This Friday, the U.S. dollar is once again on the rise in Cuba's informal market, contrasting with a slight retreat of the euro and a noticeable uptick in the MLC (Freely Convertible Currency).
At the start of the day, the informal currency exchange saw the dollar valued at 673 Cuban pesos (CUP), a three-peso increase from the previous day when it stood at 670 CUP.
Additionally, the American currency has experienced a 10-peso increase over the past week, as it was trading at 663 CUP just a week ago. Over the past month, the dollar has fluctuated between a low of 663 CUP and a high of 674 CUP.
In contrast, the euro has slightly decreased this Friday, now sitting at 758 CUP compared to 760 CUP the day before. Despite this daily decrease, it still remains above the 750 CUP mark from a week ago.
The European currency maintains a significant gap compared to the dollar, with one euro currently equating to 85 CUP more than one dollar in the informal market.
Meanwhile, the MLC is now around 469 CUP, rising from 458 CUP the previous day. A week ago, the MLC was at 467 CUP. Over the last 30 days, it has shown high volatility, ranging from 408 to 529 CUP.
U.S. Dollar (USD): 673 CUP. Euro (EUR): 758 CUP. MLC: 469 CUP (indicative value due to low trading volume). The dollar’s increase is exerting renewed pressure on the Cuban peso, especially after several days in which the American currency had remained relatively stable.
In the official market, Cuba's Central Bank has maintained the Segment III rate this Friday at 634 CUP per dollar and 739 CUP per euro.
The difference from the informal market is 39 pesos for the dollar and 19 pesos for the euro.
Although Segment III was established as a more flexible exchange mechanism, its rates continue to fall short of those prevailing in informal operations.
In just one month, the official dollar rate shifted from 605 to 634 CUP, while the euro rose from 689 to 739 CUP, reflecting the ongoing pressure on the national currency.
The informal rate is derived from an automated analysis of thousands of buy-sell advertisements posted in Telegram and Facebook groups.
The system filters out atypical offers and spam messages to calculate a representative value that is updated several times during the day.
U.S. Dollar to Cuban Peso (CUP) equivalency for Friday, August 28, 2026:
1 USD = 673 CUP
5 USD = 3,365 CUP
10 USD = 6,730 CUP
20 USD = 13,460 CUP
50 USD = 33,650 CUP
100 USD = 67,300 CUP
Euro to Cuban Peso (CUP) equivalency for Friday, August 28, 2026:
1 EUR = 758 CUP
5 EUR = 3,790 CUP
10 EUR = 7,580 CUP
20 EUR = 15,160 CUP
50 EUR = 37,900 CUP
100 EUR = 75,800 CUP
200 EUR = 151,600 CUP
Understanding the Dollar's Impact on Cuba's Economy
Why is the U.S. dollar increasing in Cuba's informal market?
The increase in the U.S. dollar's value in Cuba's informal market is due to various economic pressures, including limited supply and high demand for foreign currency amid economic instability.
How does the informal exchange rate affect the Cuban economy?
The informal exchange rate impacts the Cuban economy by influencing inflation and the purchasing power of Cuban citizens, as many rely on foreign currency for essential goods and services.