needs, with over 70,000 of that allocated solely for food. Personal hygiene expenses add another 11,450 pesos, while household cleaning needs cost an additional 4,740 pesos within this estimated budget.
The trend of showcasing purchases on social media has become a popular form of protest among Cubans, exposing the meager amount of goods one can buy with significant sums of money.
The pricing context exacerbates the situation further: in July, the government lifted the price cap on rice, which had been set at 155 pesos per pound, removing one of the few remaining controls on staple foods.
A recent visit to the La Güinera market in Havana confirmed similar prices to those shown in the video: 500 grams of powdered detergent for 750 pesos, bleach for 750 pesos, and two laundry soaps for 260 pesos.
At the end of her video, the user posed a question that encapsulates the daily reality faced by many: “What do you think of my purchase?”
Understanding Cuba's Economic Challenges Through Consumer Experiences
What does the TikTok video reveal about Cuba's current purchasing power?
The video highlights the limited purchasing power in Cuba, showing how 7,000 pesos only afford a small number of basic items, reflecting the economic hardships faced by residents.
How have social media platforms become a tool for protest in Cuba?
Cubans are using social media to expose the limited quantity of goods they can purchase with large amounts of money, turning it into a platform for popular protest against the economic situation.
Why is the removal of price controls significant in Cuba?
The removal of price controls, such as the cap on rice prices, is significant because it exacerbates the already challenging economic conditions, making staple foods even less affordable for the average Cuban.