To start with, there is a double system of payment and prices. There’s a system for the Cubans in peso nacional, and they are paid in peso nacional (or peso cubano) and there are peso shops. Tourists pay for everything in peso convertibles (CUC) and can only buy in the so-called dollar shops.
Let’s have a closer look at Cuban everyday life:
The Cuban Way of Living
The average Cuban salary is about 350 peso nacional. One peso convertible CUC equals 0.9 USA dollars or 24 peso nacional. Some people work for less in shops or museums. There are dentists earning as little as 10 dollars a month. A taxi driver can make more money than a doctor. The pension is between 3 to 7 dollars per month.
Of course this not the whole story: to make an estimate about the cost of living you have to take in account the costs of housing, electricity, and water, and these in Cuba are very low.
Secondly there are social benefits: with the ration booklet (the libreta) each Cuban family get a basic ration of staples such as rice, beans, cooking oil, salt, sugar and bread. They also get the following in limited quantities: 1 piece of soap, 1 toothbrush, and 1 tube of toothpaste. Milk is only available for mothers with children below the age of 6
For many families this ration is only sufficient for 15 – 20 days so additional food must be bought. However nobody dies of food shortage, but for a lot of Cubans meat or chicken is a luxury. Elderly people and single mothers have an especially difficult time.
