How much does a trip to Cuba cost? Daily budget and prices

The three tiers below are per person per day, assuming two people share a room. They cover the ground costs inside Cuba only: bed, food, transport and sights. International flights, the e-visa and travel insurance sit outside them.

Budget travel in Cuba means a basic casa room, street food and cheap paladares, and colectivos (shared taxis) between cities. Mid-range buys a better casa with a generator or solar backup, paladar dinners, private taxis and a guided tour or two. Comfort is a boutique casa or top hotel, a private driver and guides.

The gap between tiers is wider than in most countries because transport and accommodation quality swing hard. A US$12 room and a US$150 room can be on the same street.

Meals are the easiest part of the budget to control. A paladar main course runs US$8–20, and street food, a pizza or a plate of rice and beans costs less. A mojito is US$3–6. Hotel restaurants and state-run dining rooms charge more for slower service, so most travellers eat at private places.

Transport is where budgets break. Colectivos are the cheap option; private taxis between cities cost several times more and fuel shortages can push prices up or leave you waiting. Build in a buffer day rather than paying a premium for a rushed transfer.

The e-visa costs US$25–100 depending on which seller you buy it from, and travel insurance is required for most arrivals, so price both before you book flights.

Cuba runs on cash. US-issued cards never worked here, and Visa and Mastercard issued anywhere stopped working on 6 June 2026; ATMs will not pay out on foreign cards. Only cash and Cuban prepaid cards (Clásica, Tropical) work, so bring enough for the whole trip.

Bring clean, undamaged, small-denomination US dollars or euros. Both are widely accepted for exchange and by private businesses, and which one gets the better rate changes week to week — ask your casa host. Keep small notes for taxis and tips.

The currency is the Cuban peso (CUP), but there is no single rate. State accounting uses 24 and 120 CUP per US dollar, a managed floating rate launched in December 2025 sat near 680 CUP per US$1 in late September 2026, and the informal street rate tracked by elTOQUE was about 730 CUP per US$1 on 26 September 2026. Rates move weekly — check before you go.

Change money at official CADECA houses, banks, or with your casa by agreement. Illegal street exchange carries fines. Declare more than US$5,000 on arrival, and note you may take out at most US$5,000.

Stay in casas particulares rather than hotels: cheaper, usually better maintained, and the host can arrange transport and meals at local prices. Eat where Cubans eat — street food, peso pizza, rice and beans — and save paladar dinners for a few nights.

Travel between cities by colectivo or shared taxi rather than a private car, and book the seat through your casa. Walk Havana's Habana Vieja and Centro rather than taking taxis for short hops. Skip organised tours on days when you can cover the same ground on foot with a map.

The biggest saving is timing. Fuel and power failures push up prices and force expensive last-minute transport; a flexible itinerary with buffer days costs less than a tight one that has to buy its way out of trouble.

International flights, the e-visa, travel insurance and any pre-booked tour are not in the daily totals. Neither is the cash reserve. If you are flying from the US, note that tourism is not a legal OFAC travel category, so you also need to sort out your legal basis for travel before pricing anything.

Prices move quickly with the exchange rate and fuel costs, and state hotels charge more for less reliable service. Treat every figure here as a 2026 estimate and re-check the exchange rate in the week before you fly.