is cuba cheap to visit

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Budget travel , Cuba

Is cuba expensive cuba budget travel guide (2024).

Table of Contents

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Before my trip, I spent a lot of time asking the internet, is Cuba expensive? As a budget traveller, I usually have a general idea of a country’s costs before visiting. But when it came to Cuba budget travel, I didn’t know where to start… Firstly, many people told me that ATMs in Cuba are frequently out of cash. Rather than get stuck without money, I wanted to know how much to budget for Cuba in advance.

CUBA TRAVEL ESSENTIALS Accommodation: Airbnb / Booking.com / Hostelworld Travel insurance:   True Traveller  (European travellers) /   Hey Mundo  (other nationalities) /   Safety Wing  (digital nomads)

Secondly, the internet is virtually non-existent in Cuba meaning it’s hard to sort out any financial issues you may encounter. Cuba can be a confusing country to visit generally and as a solo traveller in Cuba , I didn’t want to find myself in a sticky situation. For that reason, I tried to calculate my Cuba budget in advance. In this Cuba budget travel guide, I’ll break down Cuba costs and help you plan your trip.

Note – all costs in this guide are in CUP (Cuban pesos) and USD unless otherwise stated.

Top tip – since it’s so hard to get online in Cuba, I would recommend bringing a guidebook and phrasebook to help you along the way. I recommend the latest copy of Lonely Planet Cuba and a Latin American Spanish Phrasebook & Dictionary .

Is Cuba expensive?

Like anywhere, it depends on how you want to live. Transport is very expensive but otherwise, I was pleasantly surprised because so many people had told me that Cuba is expensive. Yes, some things were but, overall, it wasn’t as bad as I expected. I spent $420 USD in 10 days . This paid for my accommodation, food, transport and many pina coladas. I could have done it cheaper but I also could have spent much, much more. This means my daily Cuba budget was just $42 . Budget travel in Cuba is indeed possible! It’s worth noting I did a couple of tours sponsored thanks to this blog so if you want to do things like a bar crawl, convertible car tour or a Havana to Vinales day trip, add these things to your Cuba budget (activity costs below).

Spending 10 days in Cuba? Follow my Cuba 10 day itinerary .

Understanding the currency

When I visited in 2020, Cuba had a confusing two-currency system. It involved the Cuban convertible peso (CUC) used mainly by tourists and the Cuban peso (CUP) predominantly used by locals for daily items. In 2021, the CUC was dissolved and the only currency in use is now the CUP. As of 2024, there’s 24 CUP to 1 USD .

Where to get money in Cuba

Since we’re talking about money, you might be wondering how to withdraw cash to start with. You can’t take CUP into or out of Cuba. You either need to withdraw it when you arrive or bring your own currency and exchange it.

These charge an extra 3-4% on top of your bank’s charges. In addition to the fact they’re often out of money, they also don’t accept American cards. It’s worth noting that you may also have problems with American cards issued from other countries, for example a UK Mastercard. I didn’t use mine so can’t tell you, unfortunately.

Currency exchange

Due to the ATM situation, many people take the safer option of bringing their spending money in a foreign currency and changing it on arrival. You can do this at a Cadeca office, in the street or at the airport . Since you’ll need money to get from the airport to your accommodation (there’s no Uber in Cuba, friends!), you should to do this at the airport. An additional 10% is added to the exchange of USD so the best currency to bring and exchange is Euro or Pound Sterling. Since I was coming from Mexico and had neither, I brought Mexican Pesos. The rate seemed fair. My top tip – if you’re exchanging money at the airport, run like the wind from arrivals to the currency exchange office which is outside near the taxi rank. I was lucky to be the 5th person in the queue but still waited about an hour for cash as everything was taking so long. There were 20+ people behind me who must have been waiting until 4am.

Cuba budget travel – how much do you need?

Phew, we’ve covered the complicated matter of where to get the two different types of Cuban currency. So, how much money to bring to Cuba ? So you can get a general idea of what to budget for Cuba, let’s look at how much things cost.

Cuba budget – cost of a visa

I don’t like to give visa-related advice as things change and it varies for different countries. I advise you do your own research based on your nationality. However I can tell you that, as a Brit flying from Mexico, I got my Cuba visa from the airline desk in Mexico City Airport (check which other Mexican airports offer this). The cost is $20 USD or the equivalent in Mexican pesos.

Cuba budget travel – cost of accommodation

This is usually the thing you spend the most on while travelling. Actually, accommodation in Cuba starts low especially if you stay in casa particulars , in other words homes run by local families. Not only does this keep the costs down for you, but it’s a great way to support local people. If you’re on a budget of $15 a night, you can stay somewhere cosy, comfy and friendly. Of course, there are hotels in Cuba but none of your money will trickle down to the local people. Accommodation budget for Cuba : $20 per person per day or even less if you stay in shared hostel rooms.

Cost of hostels in Cuba

For budget travel in Cuba, I would recommend looking out for hostels. These can be booked on Hostelworld but they’re not the kind you’ll be used to elsewhere. They’re more like shared rooms in casa particulars. But with beds starting at $5, you can’t complain. Havana – the two best hostels in the capital are Cuba 58 and Hostel Mango Habana with dorms from $10. Trinidad – I loved Alcuria Hostel which has a dorm room for $12. The family were so friendly and serve generous home-cooked meals on the rooftop. Backpackers should really stay here!

Cost of Airbnbs in Cuba

Airbnb is a great way to book private rooms in casa particulars and it’s very affordable for tourists.

Under the rule of Castro, companies like Airbnb were banned and the app has only been allowed recently. It’s one of the few ways that Cubans can benefit from tourism. They still have to give a large percentage of their profit (I believe around 60%) to the government but sadly, that’s Cuba.

Read next: What I thought of Cuba – my honest thoughts

Cuba budget travel – cost of food

The cost of food in Cuba can be very cheap or quite expensive. Meals start at around 70 CUP and can cost anywhere up to 1,000 CUP including dinner and drinks if you dine somewhere nice. Lunch prices: At lunchtime in restaurants in Old Havana, 120 CUP for a meal and soft drink is considered reasonably cheap. Of course, you’ll pay more at nicer restaurants. Dinner prices: Restaurants in Old Havana charge more for dinner and you can easily spend 250-500 CUP on dinner and a drink. Many cafes add on 10% service automatically.

Budget restaurants in Havana: Cafe Brown – I loved this restaurant in Central Havana which serves Cuban tapas, lobsters for 150 CUP and hundreds of inventive cocktails for 70 CUP. It’s nothing fancy, just excellent food. Malecon 663   – this hotel with a cafe downstairs is super quirky with menus on old vinyls. Coffee and brunch cost 150 CUP. Check out other budget Havana restaurants here.

Cost of paladars & street food in Cuba

You can eat a filling dinner for 25 CUP although I can’t promise it will be very nutritious. If you eat like this, you could spend less than $30 USD in a week! Here are some of the costs of things I bought: Pizza with cheese and ham – 25 CUP. Ice cream – 5 CUP. Cheese sandwich – 2.5 CUP. Ropa vieja (at a sit-down paladar) – 20 CUP.

Look out for local paladar restaurants. Many of them serve a wide range of tasty Cuban dishes. You’ll find more of these as you journey further away from touristic Old Havana towards Central Havana. Best dishes to eat include ropa vieja (pulled beef with rice, black beans and fried plantain) and lechon (roast pork). Street food – this isn’t served on the streets like in Mexico or Asia; it’s from casual kitchens and takeaway windows. While street food can be very inexpensive in Cuba, you’re looking at things like limp pizza, hotdogs and spam sandwiches. Food budget for Cuba : While this varies considerably, I’d estimate around $15 a day providing you eat local-style food from time to time. Add an extra $10 a day if you don’t think you’ll eat street food, and the same again if you fancy a few drinks each night.

Cost of transport in Cuba

If you’re asking is Cuba expensive?, it depends how many places you plan to visit. If you’re just visiting Havana, you won’t need to budget for transport unless you catch taxis. However, if you’re visiting other destinations like Vinales and Trinidad, you’ll need to stretch that Cuba budget considerably.

Cost of getting from Havana Airport

This is a set fee. There is no haggling to be done and you can’t use any taxi apps. The cost from the airport to Havana by government taxi is 600 CUP (per taxi). Solo travellers could try and buddy up with some other tourists at the rank since everyone’s heading toward Havana.

Buses around Cuba

The main bus networks in Cuba is  Viazul . These buses are comfortable if not particularly affordable. You also need to book Viazul buses at least four days in advance. You also have to create an account and register your passport on the website before you can search for a journey. Oh, and American bank cards don’t work.

Government taxis around Cuba

I chose to catch government taxis rather than buses in Cuba as the prices weren’t much more. For example, the Viazul bus from Havana to Trinidad was only 5 CUP less but I’d have had to the bus station by taxi. Government taxis can be booked by your accommodation the day before and will take you door to door. Prices of government taxis in Havana are as follows. Havana to Trinidad by government taxi: 120 CUP (per person, per way). Havana to Vinales by government taxi: 150 CUP (per person, per way).

Car hires in Cuba

Hiring a car in Cuba can cost up to 2,500 CUP per day. It’s difficult to organise but it is possible if you’re keen for the freedom it brings. Make sure to organise it in advance of your trip.

Cost of getting around Havana

If you’re staying in Old Havana, it’s easy to see most of the sights by foot. If you want to go further afield…

Taxis in Havana: I couldn’t believe how expensive these were. One evening I was headed from Central Havana to Madrigal Bar Cafe to begin a bar crawl. It was a 40-minute walk / 10-minute drive away but government taxis quoted me 350 CUP , more than a London black cab! I just ended up walking there myself at 10pm with irritating men honking from their cars. The cost of the taxis put me off travelling outside of walking distance in Havana. Local buses in Havana: There are local buses which travel around Havana for a tiny fraction of taxi costs, as little as $0.04 . I would advise brushing up on your Spanish to work out where they go!

Transport budget for Cuba

If you visit Trinidad, Vinales and travel to and from the airport, budget 160 USD. Is Cuba expensive for transportation? YUP. Note – if you’re travelling with other people, you can split the airport taxi costs but not the cross-country ones as these are quoted per person.

Cuba budget for cocktails / nightlife

So far my list of Cuba costs reads accommodation, food, transport and cocktails. I think that sums it up really! There’s nowhere in the world I’ve had as many cocktails as in Cuba. They were delicious!

Unlike transport, you won’t need to stretch your Cuba budget to enjoy mojitos and daiquiris. Many Havana bars serve cocktails for 50 CUP and I even found one place in Trinidad serving pina coladas for 35 CUP . A return taxi ride from Havana to Trinidad cost me 60 CUP so I almost wish I’d stayed in Havana and had 30 mojitos!

Read next: the best bars and rooftops in Havana

Cuba budget for internet

Get ready for another complicated and baffling Cuba situation! The main way for foreigners to get online in Cuba is to locate an ETECSA store and purchase a scratch card then find a hotspot (usually in public squares and parks) and use the details on the card to log in. When you see lots of people gathered around on their phones, you know you’ve found one. Remember to bring your passport to purchase an ETECSA card. Internet costs 25 CUP per hour of usage so it’s not particularly expensive but, because the connection is usually so slow, it takes five times longer than normal to do things! Remember to click ‘end session’ after using your internet card. I just swiped into aeroplane mode assuming it would end my session and it didn’t, draining my 120 CUP of data! Oops.

Cuba budget for activities

Activities in Cuba are priced with foreign tourists in mind. It’s hard to guess what another person will find expensive but I’d say they’re somewhere in the middle: cheap compared to Europe and North America but pricey by Asian or Latin American standards. To give you an idea, I’ll share the costs of the tours I did (in USD).

• Bar crawl including a drink and Cuban cigar: $35
• Vintage car ride: $40
• Day trip from Havana to Vinales including lunch and entrance fees: $100

I enjoyed all the Airbnb Experiences I took, especially since they were run by locals who make a livelihood from tourism. Under the communist system, it can be tricky for your money to trickle down to those who need it. On Airbnb, you can also take cooking courses, walking tours, street art tours and more depending on your interests and Cuba budget. Cuba budget tip: take the free walking tour of Havana run by the Me Gusta Company . This was fantastic! You can give whatever you think it’s worth. I gave 120 CUP.

Cuba budget tips

Aside from the obvious tip of eating cheaper local food, these are my top tips for Cuba on a budget. Bring a stainless steel reusable water bottle and fill it up . Most places I stayed let me fill mine up for free with filtered water which saved me 25 CUP per large bottle. Also, there’s just no excuse for using plastic bottles in 2022. Pick a local beach . Many people travel to Varadero, which is the holiday hotspot of Cuba with lots of diving opportunities, however a taxi from Havana Airport is 600 CUP. I got my beach fix instead on a budget day trip to Ancon Beach from Trinidad. You can catch a local bus for 120 CUP or share a taxi by buddying up with others if you’re staying in a hostel. Alternatively, take a day trip to Bacuranao, 15km from Havana. A local bus is 120 CUP.

Cycle to El Cubano National Park from Trinidad – I didn’t want to take a horse riding door for ethical reasons, plus they were expensive. I asked locals in Trinidad where I could hire a bicycle (which cost 120 CUP) and cycled there and back through the countryside. Brush up on your Spanish – you’re not going to get a bargain if you can’t speak the lingo. My best tips are to bring a Spanish phrasebook and download the Google Translate app. Make sure to download Spanish offline on the app which means it works without data or Wi-Fi. Bring on your toiletries – economic sanctions against US brands make it hard to find commonly-used items in Cuba. Bring suncream, bug spray, toothpaste, shampoo and conditioner with you.

Free things to do in Havana

Keep the budget down by doing the following: – Hike up to the Estatua de Cristo statue and look down over Havana. – Visit a Greek Orthodox church and wander beautiful gardens at Jardín Madre Teresa de Calcuta near Plaza de San Franciso de Asis. – Stroll the Malecon, taking in views of the ocean and spotting classic Cuban cars. – Take the daily free walking tours mentioned above! – Tour the main plazas, Plaza Vieja, Plaza de Armas, Plaza de la Cathedral and Plaza San Francisco. In Plaza Vieja, there are several free museums like Museum de Naipes.

Cuba budget itinerary

Since transport is expensive, the best money-saving Cuba tip is be picky when choosing your destinations. The more places you go, the more money you spend. This is my 10 day Cuba itinerary suitable for those travelling Cuba on a budget: Days 1-3 – Explore Havana. Day 4 – travel to Trinidad in the morning. Spend the afternoon seeing the town. Days 5-6 – Take some day trips from Trinidad. Visit El Cubano National Park one day and Ancon Beach the next. Day 7 – travel back to Havana. You can decide whether to travel onwards to Vinales the same day or base again in Havana to visit Vinales as a day trip. Days 8-9 – either explore Vinales if you’re based there or take a Havana to Vinales day trip on day 8 and spend a final day in Havana on day 9. Day 10 – depart Cuba. Stay overnight in Vinales or take a day trip? I decided to take a day trip because it seemed cost-effective compared to taking a government taxi there and back and getting around Vinales. The attractions are spread out across the countryside so you can’t get around on foot. However, if you choose to stay over in Vinales, I would recommend hiring a bike to get about on a budget.

Read next: How to take a Vinales day tour from Havana

Cuba essentials

• Copy of Lonely Planet Cuba
• An all-important Latin American Spanish Phrasebook & Dictionary . This was a lifesaver!
• Travel luggage – I use the Osprey Farpoint backpack ( men’s ) ( women’s )
• A camera – I use the Sony DSC-HX350 Digital Compact Bridge Camera
• A GoPro if you’re making videos – I use the HERO8 Black
• Solo photography pick: Manfrotto tripod and Joby Gorillapod
• A power bank to keep your devices alive
• Mosquito spray
• Sunhat/sunglasses/sunscreen
• Shampoo/conditioner/body wash (you’ll struggle to find them in Cuba)
• Likewise, feminine sanitary products
• Microfibre quick-drying towel
• Security: A handy bum bag with secure zip
• Combination padlock (ideal for hostel lockers)
• Travel insurance – True Traveller  (European travellers) /   Hey Mundo  (other nationalities) /   Safety Wing  (digital nomads).

Thanks for reading my Cuba budget guide!

I hope I’ve answered your question, is Cuba expensive? The answer is really a mix: transport is expensive, accommodation is affordable, cocktails are a bargain, and food is either very cheap or fairly pricey depending where you’re eat and what prices you’re used to, I guess!

Read my other Cuba blogs:

• The perfect Cuba itinerary
• A complete guide to travelling Cuba solo
• The best bars in Havana Cuba
• What I really thought of Cuba

For more travel content, follow me on Instagram , Facebook , Twitter and YouTube .

See you next time for more adventures,

Ps. Like my Cuba budget guide? Pin it for later!

VISITING CUBA? These are my trusted resources: Getting there – I use Skyscanner to find the best-value flights, using the ‘search by month’ tool to find the cheapest dates. You can also use the ‘to anywhere’ feature if you’re flexible on where you’re going. For apartments and private rooms, use Airbnb. For hotels, I recommend Booking.com . For hostels, I use Hostelworld . Hostels in Cuba are the best places to meet other travellers. Browse Cuba tours and activities on Airbnb Experiences and Urban Adventures . Need to top up your Spanish? Pick up a Lonely Planet Latin American Spanish Phrasebook & Dictionary . Need travel insurance ? I use True Traveller (for UK & Europe residents) since it’s affordable but covers everything you’d need including various activities, valuables and pre-existing conditions. Unlike some companies, they insure you if you’re already travelling / don’t yet have your flight home booked. Get a quote . For travel insurance for other nationalities, I recommend Hey Mundo and for long-term digital nomad travellers, I suggest Safety Wing . Check out my resources page for more travel discounts and tips from 10+ years of travel!

Rose is a solo traveller from the UK who has been on the road since 2015. She wants to show other women that solo travel isn't scary and doesn't have to be expensive! Rose has lived in Mexico, Canada and all over Asia, seeking out food, bubble tea and street art wherever she goes!

3 thoughts on “ Is Cuba Expensive? Cuba Budget Travel Guide (2024) ”

thanks, found this helpful.

I travelled to Cuba from UK in 2022 and I’ve never felt so ripped off in my life. everything and I mean EVERYTHING was insanely expensive due to the ludicrous official exchange rate. (We took Euros). Using ATMs or hotels who have to use the official rate saw us paying $45 for a bottle of water, 65 for 2 burgers and a Coke, 35 for a sandwich. We met people who were told their taxi was 500 but get 500 cup out of the ATM was actually over $1200. They had to call the police. We eventually worked out you can illegally change you money down a dark alley and get much, much more. This is what we had to do. DO NOT put anything on your bill in a hotel as you will have 1000s to pay at the end. $20 beer anyone?)see if the bar man will just take cash (illegally though so may not of someone’s looking). We were followed home and threatened when we refused to take a taxi back from a venue as it had cost $60 to get the 10 min journey. They turned up anyway and were very very threatening. At the time we went you couldn’t buy ANY water anywhere (unless you paid €45) a can of pop from a person’s window would officially be $8. With the illegally money it was “only” 4. This was the only liquid we could get. I’d point out the food in Cuba is horrendous. Every where. They do not have any basic ingredients (salt, pepper, spices) so it extremely bland (and I’m from the UK!). Honestly due to the crazy exchange rate system this has got to be by far the most expensive place on earth I include Singapore and Iceland in this. It was actually very stressful and we met many, many tourists who just didn’t know what they were going to do as their budgets were ruined. It makes no difference what currency you pay in – pounds, dollars, euro – it is the exact same cost as they have no idea what foreign money means. So for example the taxi we were told was 60. “60 what ” “anything:…. I’m afraid I’m not gonna back to this strange, derelict place where food, drink and transport cost more than any other place I’ve visited. Check the “official” exchange rate and be prepared for dark alleys when you realise what it means. Sorry!

Hi Katherine, wow thanks for this honest comment. Sorry all this happened!

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How to Experience Cuba on a Budget

As a Cuban-American, Talek Nantes has had a lot of experience traveling around Cuba. In this guest post, she offers an in-depth breakdown of how to travel around Cuba like a local. Because there’s a lot more to the country than just all-inclusive resorts!

I’ve been traveling between Cuba and the US since I was born. (Actually, even before I was born. My mom came to the States when she was pregnant with me. I like to say I was made in Havana and born in the USA.)

As a Cuban-American who wrote a best-selling book on the country and who runs tours there, I’ve made it my mission to share my appreciation for Cuban culture with everyone who wants to experience it.

Now, people frequently ask me if Cuba is expensive.

It doesn’t have to be. It can be quite an affordable place to visit. There are some dos and don’ts to consider , but overall, a trip to Cuba doesn’t have to break the bank.

From obvious tried-and-true advice, like eating at locations at least three-five blocks away from popular tourist sites, to little-known tips only the locals know, here’s how to experience Cuba on a budget.

Table of Contents

1. How to Save Money on Cuban Currency Exchanges

2. how to save money on accommodation in cuba, 3. the best places to eat on a budget in cuba, 4. cuban transportation on a budget, 5. staying connected in cuba, a typical daily budget, traveling outside of havana.

Once in Cuba, you should exchange money at the airport “CADECA.” A CADECA is the official government exchange entity with locations throughout the country. Keep in mind that you will need your passport in order to exchange currency at any CADECA.

Hard currencies are readily accepted in Cuba; US and Canadian dollars and Euros are the most widely accepted.

Exchange only enough currency to get you to your accommodation — a taxi to Havana will cost you about $30 USD — then exchange more at the CADECAs in town, as they have better rates. Avoid exchanging currency at banks and hotels, as these offer less favorable rates.

US citizens should be aware that credit cards drawn on US banks are not accepted in Cuba and ATMs cannot dispense money from US banks . Therefore, US citizens must bring enough cash with them to last the entire trip.  

Casas particulares, or casas for short, are the homes of local Cubans who rent rooms to visitors. It’s like a B&B or a guesthouse. You can rent a room in a private home for an average of $30 USD per night.

The best part of staying with a Cuban family is that you can have an authentically Cuban experience. You eat with them, hang out in their living room, play with their kids or pets. You’re treated like one of the family while you are there. That’s a lot more rewarding than staying at a sterile hotel.

It’s easy to book a casa; you can reserve one on Airbnb or any number of similar online sites. You should pre-book a casa from your home country at least for your first night’s stay in Cuba. Once in Cuba you can book the following nights yourself either through your casa host or just by looking for a house with the casa sign (a blue anchor with a roof on a white background) and simply knocking on the door.

Otherwise, hostels will be your best option for saving money. Some top-rated Havana hostels include the following:

• Cuba 58 Hostel
• Casa Rene & Madelyn
• Hostal DRobles
• Casa Novo Guest House
• Hostal Corazón del Mundo

Prices per night range from around the equivalent of $5-15 USD, though most are around $11 USD.

I find casas to be the best accommodation option. A hostel may be cheaper, but there are many casas with hostel pricing, so you get the best of both worlds: a low cost plus interaction with a local family. Isn’t the connection with other cultures one of the main reasons we travel?  

Traditional dishes you will find at paladares include arroz con pollo (chicken and rice), ropa vieja (shredded beef), and lechón (roast pork). Typical drinks include the classic mojito, daiquiri, and Cuba Libre (rum and a cola). Fruit juices are also readily available. The local beers, Bucanero and Cristal, are very good.

Any guidebook will point out the paladares. You can also find them in the A La Mesa app .

Typical costs (in USD) for meals in paladares are as follows:

High-end paladar:

• Lunch: $10–25
• Dinner $15–35

Mid-range paladar:

• Lunch: $7–10
• Dinner: $10–25

Some of my favorite paladares in Havana include Doña Eutemia (near the cathedral), Los Mercaderes on Mercaderes Street in Old Havana, and San Cristóbal, where US President Obama had lunch. A typical meal at one of these will cost about $15–20 USD.

Street vendors are also found throughout the country and offer little sandwiches, pizza, croquettes, pastries, and other snacks for $1-3 USD. The food is not great, but it certainly is budget-friendly.  

Yellow taxis are government-run (vs. privately owned). These are used by tourists and tend to be the most expensive.

Coco-taxis are essentially motorcycles with a cover shaped to look like a yellow coconut (hence the name), and they are everywhere. They tend to be cheaper but can only take two people at a time.

Bici-taxis are rickshaw-like bicycles that’ll take you around Old Havana.

Another option is the colectivo , or collective taxi. These are cars that travel on busy thoroughfares within city limits, picking up and dropping off people as they go along. A trip from one end of a busy, central street to the other, or anywhere in between, will cost about half a dollar. The taxi is shared with up to six people.

Buses are overcrowded, unreliable, and not air-conditioned but they are very cheap. They travel major routes mostly outside Old Havana.

Typical transportation costs:

• Yellow government taxi: $10 USD within city limits
• Coco-taxi: $5 USD within city limits; only fits 2 people
• Bici-taxi: $2 USD- per person; only fits 2 people; not motorized
• Collective taxi: Half a dollar per trip in a shared taxi
• Bus: About $0.20 USD

A fun way to explore a big city like Havana is by taking a tour in a classic American convertible from the ’50s, but at $40-50 USD an hour, they aren’t very budget-friendly.  

The best way to stay connected is to purchase an internet connection card, sold in increments of 1 USD per hour, at the local ETECSA, the Cuban government’s telecommunications office that has branches all over the island. You use the login and password on the card to connect your phone or computer.

You can also purchase an internet connection card at most high-end hotels, but the cost can be as high as $7 USD per hour, so purchasing your card at an ETECSA offers huge savings.

Once you have your card, find a location where you can connect. Most parks have connectivity, as do areas around ETECSA offices. Just look for groups of people huddled over their phones.

Higher-end hotels also offer Wi-Fi at outrageous fees.

If you don’t use up your internet time, the leftover will be saved on your card and you will be able to use it again.  

For a typical day in Havana, Cuba’s most expensive city, you can expect to budget as follows:

• Breakfast at your casa: $5 USD
• Street food snacks: $2–5 USD
• Lunch at a paladar: $5–7 USD
• Dinner at a paladar: $5–10 USD
• Alcoholic beverage: mojito: $2–3 USD, beer: $2 USD, rum: $5 USD/bottle
• Room in a casa: average $30 USD
• Intracity taxi: $2–10 USD
• Museum entrance fee: $2–8 USD
• Entrance fee to a music venue: free or $2–10 USD
• Internet connection card $1–2 USD

To be on the safe side and leave yourself a little room to splurge, budget $100 USD/day. Keep in mind you may want to purchase some world-famous cigars or rum. The local art you find at the many galleries around town may also appeal to you.  

When traveling outside Havana, you’ve got a couple of options. The most convenient and expensive is to reserve a taxi that will pick you up at your casa and deliver you door to door. Your casa host or hostel or hotel staff can arrange one for you.

Another option is the national bus service, which extends across the entire country. The buses are air-conditioned, and the prices are very reasonable. This bus service is the best budget-friendly transportation option to see Cuba with the ideal Cuba itinerary .

Prices from Havana to popular destinations are as follows:

• Havana to Viñales: $12 USD
• Havana to Trinidad: $25 USD
• Havana to Varadero: $10 USD
• Havana to Santiago, on the far side of the island: $51 USD

You need to purchase your tickets at the Viazul bus station Avenida Independencia #101, at the corner of 19 de Mayo. The buses will take you to the bus stations in your destination city, which are generally in very central locations convenient to wherever you want to go.

There are car rental agencies throughout Cuba with which you can organize a self-drive tour. However, keep in mind that the roads outside Havana can be in very poor condition and difficult to navigate. With easy transportation within the big cities and convenient bus service between cities, a car rental may not be your most budget-friendly option.

Domestic flights are pretty unreliable and I wouldn’t recommend them.

Before traveling to Cuba, US citizens should check the travel requirements. Ordinary tourism is prohibited for US citizens. All US visitors must travel to Cuba under one of 12 US government-approved categories. “Support for the Cuban People” is the most commonly used category and can be selected when purchasing an airline ticket.

Experiencing Cuba on a budget certainly has its challenges, but it is totally worth it.

Cuba gets under your skin quickly. It bewitches and beckons you to explore more of it.

No matter how many times I return to Cuba I always find something to amaze me; a new art venue, a remarkable piece of 18th-century architecture, or an innovative take on traditional Cuban cuisine.

Cuba is a safe, beautiful country with welcoming people and a fascinating culture. Put it on your must-visit list and you won’t be disappointed.

Talek Nantes is an author, digital content creator and founder of the travel blog Travels With Talek . She is a passionate travel enthusiast and enjoys sharing her travel experiences with others. She lives with her husband in New York City and Miami. Talek leads tours to Cuba and her most recent book is Don’t just travel to Cuba, experience Cuba available on Amazon.

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner . It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld . If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

• SafetyWing (best for everyone)
• InsureMyTrip (for those 70 and over)
• Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Want to Travel for Free? Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.

Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip? Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I use and the income goes to keeping the site community supported and ad free.

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How Much Does a Trip to Cuba Cost? A Realistic Travel Budget (2023)

Cuba is not short of amazing surprises for first-time travelers. You will encounter famous worldwide beaches and landscapes, historic cities, fascinating culture and traditions , and the most welcoming people. Naturally, you will want to see it all.

However, with so many things to do and places to visit, the cost of a trip to Cuba can get out of control very quickly.

This guide offers an updated, down-to-earth holiday budget for Cuba. Unlike other articles that just display data scraped from travel websites, we will help you with a realistic trip to Cuba cost. Our breakdown includes expected accommodation costs, transportation, food and drinks, entertainment, Internet, and even tipping. We close the article with helpful tips that will save you some bucks!

How Much Does a Trip to Cuba Cost?

A typical seven days trip to Cuba costs anywhere from 1,200 to 3,000 USD, including flights, accommodation, and insurance.

Plan to pay at least 500 USD for your flight ticket, but it can be as high as 1,700 USD, especially if departing from the US. On the other hand, accommodations in Cuba can be as cheap as 10 USD/night if staying in “casas particulares”.

Also, your trip to Cuba’s cost can go lower or higher depending on your travel season. Cuba’s dry season is more popular than the wet season, so expect higher prices during peak months.

Let’s get into more pricing details for flights and accommodations in Cuba.

Costs of flights to Cuba

Two major events have significantly increased the costs of flying to Cuba in the last few years:

• US restrictions on air travel to Cuba. Currently, US airlines are permitted to fly into Havana Airport only.
• The impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Flights to Cuba are expensive, and you can expect to pay at least 400 USD for a ticket when flying to Cuba from Canada or the US. If you are traveling from the US to Cuba , flights can go as high as 1,700 USD.

Many flight search engines like Expedia, Orbit, and Kayak don’t carry flights to Cuba from the US. Instead, use Skyscanner or book your flights directly through your airline of choice.

Accommodation costs in Cuba

Popular options for accommodations in Cuba include hotels, resorts, and private houses (known as “casas particulares”, “hostales”, or Airbnbs in Cuba ).

Renting a room in a “casa particular” is the most affordable option and the most authentic and culturally immersive, which is a plus if you are traveling under the Support for the Cuban People license . Many casas also include a home-cooked breakfast each morning! You can compare listing prices on Skyscanner too.

Casas particulares: most casas particulares cost between 20 to 300 USD/night. Most people pay between 20 to 50 USD a night on average.

Hotels and resorts: most start at 100 USD/night and go as high as 800 USD/night.

As you can see from the prices listed above, accommodations are a huge factor in your trip to Cuba cost.

Travel health insurance

Besides the Cuba Tourist Card , all travelers are required to show proof of travel insurance in Cuba . Specifically, your insurance needs to cover medical expenses (travel protection is not required). Companies like Insubuy can cover your medical emergencies on the island starting at 8 USD per week per person.

How Much Money Do You Need in Cuba?

Generally, you can expect to spend 40 – 120 USD per day in Cuba, excluding flight tickets and accommodations.

However, the final price tag of your trip to Cuba will depend on the kind of trip you want. For example, loading your itinerary with guided tours and expensive restaurants will be pricier than eating at down-to-earth “paladares” and free walking tours.

Another factor that will impact your budget is where you stay. Big cities like Havana are costlier than more rural areas and smaller towns.

Finally, you need to consider that prices in Cuba for tourists are generally higher. For example, a restaurant might keep aside a menu for tourists with prices 20% higher. Likewise, private transfers will try to charge 30 to 40% above the normal rate for a local.

Let’s break down these numbers.

First Things First: Understanding the Cuban Currency

The Cuban currency system can be tricky for first-time visitors, one of the most interesting facts about Cuba . Honestly, you can’t estimate a realistic cost of a trip to Cuba without understanding how to use the Cuban Peso.

Check out our Cuban currency guide for more detailed information.

Let’s get a few facts straight.

The Cuban Peso (CUP) is the primary currency

The island had two official currencies until January 2021: the Cuban Peso (CUP) and the Cuban Convertible Peso (CUC). The CUC was just eliminated in 2021, and the CUP remained the only official currency on the island. So, ignore anything you have read about the CUC because it does not circulate in Cuba anymore.

Euros will get you more

Today, the Euro is one of the two highest-value currencies in Cuba. If you bring it, you will get more value for your money. They are also accepted almost everywhere in Cuba.

You can bring US dollars too. But they come with two limitations you should consider:

• State-owned tourism facilities won’t take your USDs. Therefore, you must sell them first.
• There is an exchange fee of 8% for US dollars, compared to 2% for other foreign currencies.

Still, US dollars are widely sought after on the island.

For example, the image below shows the Euro and the USD value in the black market. This gives you an indication of how much the Euro is worth in Cuba. Check El Toque’s currency tracker for updated information.

For currency prices at official exchange offices (CADECA), visit  CADECA’s website for updated exchange rates.

You can’t bring Cuban Pesos

You can bring many things to Cuba , but you cannot bring Cuban Pesos. It’s not possible to exchange Cuban currency before you touch down in Cuba.

To stock up on Cuban currency, you can exchange your foreign money at official currency exchange centers called CADECAs (Casas de Cambio). You can find CADECA offices in Cuban airports, resorts, hotels, shopping centers, and banks.

With the Cuban currency out of the way, let’s get into your travel budget for Cuba.

Transportation costs in Cuba

Cuba’s transportation options include taxis, classic American cars or “almendrones”, buses, rental cars, and domestic flights.

Taxis and city buses are great options for traveling short distances. You can cover longer distances by charter buses and domestic flights. Although more expensive, renting a car is also an option.

Private taxis: 1.50-3 USD/kilometer.

Taxi from the airport to your accommodation: 35 USD.

“Colectivos” or “almendrones” with fixed routes: 1-2 USD.

Bicitaxis: 3-5 USD short routes, usually in Old Havana and Centro Havana.

Viazul buses for interprovincial trips: from 6 USD to 57 USD depending on the province you are going to. For example, the Havana to Varadero route in Viazul costs about 10 USD.

Rental car: starts at 69 USD per day.

Trains: 3-7 USD

Domestic flights: ticket prices can range from 90 USD on the low end to 140 USD on the higher end. You can compare prices and book tickets here .

Private transfers: prices vary depending on where you are headed. For example, here is what you can expect to pay for these popular transfers:

• Havana to Varadero: 120 USD
• Havana to Viñales: 140 USD
• Havana to Trinidad: 215 USD
• Havana to Cienfuegos: 180 USD

Food and drinks costs in Cuba

The cost of food and drink in Cuba varies quite a bit depending on where you eat.

Breakfast at your casa is often as low as 7-12 USD, while a meal at a sit-down restaurant is anywhere from 10-20+ USD.

Snacks from street vendors can cost you from 3 to 5 USD.

On average, the prices of popular drinks in Cuba are as follows:

• 1.5 liter bottle of water: 3 USD (Pro tip – bring a water bottle with filter )
• Coffe: 1.50 USD
• Beer: 4 USD
• Piña Colada: 6-7 USD
• Daiquiri: 5 USD
• Mojito: 5 USD
• Cuba Libre: 4 USD
• Coconut water: 3 USD

Here is what you can expect to pay for traditional dishes in Cuba:

• Ropa vieja (boiled and shredded meat): 8 USD
• Arroz y frijoles negros (rice and black beans): 4 USD
• Arroz congri: 4 USD
• Arroz imperial (imperial rice): 10 USD
• Sandwich cubano (Cuban sandwich): 6 USD
• Pan con lechon (roasted pork sandwich): 6 USD
• Masas de cerdo fritas (fried pork chops): 7-9 USD
• Bistec de cerdo (pork steak): 7-9 USD
• Arroz con leche (rice pudding dessert): 4 USD

Entertainment costs in Cuba

Entertainment costs will, of course, vary depending on what exactly you have in mind. Here are the average prices for a couple of popular activities:

• City tour of Havana in a classic car : 40-60 USD.
• Bike tour of Havana: 15 USD.
• Tickets to a baseball game: 3 USD /each.
• Admission to museums: from 2 to 10 USD/person.
• Show at Cabaret Tropicana: starts at 80 USD/person.
• Horse riding in Viñales: 5 USD/hour.
• Multi-city excursions: 175+ USD.
• Scuba diving in Maria la Gorda: 60 USD+ for a single immersion.

Internet costs in Cuba

Internet in Cuba is very unreliable, but you’ve got a couple of options to get WiFi in Cuba :

• Using a NAUTA card: 0.50 USD/hour.
• Using a Cubacel Tur card: 25 USD/2.50 GB.
• (International roaming) AT&T: $3.00/minute for calls; $0.50/text; $2.05/MB for data.
• (International roaming) T-Mobile: $2.00/minute for calls; $0.50/text; $2.00/MB for data.

Tipping in Cuba

In Cuba, tipping is widespread, and you’re encouraged to tip people who have performed a service for you–especially if they did an awesome job! Who should you tip in Cuba :

• Hotel maids: 1-3 USD/night.
• Hotel bellboys: 1-5 USD at check-in and again at check-out.
• Restaurant waiters and bartenders: 10% gratuity.
• Tour guides: 5-10 USD.
• Street musicians: 1 USD.
• Parking valets: 1 USD.
• Bathroom attendants: 0.25-0.50 USD.

How Much Money Can You Take to Cuba?

You can bring up to 5,000 USD in cash to Cuba. You will have to declare amounts exceeding 5,000 USD to Cuban Customs.

Money-Saving Tips

You can do a few things to reduce your final trip to Cuba cost. For more practical advice for your trip to Cuba, check out our best Cuba travel tips .

Stay in a casa particular

Casas particulares are the most affordable accommodations in Cuba. There are over 14,000 on the island to choose from!

Casas are run by Cuban families who offer great suggestions about exciting things to do and see in the area. Plus, they cook lovely home-cooked meals.

Renting a room in a casa can be as low as 10 USD/night and as high as 800 USD/night at luxurious casas. You can also snag breakfast for 7-12 USD most of the time. You can check out the latest listings here .

Remember that it’s illegal to crash at someone’s place for free, even if they invite you!

Eat at paladares and cafeterias

Paladares (private restaurants) and cafeterias are places where you can get authentic Cuban cuisine at an affordable price.

Thanks to Cuba’s relaxing restrictions on private businesses, there are now over 2,000 paladares to choose from. Paladares offer a wealth of menu options and great service at a reasonable price. Meals typically cost between 10-25 USD.

Look at some of Havana’s best paladares in the Lonely Planet Pocket Guide of Havana.

Share urban taxis

Shared taxis–also called “colectivos” or “almendrones”–are taxis that travel along a fixed route. They stand out because they look like vintage American cars from the 1950s!

Flag them down by standing along the route and raising your hand. The driver will stop and let you hop aboard if there’s room in the taxi. The standard cost to ride is 1 USD.

Book tours directly from local guides

Tours are an excellent way to learn about authentic Cuba from a knowledgeable guide. For example, Havana has so many things to do that you should consider hiring a seasoned local guide.

However, hiring inexperienced or authorized “tour guides” is a waste of money and could also be dangerous. Although Cuba is generally a safe country , there is no need to put yourself at risk.

Instead, book all your tours through well-respected local guides available in marketplaces like Tour Republic . You can book experiences all over the country, from museum tours to urban cuisine and horseback riding.

Haggling and bargaining

Almost anything you pay for in Cuba can be haggled or bargained. Exceptions are certain restaurants, casas particulares, and the Viazul bus.

You should haggle with taxi drivers (unless you’re comfortable paying the total price, of course!). Talk to your casa host so they can fill you in on a fair price for the area.

Get a Cuban Phrasebook and learn some expressions for a better chance of success.

Cheapest time to travel to Cuba

The rainy season (June to October) is typically the cheapest time to travel to Cuba . If you are a budget-savvy traveler thinking of backpacking Cuba , you will save some bucks if you fly to Cuba during the rainy season, especially in September. However, this season comes with bugs and mosquitoes in Cuba, so bring strong mosquito repellen t.

Is Cuba Cheap to Visit?

We can’t say that Cuba is the cheapest travel destination. Flights can get incredibly expensive, especially from the US. The price of high-end hotels is similar to those in other expensive destinations.

However, Cuba is generally affordable, especially if you book all-inclusive vacation packages from countries other than the US. It can get even cheaper if you stay in casas particulares, eat at paladares, and share taxis.

But in all honesty, if you are traveling as a tourist, you may want to tour around in private cars, stay at least a day at a beach resort, and eat delicious traditional food other than rice and beans. Consider these things when estimating your trip to Cuba cost.

We put much effort into getting updated prices in Cuba for tourists. If you liked this post, please share it with your friends traveling to Cuba! Otherwise, leave your comments and suggestions below.

Essential Travel Logistics For Cuba

Cuban Tourist Card –  If your  Cuban Tourist Card (a.k.a Cuban Tourist Visa)  isn’t bundled into your airline ticket or travel package, buy it only through  EasyTouristCard . 

Travel Health Insurance –  Travel medical insurance is an entry requirement for Cuba, so you can’t skip it. Travelers can get travel health insurance for Cuba via  Insubuy . Travel protection benefits such as trip interruption and cancellation, baggage delay insurance, etc., are not required.

Essential Items to Pack –  Bring the essential travel necessities that you may not be able to get in Cuba:

• First aid kit
• Hand sanitizer
• Water bottle with filter
• Mosquito repellent
• Pin adapter (for Europeans)
• Travel guide
• Spanish-English phrasebook
• Suggested Reading: The Cubans: Ordinary Lives in Extraordinary Times

Read our complete packing list for Cuba .

Find Accommodations –  Find hotels or casas particulares (private accommodations) on Skyscanner , which lists thousands of accommodations available in Cuba.

Book Your Flight –  Book cheap flights to Cuba on Skyscanner , our favorite flight search engine to find deals on flights to Cuba.

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About the Author

Tour republic.

Tour Republic is a marketplace where you can discover, book, and review the very best experiences Cuba has to offer. We are a team of tourism professionals and journalists who have partnered with Cuban entrepreneurs to provide travel experiences that can transform your trip into a life-changing adventure. We also share our profound love for Cuba through in-depth travel guides, myth-busting articles, and captivating narratives. Whether you want to explore Cuba's wonders or understand its intricacies, our blog posts are your gateway to the heart of this extraordinary country.

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Great info. Current.and relevant. Many thanks!

If you want to have more bang for your currency do not change for cuban peso at the bank or airport. The usd in the black market is over 250cup. Exchange with cubans at either the hotel or even outside the bank.

Do they take UK Sterling currency?

Your overview of Cuba was relatively informative. However, they take Canadian dollars as well and except it wholeheartedly before an American dollar. Not a typical vacation for Americans, but very typical for Canadians especially from Ontario and Quebec. Stay at an all inclusive go on day trips and you’ll be fine.

My cuban friend has insisted for a3.momths to take USD instead of Canadian.

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20 things to know before visiting Cuba

Jan 5, 2024 • 8 min read

Be ready for your visit to Cuba with these top tips on what to expect Westend61 / Getty Images

To a first-time traveler, Cuba can seem like a confusing jigsaw puzzle, particularly if you’re breaking free of the resorts and traveling around on your own.

The Spanish spoken here is fast and hard to decipher, many streets have two different names and the country’s fickle and highly complicated monetary situation could fill its own guidebook. Yet the country’s pleasures are well worth the research you should do before you set off.

To help you be prepared, here is everything you need to know before planning a trip to Cuba.

1. Double-check your insurance

You are required to have medical insurance to visit Cuba and will need to bring digital or printed proof of your policy. Random checks are made at the airport. If you arrive without insurance, you’ll be asked to buy a Cuban policy at the airport for US$30.

2. Fill out your passenger information in advance

Cuba uses an online form called  D’Viajeros  to gather traveler information, including immigration and health data, in advance of travel. Fill out the form digitally up to 72 hours before your arrival in Cuba.

3. Every visitor needs a tourist card

To enter Cuba, all visitors need to present a completed tourist card . It’s usually available through your airline (ask when booking) and included in the price of your ticket.

If not, you can purchase one through a Cuban travel agency. Costs range from US$50 to US$85. Citizens of 20 African and Asian countries require a formal visa to enter Cuba. Check the situation for your country before booking.

4. Cash and currency: it’s complicated!

Money in Cuba is confusing, even to Cubans . Since the country abolished convertibles (CUC) in January 2021 and took the US dollar out of circulation in June 2021, there has been massive inflation and the emergence of a rampant black market. The knock-on effect is a bewildering dual economy.

The official currency of Cuba is the Cuban peso (CUP), but foreign currencies are also widely accepted, especially by private businesses who need hard cash to buy non-rationed goods in MLC (freely convertible currency) shops.

State-run enterprises and banks use official exchange rates. However, the prices of the superior services offered by private businesses generally reflect black market exchange rates.

Hence a main dish in a private restaurant in Havana will cost around CUP$500 (US$21). That’s an expensive meal if you’re paying in pesos bought from a Cuban bank.

However, most private restaurants will also accept payment in euros using a more favorable exchange rate. Some will even have a separate menu with prices printed in euros.    

When buying something from a private business – be it a restaurant, casa particular (private accommodation) or taxi service – it’s usually best to pay in a foreign currency. Always ask upfront what currencies they accept and what exchange rate they use for their published peso prices.

Euros is the most interchangeable currency and the one preferred by Cubans. You can also use and exchange Canadian dollars and pound sterling.

US dollars still circulate on the black market, but we don’t recommend bringing them. The best bet, when you arrive, is to keep most of your money in a foreign currency and only change small amounts into pesos for incidentals like museum entry, concert tickets and tips.

5. MLC is a currency with no cash form

The Moneda Libremente Convertible (MLC) is a currency approved by the Cuban government in 2020 that can be used in certain shops to buy higher-end goods.

The currency doesn’t exist as cash and its value is pegged with the US dollar. It’s used mainly by Cubans with special magnetic cards. 

Tourists needn’t worry too much about MLC$, although prices will sometimes be displayed in the currency in state-run enterprises such as cigar shops or airport souvenir stores where you can pay with a non-US credit card.

6. Only some credit cards will work

Credit cards are increasingly popular in Cuba and in many state-run businesses are the preferred (and sometimes only) method of payment.

Despite promises made in the Obama era, credit cards linked to US banks are not accepted. Private businesses almost never have credit card machines, meaning your only option is cash.

7. Pack your favorite casual clothes – and men need a shirt

Dress in Cuba is casual, so you can leave your high heels and tux behind. The only real dress code is in cinemas, theaters and nightclubs, where male patrons are required to wear long trousers and shirts with sleeves or half-sleeves.  

8. Cuban Spanish is fast and often informal

If you speak Spanish, you’ll find that Cubans mostly use the informal tú form of address, rather than usted . In the plural, ustedes is used over vosotros .

If you don’t know someone, it’s best to address them as señor or señora , though you’ll hear Cubans use all kinds of substitutes such as socio , hermano , papa , chica/o  and asere .

9. Cuban cities are where the streets have two names

In most Cuban cities , the streets have two names: a contemporary one that is noted on maps and marked on street signs, and a pre-revolutionary one that is still used widely by the locals.

This can become confusing, especially when locals, unaware of the new street names, start giving out directions or addresses using the colloquial nomenclature. Always double-check addresses and, if possible, get two potential names for the street you’re looking for.

10. Understand the local art of queueing

Cubans have to endure a lot of long waits in boring queues, so they’ve invented a way of doing it that doesn’t involve standing in line. In a Cuban queue, you simply roll up at the bakery/clinic/visa office and yell out to the assembled masses, "Quien es último?" (Who’s last?).

Hopefully, someone in a 400m vicinity will answer your polite entreaty with the word, "yo" (me). That person is your yardstick. As long as they’re still around, feel free to go for a walk, sit in the lotus position or buy ice cream. When they get called up, be on your toes, you’re next!

11. Ask questions more than once  

Thanks to heavy bureaucracy, answers to simple requests aren’t always straightforward – or even correct. Probe politely and ask at least five different people before you make important decisions.

12. Bring something to keep you warm on a cold bus journey

Cuba has a countrywide state-run bus service called  Víazul that connects all of the main cities and some of the smaller towns. Prices are charged in MLC$ (the same rate as the US$) and tickets must be paid for with a credit card either in person or online.

A second service called Conectando, run by Cubanacán, also puts on buses in peak season along some of the more popular routes. Bring a sweater/jacket for long bus rides – the air-conditioning is akin to a chilly day in Vancouver.

13. Cuba is considered a safe place to travel

Cuba is one of the safest countries in the Americas in terms of violent crime. Pick-pocketing is more common but not rampant, and is mostly avoidable if you follow a few basic precautions: Wear a money belt, use safe boxes in hotel rooms and don’t flash your cash in public.

14. Solo female travelers report receiving unwanted attention

Solo female travelers report experiencing a good deal of unwanted attention, but it didn't necessarily spoil their enjoyment of traveling in Cuba.

There is a fine line between being open and friendly and harassment, and some men can cross that line by being overly familiar or asking too many personal questions. Learn some key phrases in Spanish that make it clear when you're not interested.

15. Beware of forgeries

Never change money with unlicensed traders on the streets. You run the risk of receiving estafas (forged notes).

16. Bring your own medicines

On one level, Cuba has a good health system (it invented and quickly distributed three COVID-19 vaccines); on the other, it is perennially short of pharmaceuticals.

Bring all the prescription medications you think you’ll need, as well others you might like ibuprofen or paracetamol. If you’d like to donate some medicines to the people of Cuba, it is currently possible to bring in 10kg of medical supplies tax-free (pack them in a separate bag). 

17. Avoid dodgy cigars

Cuba has its share of jineteros (touts) spinning elaborate stories about super-cheap, high-quality cigars procured by their brother/mother/cousin from the factory. Don’t believe them. Instead, buy your cigars in state-run shops such as the Casa del Habano chain. Cigars sold on the street are invariably factory cast-offs and not genuine.

18. Driving is not as easy as you think

With light traffic on the road, driving might seem like an easy proposition , but with elevated rental prices and cars often in short supply, it’s not always so.

Add in sporadic signposting, potholed roads and a wide array of hazards – goats, horses, bicycles, kids and slow-moving, fume-belching trucks – and you might want to consider getting the bus or, at least, employing the services of a chauffeur .

19. Bring toilet paper and sanitary products

The pandemic made the provision of antiseptic hand lotion more common, but the same can’t be said of toilet paper. Carry your own roll and/or gravitate to four- or five-star hotels when you’re caught short in the city.

Re-usable pads and silicon cups, or disposable pads and tampons are must-pack items if you're expecting your period while you're in Cuba. These are in high demand here.

20. Don’t drink the water

The water won’t kill you, but it might give you a little queasiness or an upset stomach. Fortunately, bottled water is abundant and cheap. An even better idea is to bring your own filter bottle or water purification tablets.

This article was first published Feb 5, 2022 and updated Jan 5, 2024.

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Cost of a Trip to Cuba & the Cheapest Time to Visit Cuba

The average price of a 7-day trip to Cuba is $833 for a solo traveler, $1,399 for a couple, and $936 for a family of 4 . Cuba hotels range from $28 to $129 per night with an average of $45, while most vacation rentals will cost $40 to $210 per night for the entire home. Average worldwide flight costs to Cuba (from all airports) are between $563 and $1,026 per person for economy flights and $1,768 to $3,222 for first class. Depending on activities, we recommend budgeting $20 to $41 per person per day for transportation and enjoying local restaurants.

See below for average , budget , and luxury trip costs. You can also look up flight costs from your airport for more tailored flight pricing.

The Cheapest Times to Visit Cuba

On average, these will be the cheapest dates to fly to Cuba and stay in a Cuba hotel:

• January 8th to February 11th
• May 28th to June 17th
• July 30th to December 9th (except the week of November 19th)

The absolute cheapest time to take a vacation in Cuba is usually early to mid September .

Average Cuba Trip Costs

Average solo traveler.

The average cost for one person to visit Cuba for a week is $664-$1,531 ($95-$219 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $20 to $41 per day for one person’s daily expenses

Flights : $392 to $914 for economy

Lodging : $37 to $55 per night for one 2 or 3-star hotel room

or $22 to $26 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental

Average Couple’s Trip

The average cost for a couple to visit Cuba for a week is $1,189-$2,733 ($170-$390 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $39 to $82 per day for two people’s daily expenses

Flights : $784 to $1,829 for economy

Average Family Vacation

The average cost for 4 people to visit Cuba for a week is $2,305-$5,466 ($329-$781 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $78 to $165 per day for four people’s daily expenses

Flights : $1,567 to $3,657 for economy

Lodging : $75 to $109 per night for two 2 or 3-star hotel rooms

or $32 to $40 per night for a 2-bed vacation rental

Traveling Cheap to Cuba

How cheap can you make a vacation to Cuba? The cheapest trip to Cuba is about $88 per person per day for travelers willing to take standby flights, deal with inconvenience, and otherwise limit travel expenses. About 29% of rentals are available in the $0 to $100 range for an entire place, and vacation rentals can be booked for as low as $20 per night. These inexpensive rentals must be booked as early as possible and may not be in the most desirable areas. 1-star hotels are more likely to be available, with rooms starting at around $24.

Even cheaper trips are possible depending on where you live and whether you can drive. Check the cheapest times to fly for more saving ideas.

Budget Solo Traveler

The lowest cost for one person to visit Cuba for a week is $613-$1,475 ($88-$211 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $11 to $21 per day for one person’s daily expenses

Lodging : $24 to $28 per night for one 1-star hotel room

or $41 to $69 per night for a 1-bed vacation rental

Budget Couple’s Trip

The lowest cost for a couple to visit Cuba for a week is $1,075-$2,544 ($154-$363 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $21 to $43 per day for two people’s daily expenses

Budget Family Vacation

The lowest cost for 4 people to visit Cuba for a week is $2,149-$4,864 ($307-$695 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $42 to $85 per day for four people’s daily expenses

Lodging : $48 to $56 per night for two 1-star hotel rooms

or $61 to $102 per night for a 2-bed vacation rental

Overall it is very easy to travel to Cuba cheaply.

The Cost of a Luxury Cuba Trip

There is no true ceiling on the cost of a luxury trip, so our estimates are based on what most people do in Cuba.

Luxury Solo Traveler

The high-end price for one person to visit Cuba for a week is $1,690-$5,315 ($241-$759 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $39 to $83 per day for one person’s daily expenses

Flights : $979 to $2,280 for first class

Lodging : $73 to $129 per night for one 4 or 5-star hotel room

or $209 to $409 per night for a preferred vacation rental

Luxury Couple’s Trip

The high-end price for a couple to visit Cuba for a week is $2,949-$8,184 ($421-$1,169 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $79 to $167 per day for two people’s daily expenses

Flights : $1,958 to $4,561 for first class

Luxury Family Vacation

The high-end price for 4 people to visit Cuba for a week is $5,892-$15,119 ($842-$2,160 per day)

Food, Travel, and Sightseeing : $158 to $333 per day for four people’s daily expenses

Flights : $3,916 to $9,122 for first class

Lodging : $145 to $257 per night for two 4 or 5-star hotel rooms

or $316 to $611 per night for a preferred vacation rental

Cuba Hotel Prices

The cost of staying in Cuba is much lower than the average city. On average vacation rentals are less expensive than hotels. Luxury hotels are more expensive in Cuba due to hotel employees. The graphs below show how much cost can vary depending on the type of experience you’re looking for.

Cuba Lodging Cost by Star Status

The average price for the class of hotel is on the (y) axis. The hotel class (out of 5 stars) is on the (x) axis.

Prices are based on Cuba hotel averages and may not reflect current prices. In some cases, we extrapolate prices to estimate costs, and hotels with your desired star rating may not be available.

Vacation Rental Prices

The percent of vacation rentals in the price range is on the left (y) axis. Price range is on the bottom (x) axis.

There are many options for vacation rentals across many price ranges in Cuba.

Flight Costs to Cuba

Averaging flights around the world, prices go from a high of $1,026 average in late December to a low of $563 in early to mid September. Median flight price is $566. These prices are based on millions of flights. For Cuba our data includes thousands of originating airports, and hundreds of airlines. The area has more variance in price compared with other locations.

Average Flight Cost by Season

Average flight cost by day of week.

The cheapest day to fly in is typically Tuesday, and the cheapest day to fly back is usually Tuesday. Click here to see data for the cost of flights from your airport. In Cuba, the difference between the cheapest and the most expensive week is about $463, so you can easily save about 82% simply by using our free flight guides and booking in advance.

Daily Expenses Budget

Daily vacation expenses vary more based on what you’re interested in doing. A fine dining restaurant with drinks around Cuba can easily cost $158 per person or more, while a standard nice meal might be about $11 per person. Private tours can cost $317 per day, but self-guided tours to see the outdoor sights can be free. Costs vary wildly, so recommendations are made based on the cost of living and averages we see for this type of vacation.

Other Cuba Guides

Travel costs nearby.

• Florida, Cuba
• Ciego de Ávila, Cuba
• Camagüey, Cuba
• Sancti Spíritus, Cuba
• Santa Clara, Cuba
• Las Tunas, Cuba
• Manzanillo, Cuba
• East End, the Cayman Islands
• Bayamo, Cuba
• Cienfuegos, Cuba

Travel Costs in Popular Places

• Rethymnon, Greece
• Hoi An, Vietnam
• Denpasar, Indonesia

• South Africa
• The Philippines
• Antigua & Barbuda
• The Netherlands
• Galapagos Islands
• Mental Health
• Volunteering

How to Travel in Cuba on the Cheap – A Budget Travel Guide

[Last updated in 2019]   With the changes in travel restrictions for US citizens to Cuba, many more people are now planning their visits to the island. If you’ve got a limited budget but still want to see as much of Cuba as possible, then please keep reading my guide for the cheapest way to travel to Cuba. And if you’ve already visited Cuba and have some budgeting tips to add, then please comment at the end of the article!

When you imagine travelling to Cuba, what springs to mind?

For many travellers, it’s a classic image of holiday relaxation; sipping on piña coladas on an empty stretch of white sand beach with a luxury hotel just behind the sun loungers.

But when I imagined travelling in Cuba, I saw cramped streets hung with laundry, stray dogs and rusting antique cars. I saw a fascination with Che Guevara, an inclination for shots of rum and smiling at strangers, loud music, peeling paint and illicit cigars sold on street corners: the trappings of an entire country beyond the self-contained resorts on the north coast.

Last summer I spent a month in Cuba, trying to explore as much of the island as I could: from the sensory bombardment of Havana to the sleepy village vibe of Viñales, and a number of cities, villages and landscapes in between.

As a solo traveller, I also tried to budget as much as possible. Although budget travel to Cuba isn’t the most obvious option, there were still a number of ways I managed to watch my cash.

Read more:  how to travel around Cuba on a budget in four weeks

Visiting cuba through a tourist’s eyes.

By the time I reached Cuba, I had been travelling in Latin America for eighteen months, my Spanish was the closest to fluent that it’s ever been, and my confidence in both the language and Latino culture was soaring. When I was talking to Cubans by myself, speaking only Spanish and carrying myself with confidence, I managed to convince a number of locals that I was from Colombia.

While it wasn’t quite as good as being Cuban, the possibility that I hailed from a similar culture meant more acceptance. Prices decreased, conversation flowed more easily. The only issue was having to invent a hasty backstory about why my accent didn’t sound quite Colombian enough…

Chatting about the important stuff: why so many people are carrying cakes in Cuba…

Both your appearance and your mentality can make a huge difference to how Cubans perceive you. Most foreign travellers I met had flown straight to Cuba from their home country for a two or three week holiday, and weren’t planning to travel elsewhere afterwards either. They spoke barely any Spanish, weren’t used to the street hustlers, and though they knew they were probably being taken advantage of they didn’t really know how to prevent it.

To be a tourist in Cuba means experiencing the country in a way that the local people will never usually do. Tourists are hustled on street corners for souvenirs and taxi rides and cigars. Tourists take their own particular type of public transport. Tourists are charged inflated prices for produce and services; they even deal with a different monetary currency to local Cubans.

So why are there two sets of rules for tourists and locals? Well, because there are two separate economies in Cuba.

The two currencies of Cuba

The economy the locals use is heavily subsidised by the state – there’s a free health service, cheap transport, and various items are rationed. Their wages are paid in the local currency, called Moneda Nacional (MN, usually referred to as pesos) and they receive around 400 MN a month (about £10   or $15).

The second currency is the convertible peso (or CUC, pronounced ‘cook’), which is what you’ll receive when changing foreign currency for Cuban. 1 CUC (fixed at $1 USD) is equal to 24 MN, and tourists will use CUCs to pay for their souvenirs, accommodation (in both hotels and casas particulares ), restaurant meals and long distance bus journeys.

The CUC is the currency that most tourists will only ever deal in, because they’re are often told they’re not allowed to use Moneda Nacional. This isn’t exactly true: it’s just a lot more difficult.

On my first afternoon in Havana, I paid with CUC for a bunch of bananas at a street stall and shyly asked the stall owner for my change in MN. He gave me a curious glance, then handed over a bunch of faded peso notes, silky to the touch with overuse.

Later that day, I boarded a ferry to go across the harbour and handed an MN note to the ticket vendor. He flat out refused to take it.

Throughout my time in Cuba, I only occasionally saw places that would accept MN. Most of the time it was a personal challenge to actively ask shop owners if they’d let me pay using it, and I often felt guilty for even trying, because many Cubans take offence at foreigners trying to exploit them.

Is Cuba cheap? Your immediate costs on arrival in Cuba

• Entrance fee: $25 (25 CUC) . Everyone arriving in Cuba has to pay a $25 entrance fee, whether it’s at their departure airport or on arrival in Havana’s airport.
• Exit fee: 25 CUC . There’s also a 25 CUC departure tax when flying out of the airport, so it’s sensible to simply put that money aside as soon as you’re in the country.
• Taxi to Havana: 20-25 CUC . The vast majority of tourists will take a taxi into Havana from the airport. There are lots of willing drivers waiting at the airport, and they’ll quote you various prices but the journey should never cost more than 25 CUC.

In Havana itself, the capital of the country and most tourists’ first experience of Cuba, anything that can be overpriced will be. Knowing your budget from the outset is the best way to keep costs to a minimum – that, and getting out early to start exploring the rest of the country.

How to access your money in Cuba

There’s a slew of online resources warning how difficult it can be to actually access your money in Cuba – and although I didn’t have much trouble, there was a constant nagging worry that I would.

Almost every transaction in Cuba occurs with cold hard cash. Credit and debit cards are very rarely accepted, and even then it’s only in tourist-exclusive places like Varadero. As a result, it’s recommended to take as much cash with you as you feel confident carrying – although because of the US-Cuba embargo, changing US dollars into CUC incurs a hefty tax and it’s only possible to change a handful of hard currencies into CUC (the most commonly accepted currencies are Euros, Pound Sterling, Swiss Francs and Canadian Dollars).

You can’t buy or exchange CUC outside of Cuba either, so it all has to be done in-country.

That means you need to be pre-prepared with a wad of cash if you’re planning to pick up souvenirs in bulk.

Of course, most people don’t want to carry much cash, which means they have to either exchange their traveler’s cheques or try to withdraw money. There are two options for the latter: visiting the bank, or going to a  cadeca . Both require your passport as proof of identity, and it’s a good idea to check the exchange rate and count your money before leaving.

There are also issues with which cards the banks will accept. From different sources I heard that basically every type and brand of card might face problems; I had two debit cards which were MasterCard and Visa, and was able to withdraw cash from each. But it pays to check up on this specifically before you arrive in Cuba.

Finally, always change or withdraw a bit more than you think you’ll need. You don’t want to get caught with no money in a town where they’ve decided to close the bank on a Wednesday…

Cheap accommodation in Cuba: how to budget

All the hotels in Cuba are government run and when I visited in 2014 there weren’t many hostels for budgeting travellers, so the government allows locals to rent out their spare rooms – a system called ‘ casas particulares ‘.

The biggest benefit of staying in these ‘ casas particulares ‘ is that it allows you to actually spend time with Cubans in a pseudo-normal environment and hear their stories.

I’ve gone into the casa system in much more detail here  but in budgeting terms, most casas  will charge you for the room, not the amount of guests staying in it – and there’s usually a couple of beds, meaning enough space for four or even five people in one room.

When you think that a night in a room can cost anywhere between 15 CUC and 30 CUC, there’s a huge saving to be made if you’re travelling with other people. The only sacrifice to be made is giving up the chance to sleep in the nude, which in the Cuban heat, I’d be unwilling to do.

I only shared a bedroom for a few nights in my month of Cuba travel, but it was enough to see the benefits. Just remember to pack your ear plugs to combat the noise of the air conditioning and other people’s snoring.

Coping with the Cuban weather

Cuba is an unapologetically hot and humid country. Cars and taxis open their windows for ventilation; museums and art galleries are strewn with standing fans; and checking whether your casa bedroom has air conditioning is of the utmost importance.

One casa I stayed at only had a small tabletop fan, so I spent the night sleeping an inch away from its whirring insides.

Visiting Cuba in June meant I caught the rainy season, enjoying a sudden downpour every afternoon. Depending on which part if the island you’re in it’ll happen at different times, but it’s quick and fierce, coming from nowhere and leaving just as suddenly.

The heavy clouds followed me around the island, and after the first few days of soaking hair and clothes I began to notice that many Cubans carried umbrellas around as a multi functional item: protection from the rain as well as the burning sun.

So when your casa owner offers you an umbrella in the mornings, for god’s sake take it!

The best way to travel around Cuba

Each day, I left my casa in the early morning when it was still relatively cool outside, and walked around until midday or 1pm. I chilled in the a/c of my room until about 4pm and then carried on exploring when the hottest part of the day was over.

To actually travel around the island though, there are a number of transport options:

• The tourist bus. The two main bus companies are Viazul and Transtur, and there’s little between them. Both have air conditioning, reclinable seats, take direct journeys, and they have connections in all of the major cities and smaller towns that tourists might want to visit.  Tickets should be booked ahead of time at the bus station.
• The local bus.  Whether tourists are ‘allowed’ to travel on the extensive (and much cheaper) Cuban bus network is a bit hazy. Depending on who you talk to, you’ll get different answers – but regardless you’ll probably find it extremely difficult to actually board one. From the outside, these metal trucks look like converted cattle transporters, and are one of the most obvious inconsistencies between tourists and locals in Cuba.

A local Cuban bus.

• Trains.  Train travel is a possibility, although I never managed to ride on one. The timetables change often and routes run on different days, and after I spent a long time researching the possibilities , I eventually gave up trying.
• Bikes.  Cycling is more accessible: there are a few casas that will have bikes for hire, and much of the country is flat with roads that aren’t too busy.

Read my four week itinerary for travelling in Cuba here!

These aren’t for renting, as far as I know. But I really wish they were.

Eating and drinking in Cuba

As a tourist, eating in Cuba is a strange business. Most casas offer to make their guests both breakfast and dinner for an additional cost, and the huge delicious portions they serve up each day make it a very sensible idea.

Most mornings I awoke to a groaning table of fresh fruit, eggs, bread, biscuits, coffee, and fresh juice. I’m not a big eater in the mornings, but I tried my best to eat as I didn’t want to waste anything.

Yep, that’s a breakfast for one. Buen provecho!

In the early evenings I sat down to rice, black beans, plantain, salad and whichever meat I’d requested that morning: usually a choice between chicken, pork, fish, shrimp or lobster, at varying prices.

I’m not a huge eater so I was often unable to finish these platefuls. But when you’re confronted with a giant lobster, it feels almost insulting not to try.

You might find yourself ordering lobster for dinner on a daily basis.

If you get peckish during the day though, the food for sale is pretty hit and miss. The tourist restaurants are overpriced, and I didn’t like eating three big meals a day.

I also noticed that Cubans don’t seem to eat anything other than peso pizza for lunch, and after trying a few alternatives I can see why. Try heading into an average looking diner, ordering tuna pasta, and seeing if you can stomach eating this…

I found it pretty easy to skip lunch as I breakfast kept me full for so long, but budget wise, you can grab a peso pizza and pick up fruit and nuts cheaply at market stalls.

There are also numerous houses selling little cups of ‘ tinto ’ coffee through their window bars.

Of course, the stifling Cuban heat tends to sap your hunger levels, so it’s much more important to keep guzzling down the water. Drinking at least 3 litres of water a day is advisable  – and if that sounds like a ridiculous amount, just wait and see how much you sweat.

If I look sad and irritable here, it’s because we were up in a bell tower in Trinidad, hiding from the midday sun for about two hours. It was very, very sweaty.

Most tap water in Cuba isn’t potable so Cubans will boil all their drinking water first, and unless you’re able to do the same throughout the day, you’ll be buying bottled water.

This is where the costs can really add up: a 1.5 litre bottle will be sold so often for 2 CUC that you can easily assume that’s the standard price, however expensive it sounds. However, with a bit of searching, you’ll find the corner stores and little markets where it costs 1 CUC instead – and then you’ll strike gold when you find the first dusty mercado  which sells a 5 litre water container for 1.90 CUC.

I bought one of these every few days, lugged it back to my casa and decanted it into 2 litre bottles. The ‘Caribe’ chain of stores sell all kinds of products, segregated by store (ie. electronics in one, hair and beauty products in another) but all will usually sell 5 litre water containers.

Tip : Unfortunately, some places with fill water bottles from the tap then reseal them. If the water tastes strange then throw it out and buy some more.

The museums and towers of Cuba

Apart from simply wandering the streets and people watching in whichever places you go to, visiting museums is one of the most common pasttimes for tourists in Cuba.

Every city seems to have a number of dusty rooms filled with bloodstained uniforms and mysterious relics of Che’s era and the wars before. There’s also no shortage of creepy religious paraphernalia.

It was the museum room attendant’s idea to take our photo with the terrifying Jesus. On three different cameras.

Most museums charge a nominal entrance fee of 1 CUC, and then charge again to climb the accompanying tower. I’ll inform you now: there are a lot of buildings with towers in Cuba, and sitting in the top of them is a wonderful way to catch a longed-for breeze.

Also bear in mind that visiting the bathroom in museums and galleries won’t necessarily be covered by your entrance fee – there are usually women waiting inside to stare you down until you place a few coins in their tip tray.

I’m not sure if they’re employed separately from the museum/bus station/restaurant staff, but I always felt guilt tripped into contributing.

The nitty gritty Cuba budget breakdown

If you’ve made it this far, congratulations! You might also be after some hard numbers – so this is how my finances looked throughout my 27 days in Cuba.

My daily budget: 53 CUC (£35) 

Before arriving in Cuba, I aimed for a daily budget of 59 CUC (£40) , and when I left, my daily average spend was 53 CUC (£35) . I averaged 23 CUC (£15) on accommodation, and 13 CUC (£8.50) on food (5 CUC for breakfast, 8 CUC for dinner).

The amount I spent altogether: 1435 CUC (£948)

After 26 nights and 27 days in Cuba, I left the country having spent a grand total of  1435 CUC (£948) , excluding flights.

Out of this,  300 CUC   (£200)  was spent on food, and  605 CUC (£400)  paid for my accommodation.

Now, this was excessive budgeting. With the exception of often paying for a double or triple room entirely by myself, I was very careful with the food I bought and the sights I paid to see. It helped that I spent much of my time with a Swedish couple who were equally money conscious: we were working to averagely the same budget, and it became a game of sorts to keep costs down.

So is Cuba cheap to visit? Did my budget travel in Cuba pay off?

I faced a few problems during my time in Cuba. First off, I didn’t bargain for casa prices as much as I probably should have (I blame my distinct inability to disappoint someone when I’m staring them straight in the face). Second, I completely underestimated how much things in Cuba actually cost, meaning the amount of cash I brought with me wasn’t enough.

A lot of my time in Cuba was spent worrying about whether I had enough money. There were days when I went way over budget, which were invariably followed by days where I barely did anything to try and make up the difference.

On those days, all my food came from peso-accepting stalls like this one.

I was also overtly aware that many of the experiences I could have in Cuba were not available to Cuban locals. The prices were too high, the establishments too ‘exclusive’ – and that was very difficult to deal with. I started out attempting to see Cuba as locally as possible, but I soon realised it’s a difficult thing to manage.

Know before you go: what kind of trip do you expect to have in Cuba?

Cuba is one of those countries where I’d actually advocate travelling with somebody else. I was lucky to meet a couple who wanted to travel with me, but when I was by myself I found it quite hard to meet anyone, and that made my costs – and my loneliness – go up.

It was strange, too, coming from a year and a half of travel in South America and meeting tourists who were enjoying two weeks of fun in the Cuban sun. While they obviously had more leniency with their money, they also behaved a lot more like they were on holiday – something of an alien concept to me by that point – and it took me a while to settle into the same frame of mind.

Was I in Cuba to relax and actually enjoy myself? Seriously? Luckily the close proximity to beaches from almost every city in Cuba meant I could easily while away a day just basking in the sun if I felt like I needed an excuse to do nothing.

There’s no doubt that Cuba is an excellent place to practice your budgeting skills. It becomes something of a challenge to find the cheapest ways of doing things, and you feel a certain amount of pride that you’ve somewhat beaten the system. Of course, you then run the risk of feeling terrible that you’re not providing Cubans, who are famous for living in a poverty stricken society, as much money as you potentially could.

But there’s a difference between paying what’s fair and being taken advantage of, in my opinion, and after my month was up, I felt like I understood the system well enough to gauge how to save a little. Not to undercut the money that many Cubans clearly need, but simply a way to make your money last longer.

Instead of sitting on the road like this guy…

Have you been to Cuba? Did you travel on as a strict a budget as I did?

If you have any tips for budget travel in cuba then let me know in the comments – and p in this article if you enjoyed it .

Read more about travelling in Cuba:

A solo travel itinerary for four weeks in cuba, first impressions from inside cuba , cars, cigars and casas: understanding the great havana hustle, navigating cheap accommodation in cuba with ‘casas particulares’, learning about cuban cigars in viñales, the story of che, castro, and cuba’s communist history, sexism and machismo: the attitude to women in latin america.

Flora Baker is the founder and editor of Flora the Explorer, where she writes about her travels around the world, her volunteering exploits and her ongoing attempt to become fluent in Spanish by talking to anyone who'll listen. Follow her on Facebook , Twitter , and Instagram .

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91 comments.

Andrea Anastasiou

Really informative post, Flora! Sounds like Cuba would be a really difficult country to navigate if you cannot speak Spanish (and if your idea of it is cramped streets, stray dogs and rusting antique cars…). Would you say it would ruin your experience if you visited without being fluent in Spanish? I ask because I really want to visit but I don’t know a word of the language…

I spent 4 months in Cuba last year and was surprised by how many people could speak English. For me, you don’t need to be fluent in Spanish, but I believe you should always have at least the basics when visiting a new country where the language is different to your own. It will always improve your time if you can interact with locals.

Wow Melissa, I barely encountered anyone speaking fluent English during my time there! Although maybe they realised I was trying to practice my Spanish and stuck it out with me :p

Thanks Andrea, glad you enjoyed the article! I think most travellers without any Spanish managed fine in Cuba – I guess I just have a bias and want people to experience the country to its fullest, which I do think requires some knowledge of the language. But definitely don’t let an inability to speak Spanish stop you from going!

Thanks for taking the time to get all this information organized and online, Flora! I’m an American going there next month and I’ve been trying to get as much info as I possibly can. It would be nice to travel cheap and I also want to get a “real” Cuban experience. Definitely staying in casas particulares and I need to get my butt into español mode!

I’m so glad you’ve found the article useful, Jeso! I can definitely recommend the casa experience – it’s honestly one of the quickest ways I’ve felt accustomed to a new culture 🙂

Flora, do you think the people would be appreciative or frustrated with someone who knows some Spanish and can speak ok (forgetting proper verb tenses often, though)? I’m not fluent by any means but always try to converse in Spanish when in Spanish speaking countries. Also, I keep reading conflicting “advise” about traveling in Cuba in September–hurricanes? no hurricanes?-etc. What do you think?

Hi Amy – I think making the effort to speak Spanish is more than half the battle! As long as you’re clearly trying to practice I highly doubt anyone is going to be frustrated with you 🙂

Alas I don’t know about potential hurricanes in September – I was there in early July and the weather was humid as anything but also occasional rainstorms (which was actually a relief!)

Ooh Cuba looks ace, great post. That picture of the blue car and horse and cart is stunning. The humidity and bottled water issue sounds similar to parts of South East Asia.

Thanks JP – yep, the weather did feel pretty similar to India and Thailand at times!

Ryan Biddulph

Flora wonderfully informative post! I would like to visit one day; a bit hesitant with the money/currency exchange situation as I love doing the ATM bit BUT that’s some of what makes Cuba special, and less touristed. Little dance there for sure which intrigues me. As for the change situation and the confused look, I’ve been there in other countries where 2 or more currencies are used. Different experience, but kinda similar……We did a border crossing from Thailand to Myanmar and although they accepted Baht 4 times prior the border guard would NOT accept our Baht. He demanded USD. I stood my ground – politely, and with some light humor and smiling – and he bent to my good-naturedness and mule-like stubborness but happiness 😉

Loving the share Flora, thanks and keep on inspiring!

Glad you found it useful, Ryan! I think as long as you have substantial cash hidden in various places and attempt to withdraw money from the bank on occasion you’ll probably be fine. The Cuban opinion about USD is a little more.. complicated than Thailand, shall we say!

As an American, Cuba has always been the forbidden fruit. Strangely, with the announcement of the U.S. lightening travel restrictions, my urgent desire has dwindled slightly. Funny how that works 🙂 Looks like a really fantastically interesting place to visit, though!

I’ve actually been expecting a reaction like this from various American travelers, Anna, so I’m glad you’ve voiced it! It’ll be interesting to see how many Americans still visit Cuba once it becomes totally legal…

Such a super useful article! We were thinking about heading to Cuba in June but we’re actually not sure if we’re really going to have time during this trip now. Also, we’re used to budgeting £40 per day for two people, so it sounds like Cuba might stretch our budget quite a bit, especially as we’re not the best at bartering (though we do try haha). Anyway, useful info, thanks for sharing 🙂

You’re more than welcome, Charlie! I do think Cuba’s quite a pricey country but there’s definitely ways to budget around that. Then again, it’s often more important to be able to actually enjoy what’s on offer – and while I did have a good time in Cuba, I couldn’t help noticing how many opportunities there were to splurge!

All Graduates | Spanish Translation Service

Great tips on how to stay in Cuba while on a budget. It’s certainly interesting to know that you can stay at a local’s house (if you’re lucky to get one that has a spare room). This is a rare opportunity for visitors to get to know what it is like to be immersed in the Cuban culture. No tour guide will be able to give you a close description on this kind of experience.

Thanks, glad you found my tips useful!

Flora, first things first, I love your blog, I’ve been following it for several months now!

I just wanted to leave a quick note to say great post, but that I laughed my head off when I read that ‘Canadian Francs’ are accepted in Cuba. We do love to pretend we’re as cool as the Europeans but I assure you we deal in Canadian dollars, not francs!

Thanks for the giggle and keep up the great writing! Best of luck training for the Camino, I’m set to do it this summer also!

Un abrazo de Canadá!

Ahh I’m so sorry! Definitely a little oversight on my part there – it’s been changed now :p Cheers for pointing it out Jackie, and I’m glad you’ve been enjoying the site! Y buen Camino 🙂

ECUADOR EXIT TAX Tips « TAXES

[…] find out how to travel in Cuba on a budget – flowers The Explorer […]

A very insightful view of Cuba….especially for Americans. Thanks for all the helpful information

Thanks Mary. Glad you enjoyed it!

glitterandpassport

Cuba looks so exotic and gorgeous with all its greenery! Most importantly, why were so many people carrying around cakes? Hahaha, thanks for the tips!

-Natalia glitterandpassport.blogspot.com

Honestly I have NO IDEA about the cakes! I tried so hard to find out the reason but the most enlightening answer was simply, “..Cubans like a lot of cake?” (obviously from a man holding a cake)

twostraykiwi

Great post on Cuba! We found it while trying to research our own potential trip there. Our Mexican visa is about to run out and we thought it could be an interesting place to go before returning to finish Mexico. The dual currency seems a bit tricky, any advice about how best to manage the two and which did you end up using the most? What town/city/area was your favourite?

Glad you enjoyed the article! I definitely used the tourist currency more – there’s not much opportunity to use pesos unless you actively hunt it out… Also I loved Viñales and Trinidad 🙂

fordquarterman

Great post Flora – just found your blog Googling “How to Travel Cuba Cheaply” as I took notes on how to do so during my 6 weeks I just finished in Cuba. Def planning on writing multiple articles about such an amazing country! I agree with you that speaking Spanish is a MUST in Cuba if you want to travel as cheaply as we did. Now I will definitely follow your blog after reading this well written article! Cheers

Great stuff, I’m so glad you’ve enjoyed my writings about Cuba! I still have a ton more than I have to write at some point too 🙂

So you would not recommend to travel to Cuba on your own? I’d love to go there but I am travelling alone. Do you always need to pay for a double/triple room even if you are alone? There are no single rooms or dorms whatsoever?

To be honest Leonie, I think accommodation choices are going to change now that the Cuban-US relations have levelled out. But when I was there last summer, every room had at least one double bed (if not two!) and I was paying for the room, not the bed. I think it’s absolutely fine to travel in Cuba alone but it effectively costs double the amount it *could* do.

hairybikertourMat

Brilliantly insightful article and just what I was needing information about before booking a trip to Cuba with my girlfriend – we want to go as travellers not package holiday makers, so your breakdown is perfect! Thanks for taking the time and effort to share your experience and advice!!

Great stuff Mat – so glad you found the article useful! And I’m sure you guys are going to LOVE Cuba, it’s such a fascinating country and definitely worth spending a decent chunk of time exploring. Have a fantastic trip!

thank you that was very useful!!!

Glad to hear it, Hooman!

Hey Flora, I found your articles incredibly interesting and you tips really useful , thank you for your amazing work! I fell in love in Cuba when I was still a child and unfortunately, I still haven’t ha the opportunity to go there … That I why i had some questions about the way your planned your trip. I am a French student studying in the US and it’s been several years I am desperately trying to find flights to get there without success.. Now that the relations between Cuba and the US have improved, I wanted to know if there was any way to fly directly from here to La Havana or if I still had to go through another country? The few ones that I have found so far are just crazy expensive, especially for a student… I would be so thankful to get more info from you and thank you against for this blog that made even more excited to visit this beautiful island!

Hi Ted, great to hear you’ve been enjoying my articles! Unfortunately as I’m based in the UK I don’t know much about the current flight situations into/out of Havana from the US, but I get the impression it’s a lot easier now. If you’re having trouble though, you could try looking into the groups that go out to volunteer with Cuban communities – that might involve subsidised flights. Hope you make it to Cuba soon!

This is def. my new favourite blog to read.

I am planning a trip to Cuba in October / November with my mum, and this guide to finances is just perfect. I think I will forward it to her actually. I rarely turn up looking like a tourist anywhere, but from your description, I would have had a pretty decent chance of doing a few things like that before figuring it all out.

Question: any experience dealing with vegetarians in Cuba? Shall I stock up on emergency biscuits or will it all work itself out?

Thanks so much Zenobia – and sorry for responding to your question so late! I think finding vegetarian options in Cuba would be pretty easy, although you might need to look to the higher end restaurants for the most varied veggie meals.

Planning a Trip to Cuba? Here's What You Need to Know (Pre-Trip Edition) - Birdgehls

[…] Cuban currency itself sounds a bit confusing. Flora the Explorer has written a detailed account from her time in the […]

Steve Cuba Photo Tours

Great blog post. I get a lot of people that come to my photo tours in Cuba but I also get a lot of people who cannot afford the tour… I think this post would be great for them. I will definitely be sharing this blog post around. Great work! 🙂

Hi Steve! Thanks so much for your kind words about my article 🙂 I’d love it if you shared it around with people who want to travel to Cuba!

Cheshirecat

Thanks Flora, just got back from 2 weeks in Cuba, and I agree with you re: the language. I don’t speak much Spanish in spite of which had a lovely time with locals all over, some who spoke some English and some of whom I communicated with in pantomime and pictionary! I think it would have been even more fun if I knew a little more Spanish.

That’s fantastic – I’m so glad you had a good time in Cuba! And pantomime pictionary Spanish sounds like a great effort 🙂

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Veronica Kegel-Giglio

Pelease let me know the Best way to fly to Cuba and how to book accomodations at people’s houses. Yo hablo el idioma. Quiero saber más.

I want to know where to book the cheapest flights to Cuba and accomodations in prívate houses. Yo hablo el idioma

Hi Veronica, I’m afraid I can’t help you with booking flights to Cuba. Your best bet is to search on some flight comparison websites and find a deal that works for you. As for booking accommodation in Cuba – from my experience in 2014, it was easiest to simply phone up different casas for the town I planned to go to next. People in Cuba are all very happy to help with doing that! I imagine there’s probably some online booking services for casas now though so you could also try that 🙂

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I’ve been wanting to go for several years but my main issue is the flight ticket which is more than a £1000. I’m flying from Cairo, Egypt. Any idea how can I cut it by half at least? I looked into volunteering programs but everything can take care of you once you’re there but not how you get there.

Hi Hanan, I wish I could help but unfortunately I don’t know about flights from Cairo. Maybe someone reading this article will be able to help, though? Otherwise have you looked into travelling overland from Cairo to another, less expensive airport then catching a flight from there?

How to Visit Cuba on a Budget - No Checked Bags

Hi Flora, great article. Thank you! Can you recommend any beaches that have lower budget accommodation options? I would like to spend a few days on the beach while in there but can’t afford an all inclusive place. Thanks!

Thanks Georgia! To be honest, I didn’t spend much time on the beaches in Cuba – but I also never headed to Varadero (where all the all-inclusives are!). When I was in Viñales I jumped in a hire car some friends of mine had and we drove to a nearby beach which was totally empty and absolutely stunning, but I wouldn’t know the location I’m afraid. I think if you hire a car and check a guidebook you’re more than likely to find some good spots!

solturatravel

This is such a good information and very useful for everyone.

Thanks so much!

Flora, thank you so much for this great article. My wife and I are planning to visit Cuba in April and would like to stay with a Cuban couple or family. All the casas particulares I’ve seen online are unoccupied. How did you find the casa you describe here? Thank you! Bill

You’re welcome, Bill! This is more of a general advice article about Cuban travel (although I do go into more detail about the Cuban casa system in another article on the site) but all the casas I stayed in were found once I arrived, usually via word of mouth. Sometimes I asked my current casa owner for recommendations in the next town which they were more than happy to provide, as most casas are part of country-wide networks to allow for better business. I haven’t tried searching for casas online as when I went to Cuba in 2014 the internet was barely accessible! Hope you and your wife have a wonderful trip 🙂

What are the top 4 cities you would recommend?

Hi Nick! I think Havana, Viñales, Trinidad and Santiago de Cuba are all high on my list 🙂

Hi Flora, great post! I have one question…How did you find all the private accommodation places? Thanks so much for your help!

Hi Jacqueline, I actually answered the same question a few comments up when replying to Bill! If you have any more questions feel free to ask though 🙂

Agness of Tuktuk

Sharing your experience in such an informative and organized well, great write up! I am pretty sure this will help a lot of travelers going to Cuba, and convince the lot that are a bit hesitant. Keep it up!

Thanks so much Agness – glad you think it’s a useful article!

Love your post on Cuba! It answered a lot of my questions so thank you! In regards to transportation, do you know if there are any overnight options available? I’ll be going to Cuba for a week and looking to minimize transportation time getting from one city to another. Also, did you do any hiking while in Cuba? Were the national parks easily accessible? Any tidbits of wisdom would be greatly appreciated!

Nice tips to travel in Cuba on the cheap. Thanks for sharing it.

Thanks for reading Jeremiah!

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jim Capuano

It would be helpful to know the USD aside fro Euros for an American visiting.

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Is Cuba Expensive? Our Cuba Budget Travel Guide

How much money do you need when traveling around Cuba?

Once a difficult country to visit, Cuba is now very much open and easy for tourists to head to and explore . Here we can stroll along the timeless streets of Havana, visit tobacco plantations in Viñales as well as enjoy some truly spectacular beaches along the southern coast.

In this guide we’ll look at the typical costs you can expect when traveling Cuba, such as for accommodation, food and getting around.

As well as recommending some of the best tours you can head on, we’ll also answer your most burning questions in our FAQ section.

What's in this guide?

Is Cuba Expensive for Tourists?

Quick Answer: Cuba isn’t a particularly expensive nor cheap destination to visit, and things generally cost the same here as they would in countries like Mexico and Ecuador .

When backpacking around Cuba, we recommend setting a daily budget of roughly $25 a day. This will be plenty, where you can stay in a nice hostel, eat tasty local meals as well as be covered for your transport to get around a town or city (or to head to an inexpensive attraction).

If you’re looking for an upgrade in your experience (such as staying in a private room, eating at nicer establishments etc), then you’ll want to budget around $35-40 per day when in Cuba.

Things to know before traveling to Cuba

• Explore Beyond Havana – Don’t get us wrong; not only is the Cuban capital safe and full of charm, not to mention one of the coolest cities you can visit in the Caribbean. But it has to be said that Cuba also has other low-key cities worth visiting. This includes Santa Clara for its historical museums and sites, as well as Maria La Gorda for some exceptional snorkeling and diving conditions.
• Cuba Is Very Safe – Whilst you’ll still need to follow our general safety tips (such as no phone in your hand when in the street as well as dressing down), you’ll find Cuba is pretty safe. In fact, it tends to rank as one of the safest nations in all of Latin America!
• Buses Will Be Your Best Friend – Of the different options available to get around Cuba, the local buses are best. Companies like Viazul connect all of the major cities and sites up well, and are also set at reasonable prices. You can also use shared taxis too which won’t break the bank (especially useful for shorter trips – we’ll cover this option more later in this guide).

Got travel insurance for Cuba?

How much does a trip to Cuba cost?

Budget travelers and backpackers can expect to spend roughly $25 a day in Cuba , whilst those who want an upgrade in experience (such as private rooms, eating in nicer establishments) can budget for around $35-40 a day.

This budget only covers accommodation, food and a few extras (like beers, a walking tour or entrance etc). Other costs such as flights and day tours will need to be planned with a different budget in mind.

Cost of Accommodation in Cuba

Important Note: Whilst Cuba is slowly opening its doors, unfortunately certain things can be a hassle to organize before. Accommodation is one of these, where very little apartments and hostels are found on sites like Booking.com when you look closely.

However once you’re actually inside Cuba, it’s really easy since locals will be able to recommend some great places in each town or city (they work together like this to help with marketing). You can expect to spend between $5-8 for a dorm bed , although some can be much more too.

When I (George) headed to Cuba a few years ago, I stayed in the Mango Habana Vieja Hostel within Havana, which is still open. I’d recommend booking your first 2/3 nights here whilst you adjust and learn how to do things smoothly here in Cuba.

Or, check out this list hostels scattered around the island that you can choose from.

Cost of Food in Cuba

Cuba has a really diverse cuisine, which is great since pretty much everyone will find something that they like here. This includes the national dish of Ropa Vieja (beef with beans and spices) and Medianoche (a sandwich stuffed with pulled pork, cheese and pickles).

Those who are looking to keep their costs down can eat locally in traditional cafes and Cuban restaurants. A dish in these joints will cost around $4-7, although please note that they tend to be more expensive in popular areas such as within Varadero and the Old Havana .

If you’re looking for a more luxurious meal, then you’ll also find all kinds of high-scale restaurants and fine-dining options. You’ll be paying quite a bit more though, where a dinner at these nicer venues will cost anywhere from $15-30 per person.

Cost of Transportation in Cuba

As we mentioned earlier, buses are the most practical and cost-efficient way of getting around Cuba safely . Viazul is one of the best providers, and covers many of destinations in Cuba that are popular with backpackers and travelers.

This means they also have multiple departures daily to destinations like Havana, Trinidad, Santiago and Viñales. For an example of the cost, a one-way bus ride from Havana to Trinidad (which takes 8 hours) has a cost of $25 .

You can also find domestic flights between certain destinations which will be the quickest method, however also the most expensive. Another way of getting around is by hailing a shared taxi (which your accommodation provider can help sort for you).

They’re much more flexible with departure times, which means you can leave for a new destination pretty much whenever one fills up with enough passengers.

Cost of Tours & Attractions in Cuba

There are plenty of unique and memorable experiences to be had when in Cuba. This includes diving off the Caribbean coast, exploring the mausoleum of Che Guevara as well as hiking through the rich tobacco plantains around Viñales.

Similar with the accommodation, you can’t pre-book any tours online, as major sites like GetYourGuide and Viator don’t yet cover Cuba. However again it’s really simple to book local tours once inside Cuba, and your accommodation owner can easily point you in the right direction.

To give you an example of tour costs in Cuba, you can expect to spend roughly $60 for a 2-hour private ride around Havana in one of their classic old convertibles . Of course you can always find cheaper too if you’re willing to put in the effort and make local connections.

Here are some popular questions our readers ask when it comes to visiting Cuba:

How much cash should I bring to Cuba?

It’s important to remember that you can’t get Cuban Pesos outside of Cuba , so you’ll need to arrive either with cash or your card ready for an exchange. We recommend taking our small chunks at a time; as remember you won’t want to have lots with you if departing (since it will have zero value the moment you step foot back out of Cuba).

What month is best to visit Cuba?

Any month within the dry season (which runs from November to April) is generally best, however we prefer the months of November and February . As well as having little rain and warm days, these months won’t be inundated with tourists which can happen in December.

Do you tip in Cuba?

Tipping isn’t required in Cuba, however it’s a nice idea given local workers often earn very little wages in the hospitality industry. We would recommend anywhere around 10% . However, as always, never feel pressured or like you have to tip every time (especially if the service or food wasn’t that good).

Is Cuba cheaper than Mexico?

And that’s all for our guide on how expensive Cuba is.

This incredible island is a must-visit when traveling around Latin America, where we can explore a completely different culture along with unique sites and postcard-perfect beaches .

We’ll also find that Cuba isn’t so expensive, so can easily be added as an extra trip once you’ve finished traveling through Mexico.

In this guide we’ve looked at how much money you’ll need when traveling around Cuba. This guide focuses more on the minimum needed for low-budget travelers, so of course if you feel like upgrading then by all means go for it!

Be sure to read our Backpacking Cuba Itinerary for more ideas on how to plan your trip around this beautiful Caribbean island.

👉🏽 P.S. If you’ve found this guide helpful, buy us a coffee here to say thanks! Or, support us by downloading our South America Travel Bible to get our best content.

“ Dear traveler! Some links in this post contain affiliate links. Meaning, if you click through and make a purchase, book a hostel or sign up for a tour, we may earn a small commission at no additional cost to you . Your support means a lot and helps us to carry on traveling and maintaining the quality of this site for you.”

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How Much Does it Cost to Travel to Cuba in 2024? Prices & Tips

If you’re traveling to Cuba in 2024 and are wondering about the prices, below you find all the information you need to plan your travel budget.

When I first thought about visiting Cuba, the first question I had to ask myself was How much does it cost to go to Cuba? How expensive is Cuba? I had no idea how much money I would need for over 2 weeks in Cuba.

I started planning my trip and travel budget by reading blogs about where to go and the costs of traveling to Cuba and discovered that prices were reasonable.

Cuba isn’t cheap, but it is not as expensive as other countries in the Caribbean.

I was expecting to spend around US$ 700 – 800 during the 19 days that I would spend in Cuba. How much money you need to bring to Cuba will depend, of course, on your travel style.

P.S. 1 – Things in Cuba have changed since my visit. I have friends on the island, in Havana and Trinidad, and they’re keeping me posted with the current prices in Cuba. I updated this post based on the information they provided me and friends’ recent trips to Cuba .

P.S. 2 – With the end of the CUC (Cuban Convertible Pesos), plus the lack of tourists and shortage of food supplies, Cubans have seeing an increase in prices on the island. So, expect to spend a bit more than what I did.

Cuba is a fascinating and very unique country! It has an interesting history, stunning architecture, gorgeous beaches, captivating countryside, beautiful colonial cities and friendly people.

But when planning your Cuba travel budget it’s important to know a few things:

– The country no longer has a dual currency system . Since January 2021, the official Cuban currency for tourists and locals alike is the Cuban Peso (CUP) .

– The government has set the exchange rate of 24 pesos per American dollar .

– You don’t need to worry about which currency you should bring to Cuba anymore. You can bring dollars (American, Canadian and Australian), Euros, Pound sterling (GBP) or Swiss francs and exchange them in an official Cuba money exchange, locally known as Cadeca (Casa de Cambio).

– Before 2021 , American dollars were taxed 10% commission when you exchanged them. But on January first, the government lifted this charge .

– Debit cards and cards from American Banks aren’t accepted so you can’t pay bills with American Express and Diners. Visa and Mastercard are accepted by hotels and travel agencies.

– However, casas particulares, restaurants and cabs only accept cash.

– There are ATMs in most tourist destinations, so if your ATM card will work (check with your bank), do not worry about how much cash you need to take to Cuba. But bring some euros, pounds or Canadian and American dollars as a backup.

– During the time that I was in Cuba, the British pound was the strongest currency. However, if you’re travelling to Cuba from the UK or Canada, my recommendation is to buy American dollars or Euros, because they are widely accepted.

– Even though there’s a slight value difference between American dollars and Euros, on a daily basis in Cuba it’s widespread to exchange 1 USD for 1 euro. So, if you’re in Europe, you should consider getting some US dollars, if the exchange rate it’s favourable to you.

– Remember that currency rates can fluctuate daily, however, the changes in Cuba are very slight. Check the current rates on the Central Bank of Cuba website here .

P.S.3: Despite the fixed rate for the American dollar, 24 CUP, in the Cadecas you will find it for 110 CUP, and in the black market between 150 and 280 CUP.

Table of Contents

Cuba Prices for Tourists 2024

If you’re planning to travel to Cuba in 2024, here are some of the prices for tourists:

Taxi from Havana Airport to the Old Town: USD 30

A room in casas particulares: USD 20

A room at Hostal La Maestranza , Havana: USD 50/per night

A room for two guests at Melia Cayo Santa Maria (all inclusive): Average USD 140/per night

A room for two guests at TRYP Cayo Coco (all inclusive): Average USD 120/per night

A room for 2 adults and 2 children at Barceló Solymar (all-inclusive) in Varadero: Average USD 170/per night

Breakfast in casas particulares: between USD 5 – 7/per person

Continental breakfast: 770 CUP/per person

Full breakfast: 2400 CUP/per person

The average meal in ‘upscale’ restaurants is USD 50-80/per couple. In local restaurants, you can find a meal for USD 20-40/per couple.

Brunch at Kempinski Hotel with Capitolio view: USD 60/per couple

Vintage car tour: USD 30/ for an hour

Tourist attractions (museums, fortress, etc): Between 100 – 200 CUP

Internet: 25 CUP/hour

A bottle of water (300ml): 250 CUP

Local soft drink: 20 CUP/glass

A pack of crackers: 200 CUP

Car rental for 7 days: USD 400 + USD 211 Insurance

Especial gasoline, 94Octane: 30 CUP/Litre

• Booking.com, Hotels.com, Expedia, etc, are currently not working in Cuba. Book your room straight on the hotel’s website or in a casa particular.
• I don’t recommend renting a car in Cuba, they are old and can give you too much headache. Take a taxi colectivo (shared taxi) instead.

How much does it cost to travel to Cuba in 2024?

After I posted some pictures of my trip to Cuba and published the 20 Stunning Pictures to Inspire You to Travel to Cuba post, everyone asked me: “Is Cuba expensive?” and “How much money do you need to travel to Cuba?”.

Cuba isn’t an expensive country! But of course, your Cuba travel costs will vary according to your travel style.

If you only stay in hotels/resorts and take private transfers it will cost much more than staying in casas particulares and taking shared taxis or buses.

If you’re traveling to Cuba in 2024, expect to spend an average of US$ 1,800 (£1,500) per couple for a 7-day trip. So, US$ 900 (£750) per person and US$ 130 (£108) per day. * Airline tickets are not included.

* This would be for a trip spending a few days in Havana and others in the all-inclusive resorts in the Cayos or Varadero. If you take a backpacker-style trip, like mine, staying only in casas particulares, I would say that you can expect to spend between US$ 60 – 70 per day.

You May Also Like:

• Best Things to Do in Havana
• Playa Ancon, Cuba
• My Reviews of Casas Particulares in Cuba
• How Much Does a 7-Day Trip to Dubai Cost?

P.S.4: From this point, nothing has been updated. But you still can use it as reference and to draw your itinerary 😉

Before showing my Cuba travel costs breakdown, let me give you a hint of your main expenses.

A big part of your budget to travel to Cuba will be the cost of your round-trip flight.

In my case, almost 40% of my Cuba travel costs were spent flying from Sao Paulo (Brazil) to Havana with Copa Airlines.

I bought the tickets not that far in advance and paid approximately US$ 700 .

However, you can find flights to Cuba for as low as US$ 300 from New York and US$ 450 from London. But be aware that most of the cheap flights to the Caribbean are during the hurricane season, from June to November. Statically, the riskiest period is from mid-August to early October, so you should avoid travelling to Cuba during this time of the year.

Travel Insurance

It’s required that all visitors have travel insurance in order to get a visa to travel to Cuba.

World Nomads is one of the most popular travel insurance companies among independent travelers, and is usually my personal choice.

However, in this case, I got my travel insurance to travel to Cuba with a Brazilian Company, Seguros Promo, which had the cheapest option at US$ 44 .

Cuba has a complicated visa policy with most countries’ citizens requiring a tourist card before entry.

There are a few countries that are exempt but also a few where you have to get a full visa, so it will be best to check before it here you go.

Prices vary from country to country so don’t forget to put some money aside in your Cuba travel budget to pay for your visa/tourist card.

In Brazil, it costs only US$ 20 .

Accommodation

If you want an authentic experience and to reduce your Cuba travel costs, you should stay in casas particulares, a type of accommodation common across the country and popular among budget travelers.

A casa particular is usually the home of a Cuban family who rents out rooms or even whole floors to tourists.

Most casas particulares charge around US$ 20 – 30 per night for a room with a double bed (except in Havana and Varadero, where it’s more expensive). But if you’re a solo traveller, you can always try to get a discount.

Staying in a casa particular will not only keep your Cuban budget down, but you will also have the opportunity to develop friendly relations with the owners of the house, get deeply involved in the local culture and contribute directly to improving the living standards of Cubans.

I spent a total of 277.50 CUC on accommodation, which was about 31% of my Cuba travel budget.

Transportation

Of course, your Cuba travel costs will depend on how many cities you visit and how you will travel from one destination to another. The more you move, the more you will spend.

Even though there is only one bus company, Viazul, in the whole country available to tourists, travelling within Cuba isn’t expensive.

But many people, especially those who are backpacking in Cuba, opt for a taxi colectivo (shared ride) instead of taking the old and dusty Viazul buses.

You can get a taxi colectivo everywhere in Cuba. You can ask the owner of the house you’re staying to book one for you, or if you prefer you can go to the bus terminals as the drivers usually hang around there.

Taxi colectivos are generally the same price or sometimes even cheaper than the buses, but you will have to wait for the car to be fully occupied (4 passengers) before you can depart.

I only traveled by land in Cuba and took one Viazul bus.

If you want to contain your Cuba travel costs I suggest you take taxi colectivos and negotiate the rides with the drivers.

More than once, my friend and I were paying less than the other tourists in the car.

I spent 191.50 CUC on transportation, about 21% of my total expenses in Cuba.

Food and Drinks

The food in Cuba is basically the same everywhere: rice with some beans, salad and meat (seafood, beef, chicken or pork). And the prices are very similar whether you eat at the restaurants in Old Havana or at the casas particulares: 10 CUC for dinner/lunch.

Generally, things are more expensive in Havana, so if you use my Havana prices as a guide, you’ll know you should be even better off in the other cities.

The breakfast served at Havana casas particulares is around 6 or 7 CUC and everywhere else around 5 CUC.

If you eat where locals eat, believe it or not, you can spend less than 1 CUC on a meal. But be aware that those places are hard to find and you may not like the appearance of the restaurant or the food (as the friend whom I traveled with, did).

I’d suggest having breakfast at casas particulares because it’s more convenient, lunch in restaurants, and dinner in either casas particulares or restaurants.

Some days I had burgers and pizzas for dinner, which is even cheaper, so I did not spend much money at all on food in Cuba.

Similarly, I’m not a drinker so didn’t spend much on alcohol.

But if you like to drink, you will be in heaven in Cuba. I found drinks for 1 CUC in Trinidad, soft drinks for 0,50 CUC in Varadero and the most expensive alcoholic drink I found was a daiquiri at El Floridita for 6 CUC.

P.S.: Drink prices in Cuba have increased in 2021. On one of the menus above of a restaurant in Havana, a beer costs US$ 3.50 and a wine glass US$ 5.

Tours and Attractions

Of course, once you’re in Cuba you’ll want to take tours, visit some tourist attractions and have wonderful experiences.

Sightseeing in a vintage car, dancing the salsa, horseback riding to a tobacco plantation and swimming in the crystal-clear turquoise waters of Playa Pilar, the most beautiful beach in Cuba, should all definitely be on your Cuba bucket list.

To have a better idea of how much money those things cost in Cuba, here are some examples:

– Entry to Revolution Museum, Havana: 8 CUC

– Vintage car city tour, Havana: 25 CUC / a car for a couple

– Fábrica de Arte Cubano, the best place to go out in Havana: entrance fee: 2 CUC, mojito: 3 CUC

– Taxi Colectivo from Havana to Viñales: 15 CUC

– Horseback riding to a tobacco plantation, Viñales: 17.5 CUC

– Hop-on hop-off bus in Varadero: 5 CUC

Now that you have a general idea of how much it costs to travel to Cuba, I’m going to break down my Cuba travel costs.

Breakdown of my Cuba travel Costs per Destination

I travelled to Cuba with a friend, but I’m listing only my own expenses below.

P.S.: I kept the prices in CUC and to make things easier you can consider 1 CUC = 1 USD.

Accommodation: 90 CUC / 4 nights

Food: Breakfast 28 CUC + Lunch 22 CUC + Dinner 31 CUC + Snacks 7.75 CUC = 88.75

Transportation: Taxi from the airport 15 CUC + Taxi within the city 21.5 = Taxi colectivo to Viñales 15 CUC = 51.5 CUC

Attractions: Revolution Museum with guide 10 CUC + Museo Napoleonico 2 CUC + Fortaleza de San Carlos de la Cabaña 6 CUC + others 5 CUC = 23 CUC

Extras: Vintage car city tour 12.5 CUC + Donation 4 CUC + Miscellaneous 28.3 CUC = 44.80 CUC

How much does it cost to spend 4 days in Havana? 298 CUC / 4 days = 74.50 CUC / day

Accommodation: 37.5 CUC / 3 nights

Food: Breakfast 11.8 CUC + Lunch 15 CUC + Dinner 21 CUC = 47.8 CUC

Transportation: Taxi colectivo to Cienfuegos = 25 CUC (regular price 30 – Viazul bus 32)

Tours & Attractions: Horseback riding 17.5 CUC + Day tour 16 CUC + Day trip do Cayo Jutias 12.5 (regular price 15) = 46 CUC

Extras: 4 CUC

Total of my Cuba travel costs in Viñales: 160.3 CUC / 3 days = 53.50 CUC

Accommodation: 25 CUC / 2 nights

Food: Breakfast 2 CUC + Lunch 11 CUC + Dinner 4 CUC + Snacks: 2.1 CUC = 19.1 CUC

Transportation: Viazul bus to Trinidad 6 CUC

Tours & Attractions: 6 CUC

Extras: 6 CUC

How much money did I spend in Cienfuegos? 62.1 CUC / 2 days = 31 CUC /day

Food: Breakfast 9.5 CUC + Lunch 20.6 + Dinner 12.50 = 42.6 CUC

Transportation: Taxi colectivo to Cayo Coco 25 CUC + Taxi to Playa Ancon: 4 CUC = 29 CUC

Tours and Attractions: 15 CUC

Extras: 14.6 CUC

How much does it cost to travel to Trinidad for 3 days? 138.7 CUC / 3 days = 46.20 CUC / day

Accommodation: 25 CUC with breakfast included / 2 nights

Food: Lunch 11 CUC + Dinner 7.8 CUC = 18.8 CUC

Transportation: Taxi from Cayo Coco to Moron 10 CUC (regular price 50) + Taxi colectivo from Moron to

Cayo Santa Maria & Santa Clara 30 CUC (120 / car) = 40 CUC

Tours: Full day tour to Cayo Coco & Cayo Guillermo = 15 CUC (60 a car with driver)

Morón Travel costs: 98.80 CUC / 2 days = 49.40 CUC / day

Cayo Santa Maria

Playa las Terrazas entrance fee: 5 CUC (1 drink included)

Lunch: 9.5 CUC

Extras: Internet 1.5 CUC

A day at Cayo Santa Maria: 16 CUC / day

Santa Clara

Accommodation: US$ 10 / 1 night

Food: Breakfast 1 CUC + Lunch 6 CUC + Dinner 9 CUC = 16 CUC

Transportation: Taxi colectivo to Varadero 15 CUC (Viazul bus 11 CUC) = 15 CUC

Extra: 1 CUC

Total: 42 CUC / day

Accommodation: 52.5 CUC with breakfast included/ 3 nights

Food: Lunch 11 CUC + Dinner 12.6 CUC + Snacks: 7.3 CUC = 27.5 CUC

Transportation: Transfer Varadero – Havana Airport with Cubatour 25 CUC = 25 CUC

Tours & Attractions: Hop on hop off bus 5 CUC = 5 CUC

Extras: 10.7 CUC

How much does it cost to travel to Varadero? 120.7 CUC / 3 days = 40.20 CUC day

Havana is by far the most expensive city in Cuba, and Cienfuegos is the cheapest one that I visited.

I spent under 40 CUC in Cienfuegos probably because I didn’t take any tours apart from a boat to visit a fortress because we bought food at the supermarket to eat at home and also because the bus ticket to Trinidad was very cheap.

How much does it cost to travel to Cuba per day?

I was in Cuba for 19 days and spent a total of 887.2 CUC (US$ 905 or 813 euros), 46.7 CUC (US$ 47.60 or 43 euros) per day.

PS.: Prices are based on the currency exchange rates of November 2017.

I’d say that now, in 2023, you can expect to spend around US$ 60 – 70 per day if you’re a budget traveler. For a mid-range budget, expect a daily amount between US$ 70 – 120, and for a luxury holiday, anything from US$ 150 upwards.

The total cost of my trip to Cuba with flights, visa and insurance was US$ 1677 . I believe this is a very reasonable price for a 20-day holiday. Don’t you?

Of course, I could’ve spent less money if I had found a better price for my airline ticket, taken the buses the Cubans take, eaten where locals eat or travelled to fewer cities.

But I liked my itinerary a lot and was travelling comfortably without worrying too much about my travel budget and enjoying my time in one of the most precious Caribbean destinations. So should you!

Safe travels and enjoy Cuba.

Watch Video: The Best Of Cuba

Have you ever traveled to Cuba? What do you think about my Cuba travel costs? Leave a comment below 😉

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• Book Your Flight Find deals on airlines on my favorite search engine: Skyscanner . Be sure to read my How to find cheap flights article.
• Rent A Car Rental Cars is a great site for comparing car prices to find the best deal.
• Book Accommodation Booking.com is my favorite hotel search engine. But Hotels.com and Hilton Hotels have very interesting reward programs.
• Protect Your Trip Don’t forget travel insurance! I always use World Nomads  for short-term trips and SafetyWing for long-term ones. Find out why Travel Insurance: Much More Than a Precaution, a Necessity .
• Book Tours in Advance Book unforgettable experiences and skip-the-line tickets with GetYourGuide or Viator .
• Book Ground Transportation BookaWay offers a stress-free experience with secure payments and no hidden fees. You pay online and receive your itinerary by email.
• Luggage Solutions Rent your luggage with Cargo or if you need to drop off your own luggage and enjoy your time without dragging it all over a city, find a LuggageHero shop here.
• Get a Travel Card Revolut Card is a pre-paid debit card that enables cash machine withdrawals in 120 countries. I’ve been using my Revolut Card for over a year and never paid foreign-transaction fees again. Get your Revolut Card with free shipping here .
• Packing Guide Check out my How to Pack a Carry-on Luggage For a Five-month Trip to help you start packing for your trip. Don’t forget your camera, chargers and other useful travel accessories.

9 thoughts on “How Much Does it Cost to Travel to Cuba in 2024? Prices & Tips”

This is extremely helpful and valuable information that’s helping me plan for my trip to Cuba. Thanks so much for taking the time to write this post and help others.

My pleasure Tom!! Thanks so much for your comment and have fun in Cuba. Cheers 😉

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Costs In Cuba: How To Budget

Those on a tight budget could plan on spending between $50 and $60 per day in 2021.

A mid-range budget will cost between US$ 70 and US$ 120 each day, while a luxury holiday would cost between US$ 150 and US$250.

Even though the thought of having to worry about budgeting when on holiday is a bit of a buzzkill, it is not all spreadsheets and sacrifices.

Once you plan ahead and figure out what you can expect from the cost of Cuba, you will go in feeling more relaxed and able to adjust. 

Here is what you can expect in terms of pricing when visiting Cuba.

Is Cuba Expensive?

Although Cuba, like other Caribbean islands, is reasonably inexpensive, it is nevertheless more costly than Mexican and Central American countries than other portions of Latin America.

Because the first currency is solely for visitors, the government charges you tourist prices the bulk of the time.

If you want to live on the basic necessities, Cuba may be a very economical trip, and if you want to live it up in style, Cuba has everything you need.

Soak it all in, travel your own way, and enjoy one of the most unforgettable places on the planet.

Currencies Used in Cuba

In Cuba, there are two sorts of currency: the CUC (pronounced kook by Cubans) and the CUP (The National Peso). The CUC is equal to the US dollar, and one CUC is worth around 25 CUP.

Many people assume that this means there is tourist money and a local currency, however this is not exactly correct.

Accommodation, government taxis traveling around the nation, intercity buses, internet, and touristy eateries will all be priced in CUC.

You may keep your Cuba vacation budget modest by purchasing street food, lunches at locally-run paladars rather than government-run restaurants, and local buses with CUP.

Using ATMs in Cuba

There are certain expenses associated with using ATMs in Cuba. The majority of debit cards from Western nations excluding the United States that utilize the Cirrus or Plus network, as well as cards on the Chinese Union-pay system, will operate in Cuba.

Every cash withdrawal from a Cuban ATM, on the other hand, is subject to a 5% charge.

If you don’t have an American debit card, using ATMs to withdraw local CUC currency from your debit card is the simplest (and cheapest) way to withdraw money in Cuba.

Because CUP cannot be obtained via ATMs, you must take your cash to a cardecas to exchange it for CUP.

If you have an American debit card or just do not want to use an ATM, it is advisable to go straight to the cardecas to convert money.

Unfortunately, there is also a 10% fee on USD at the cardecas, so you should exchange your USD for a Canadian dollar, euro, pound sterling, or any significant globally traded currency before entering Cuba.

The last thing you want to do is travel to Cuba with an American debit card that won’t function at ATMs and a large amount of US dollars that will cost you 10% in currency conversion costs.

How Much Money Do You Need in Cuba?

How much money you will need for Cuba depends on lots of different things, but here is a breakdown of typical costs that you can expect. 

Food prices in Cuba can vary from very low to fairly high. If you spend in CUC, you’re paying tourist pricing. Meals start at roughly 3 CUC and may go up to 50 CUC if you dine out somewhere good.

Cuban inexpensive dishes are frequently available from a variety of tiny eateries and street food kiosks. Meals are offered at these locations and cost ULP or CUP.

Even when priced comparable to the United States, lunches in Cuba often cost $8 – $15 on average. They do, however, give some value in comparison to the United States.

As a typical food consumer, Cuba imports 70 to 80 percent of its needs from the sea, yet it struggles economically in comparison to the United States.

When it comes to moving about towns and cities in Cuba, there are a range of transportation alternatives available, just like in any other city or town.

In Cuba, as in any other country, there are private and public transportation alternatives. Public buses, private transfers, taxis, coco taxis, and bicycles are various ways to get around Cuba’s metropolitan areas.

Viazul and Transtur are the two primary bus companies, although there is little difference between them.

Both include air conditioning, reclining seats, direct routes, and connections in all of the main cities and smaller villages that travelers may choose to visit.

Tickets should be purchased in advance at the bus terminal.

Train travel is an option, although it is notoriously unreliable.

Because timetables vary often and routes operate on various days, there is still a danger that the train may not arrive despite extensive preparation and planning.

Cycling is more accessible: there are a few casas that rent bikes, and much of the country is flat with little traffic jams.

Finally, there is the option of renting a car.

However, you should think carefully about it because the roads are a little shaky in certain spots, but most of the sites you’ll want to visit throughout your two, three, or four weeks in Cuba will be fair.

So long as you stay away from potholes.

Accommodation

Casas particulares (private houses) are often regarded as the finest choice for independent tourists in Cuba. Staying in these safe facilities, many of which are owned by families, is an excellent opportunity to meet locals and other tourists. 

They provide a real and unvarnished image of the country, which might improve your knowledge and enjoyment of Cuba.

Prices for typical no-frills casas start around the equivalent of US$20 per night in the provinces and rise to US$80 or US$100 in some of Havana’s finer neighborhoods.

Rates at casas particulares are stable, but hotel costs change seasonally, as they do across the Caribbean. The peak season lasts from mid-November through late March.

Except during Easter week, the low season runs from mid-September to mid-November and from April to June.

Christmas and New Year’s are considered extreme high seasons, with rates 25 percent higher than high-season rates.

Entertainment

Activities in Cuba are priced with foreign tourists in mind. It’s cheap compared to Europe and North America but pricey by Asian or Latin American standards. 

There are a lot of different things to do in Cuba with differing price tags. For example, it will cost a lot more to hire a classic car for the day than it would to go dancing or snorkeling.

All in all, the budget you will need for your trip to Cuba will depend heavily on the kind of vacation you are looking for.

If you are wanting to rent a car and stay in nice hotels, eat out a lot, and go to events then you will have to pay a lot more than someone who stays at a casas particulares and uses a bicycle to get around. 

Remember to do your research before you book your flight to Cuba so that you are prepared in regards to knowing how the different currencies work and how to use them.

• Recent Posts

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• Havana – Why Is It Cuba’s Most Exciting City? - September 19, 2022
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Vacations in Cuba

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When to book a vacation in Cuba

Tips for finding cuba package deals.

• There are loads of types of vacations in Cuba and the cost will depend on what type of trip you’re taking and for how long you’d like to stay. Here are the latest prices for a 3 night trip for 2 travelers: Top vacation $720; Romantic vacation $720.

Why should you book a vacation package to Cuba?

When should you book a vacation package to cuba.

The best time to visit is from December to May, when you can expect sunny weather and clear skies. This is the main festival season, when Cuba celebrates Carnaval in April. The low season begins in June until October, when there are inexpensive vacation packages and fewer tourists around. However, the weather can be quite unpredictable.

Where should you stay in Cuba during your vacation?

For any vacation type in cuba:.

The well-known Hotel Capri in the capital is a six minute walk from the nightlife of the Vedado district. This polished, high-rise hotel is close to the lively Malécon boardwalk, and less than 2 miles from the Gran Teatro de La Habana. To get here from Jose Marti Airport will only take around 30 minutes by taxi.

The picturesque Villa Gavioto is located in the residential area of Vista Alegre, Santiago de Cuba. Just a few minutes from the historical center, its natural environment features extensive vegetation and large gardens. Conveniently, it is only just over 6 miles from the airport.

For family vacations in Cuba:

CasavanaCuba is is a family-friendly guesthouse in the cosmopolitan area of Vedado, Havana. In addition to spa services, a terrace and tour assistance, it provides a round-trip airport shuttle available 24 hours. A full buffet breakfast is provided. The establishment boasts wonderful views of the city and is only a short taxi ride from the Old Town.

Iberostar Playa Pilar in Cayo Guillermo is a family-friendly five star resort and wellness spa on a tropical island in the Jardines del Rey archipelago, off central Cuba. The nearest airport is Jardines del Rey and an airport shuttle will get you to the resort in around 40 minutes.

For romantic vacations in Cuba:

Melia Habana is located in Havana's Miramar district and is a great choice for honeymooning couples. Guests can enjoy the on-site restaurant in addition to an outdoor pool and hot tub. Views of the sea, garden or city are a feature of certain rooms. José Martí International Airport is 8 miles away.

Starfish Cayo Santa Maria offers an outdoor pool and views of the sea from its restaurant. Some rooms include a private bathroom with a spa bath and there is a 24-hour front desk/gift shop. The nearest airport is Jardines del Rey International Airport, 47 miles away.

For luxury vacations in Cuba:

Hotel Nacional del Cuba is a historic art deco hotel, with elegant rooms featuring old-world decor. It has several restaurants, bars and a cafe. Amenities include two outdoor pools, a tennis court and a fitness room with a sauna. Massage services and regular live entertainment are available.

Melia Santiago de Cuba is located in a high rise at Avenida de las Américas. An iconic city hotel, it has amazing 360 degrees views of the city and the Sierra Maestra mountains, as well as four restaurants plus art and authentic/traditional live music.

For budget vacations in Cuba:

Las Americas Hotel in Santago de Cuba is an understated hotel that's a seven minute walk from Cementerio Santa Ifigenia and 1 1/2 miles from the Diego Velazquez Museum. Basic rooms with old-fashioned decor provide cable TV, as well as balconies or terraces.

Hotel Isla de Cuba is in Camaguey, Cuba's third largest city. It is inexpensive and offers a great location for exploring historic parts of the city. It will suit young travelers on a budget, being close to the main street and its bars, restaurants and attractions.

Where to stay in Cuba

Cuba vacation information, popular package vacation destinations in cuba.

Cuba tourism is booming now that their relationship has warmed with the United States, and a lot more people are starting to plan travel to the island.

Though many people are surprised that Cuba is not a cheap country to travel through. And it’s not, if you stay in fancy hotels and eat at the typical tourist taunts. Group tour packages run between $3,000 – $5,000 right now and many times this price doesn’t even include your flight! Cuba budget.

Though as US travel restrictions are loosened and tourism floodgates have opened (leading to an increase in prices), there are many ways for you to travel affordably. For example you can stay in a casa particular, booking through a reliable website like   www.cubacasa.co.uk .

Cuba can be among the cheapest countries you’ve ever been to. Those wondering how to travel to Cuba for cheap should implement the following tips and tricks. Cheap travel to Cuba.

How to Travel Cuba on a Budget

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Compare Flights

Search traffic on flights to Cuba is up 500% from last year, and airlines throughout the States are starting to add more and more daily flights. Due to the competition, flights to Cuba are becoming ridiculously cheap.

Compare flights on third party comparison websites, or use a shortcut like Flystein  to guarantee you book the cheapest fare. Fly to Cuba cheap.

Homestays are Cheaper than Hotels

Hotels throughout Cuba are all government run, though the government does allow locals to rent out their spare rooms. Staying with a local family is much cheaper than opting for a hotel, and it allows you to interact with local Cubans, and experience the country the way a local would. You also have the benefit of home-cooked meals.  How much do things cost in Cuba 2016?

The price of most ‘ casas’  is for the room, and not the number of travelers staying there. There are usually a couple of beds which can sleep four or five people. As such accommodation costs can be higher if you’re traveling solo. Rooms average 20 – 30 CUC. Cost of living in Cuba per month.

Note that  WiFi and Internet in Cuba  is restricted, even at hotels. You can check this post for a map of public hotspots available throughout Havana.

Check Availability

Travel Independently

Traveling independently is the best way to make big savings on  travel to Cuba . Group tour packages run between $3,000 – $5,000 and many times this price doesn’t even include your flight! You can easily travel through Cuba on $1,000 including your flight (depending on where you’re flying from).

But it takes 25+ hours to plan your international trip before all is said and done. If you’re someone who isn’t keen on the planning, or gets easily overwhelmed, ViaHero can help you travel independently in Cuba but without the hassle of planning. What is the cheapest time to travel to Cuba?

ViaHero is a platform where local experts from Cuba will put together an interactive travel guide for you including information on recommended places, booking and transport help, and important information about the area like cultural norms, dos and don’ts, background & history. Plus any logistics info like which plugs to bring, visa and customs info and more!

Haggle Over Prices

Cuba is a country where the price is never fixed and haggling is an average part of the day. Regardless of whether you’re booking accommodation, transport, or a sightseeing tour, be ready to haggle, barter and debate over the price.

Research what the average prices throughout the country should be before you leave. And always ask more than one person about transport or tours. This will avoid being ripped off or taken advantage of because you’re a tourist. It’s likely that you’ll find cities are a bit cheaper than small towns.

Bring Your Own Hygiene Products

Anything you need for hygiene should be brought from home. Shampoo, sanitary items, sun tan lotion. Make sure you pack them before you go.

Imported goods in Cuba are usually unavailable or ridicuslously expensive.

Learn Spanish

Travel is cheaper when you speak the language of the country you’re visiting. Being able to converse with locals means you won’t be limited to staying in expensive foreigner hotels, eating at restaurants where the staff speaks English, or traveling with a tour group. One of the best ways to  learn Spanish  and improve your level is by reading Spanish news articles for students and watching or listening to the news in Spanish.

Instead, you can find your own way and experience the country the way a local would. You might enjoy cheaper access to museums because you don’t have to pay for a foreign-language guide. You’ll be able to coordinate cheap transport, and haggle/barter for rooms. Budget travel tips for Cuba. 

Go to the Bathroom Before You Leave Your Hotel

Visiting the bathroom in museums and galleries isn’t always covered by your entrance fee, so you should make an effort to go before you leave your hotel.

“There are usually women waiting inside to stare you down until you place a few coins in their tip tray.” Is Cuba expensive?

Travel With a Water Purifier

Your biggest expense in Cuba will likely end up being bottled water, so traveling with a water purifier could save you quite a lot, especially if you’re heading off the beaten path or  backpacking Cuba . Most tap water is unsafe to drink, even for the locals, who boil all their drinking water first.

A fantastic purification device for travel is the SteriPEN Freedom, as reviewed on the Legendary Adventures of Anna – these kind of steripens use ultraviolet light to sterilize the water so that the bacteria are unable to multiply thus making the tap water safe to drink.  LifeStraw  is another fantastic option for making contaminated water safe to drink. It purifiers the water and also remove viruses. Is it safe to drink the water in Cuba?

Don’t brush your teeth with water from the tap. Check that natural bodies of water are safe before you swim, keep your mouth closed in the shower and always use soap, and don’t accept ice in your drinks .  Cuba for cheap.

Related: A Travelers Guide to Tap Water

Have International Health Insurance Before You Arrive

Cuba is one of those countries that won’t let you in without international health insurance . Cuba makes having health insurance a mandatory requirement for all visitors entering the country, and this rule applies to all travelers from overseas as well as to Cubans living abroad. How expensive is Cuba?

Those who cannot provide immigration with proof of coverage will be forced to buy insurance from the local Cuban insurance provider who have an office set up in the immigration area of the airport. Cheapest way to travel in Cuba.

The cover purchased in Cuba is likely to be less comprehensive than most local policies from your home country, and are generally likely to have more expensive premiums. So have international health insurance sorted out before you arrive. What is the cost of traveling through Cuba? Budget travel Cuba.

Avoid Airport Exchange Rates

Don’t exchange all of your money at the airport when you arrive. You’ll get a better exchange rate once in Havana. Where to exchange cash in Cuba.

This is a country where it’s best to travel with cash – ATM’s in general are unreliable, and outside of big tourist resorts, credit cards aren’t always accepted. There are some ATM’s in big cities, though the majority of American cards won’t work.

Avoid Paying Tourist Prices for Food

When it comes to food, restaurants that cater to tourists are going to be the most expensive. Those staying in a casa usually have the option of home cooked meals, which are a cheaper alternative to eating out. Street pizza shops and cafes are also a very cheap option for food.

If you’ve booked into an all inclusive resort, all meals included for you, and the type of menus on offer will be dependent on your resort. In these situations we recommend breakfast and dinner at the hotel (to make the most of your $$), though eating lunch locally when you’re out.

A pro tip from the Poor Explorer : “If you find yourself looking for a cheap restaurant, ask for the menu at the door. Once you’ve received it have a quick look and tell them that the food there is too expensive for you and do they have any cheaper food? A lot of the time they will tottle off, find another menu and come back with the “Cuban Prices” menu.”

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Megan is an Australian Journalist who has been travelling and blogging since 2007, with the main aim of inspiring others to embark on their own worldwide adventure. Her husband Mike is an American travel photographer, and together they have made the world their home.

Committed to bringing you the best in adventure travel from all around the globe, there is no mountain too high, and no fete too extreme! They haven’t been everywhere, but it’s on their list.

Follow their journey on Facebook , Twitter ,  YouTube , Pinterest and Instagram .

Photo credits: Featured photo by  Gerry Balding . Pinterest images by  Gerry Balding . Cuba street by Balint Földesi . Cathedral in Havana by  Artur Staszewski . Playing Domino by  Angelo Domini . Water purifier by  the Legendary Adventures of Anna . Children play on a backstreet in La Habana Vieja by  Allan Hopkins . 

36 Comments

Great tips! Traveling on a budget doesn’t have to mean a poor experience. Done right it can mean getting a better feel for the destination and immersing yourself in the culture.

Thanks Jim – absolutely, often budget travel tips mean you’re experiencing the destination as a local would, and not being scammed by common tourist traps :)

I’m hoping to plan a trip to Cuba very soon, especially being how it’s opened up. But it is really good to hear that Cuba allows travelers to opt for a homestay rather than a hotel – it creates such a better experience for both sides.

Opting in for Viahero’s competition now! :D

Good luck in the comp Ron! You’ll have an absolutely amazing time in Cuba, and yes, highly recommend the more local homestay option over tourist hotels. Cuba is a really unique destination, and it makes for a much more authentic experience to stay with locals, as you said, for both sides :)

Great advice, especially about the insurance.

Thanks Rashad … insurance is always something I recommend anyway, but people don’t realize that there are a number of countries now (Cuba being one of them) that won’t let you in without it.

We went to Cuba many years ago, but would love to go back as we didn’t get the chance to explore quite as much as we’d hoped. I love the sterilising pen- what a great idea!

The sterilizing pen is a great thing to have on hand, we travel with it now all the time, even through countries and destinations which have safe drinking water. Because you never know … and water isn’t something you want to take a risk with :)

Hope you have the chance to make your return trip to Cuba a reality soon :)

Being a big Ernest Hemingway fan, my husband Andrew and I have always longed to visit Cuba one day. There are some very important tips you’ve outlined here like, bringing my own hygiene products and going to the bathroom before you leave the hotel! This contest sounds like a fun one!

Definitely jump over to the ViaHero site to enter for the free trip – so glad you enjoyed the post Brenda. Hope you have the chance to visit soon!

Cuba sounds so interesting, though it is not on my bucket list (for the near future). My sister spent her honeymoon there and she also told me about the hygienic products and said, if I am ever to visit Cuba I should bring soap as the people are longing for such things.

Well who knows, perhaps you can enter the competition at ViaHero and find Cuba is on your list sooner than you thought :D

Great tip on bringing soap … imported products like this which are very expensive make for great gifts for locals too, for instance, if you’re staying in a homestay and would like to gift them something at the end :)

Thanks for the tips! I did not know it was so expensive to go there. Hopefully, I get to go one day. Maybe though this contest :P

You’re welcome Christine! Good luck in the contest!

Thank you for these tips! I would have never thought of not brushing my teeth with the water from the tap! I had friends that recently went to Cuba and they spent a fortune. It’s nice to know that you can do it on a budget as well! Thanks Megan

You’re welcome! Yes, brushing your teeth with unclean drinking water is a big one which people don’t think about. You’re still ingesting the water so it’s the same as if you were drinking it.

Great tips! I hadn’t realized that Cuba would be such an expensive place to visit – or that the water wouldn’t be safe to drink. But I suppose they have been cut off from a lot of the world for so long, prices are likely to be high as they have relied on limited tourism to date.

P.S. I have entered the competition and will happily pay for my flights to the USA if I were to win!

Thanks Vicki! Many people are surprised by the expense, but it does make sense – in an isolated nation imports are much higher in price and it’s more difficult to get goods there.

Good luck in the comp!! Would be absolutely worth making your way to Canada or the States for the flights if you won!

I would love to visit Cuba someday. Their history and culture is quite interesting. Great tips for those who would like to travel there on a budget!

Glad you enjoyed the post Darlene – hope you have the chance to travel to Cuba soon!

Cuba is such an enticing and exciting destination right now. I wanna get the opportunity to experience it before massive tourism takes over. And thank you for that tip about homestays. I stayed with a lot of local families in my travels across South America and never did I regret it. You learn way more about a country’s culture and way of life by living and immersing yourself in the locals’ lives. Thanks for all the health insurance tips, too, Megan! I’m pretty sure we’ve all had our fair share of unfortunate medical circumstances abroad and that’s something we all want to avoid whilst exploring a new city. More power to you guys!

Glad you enjoyed the post Trisha – I hope Cuba stays as authentic as possible for as long as possible, though I can definitely see mass tourism taking hold in the near future. So I do highly recommend trying to make a trip happen before it loses any of it’s current cultural charm.

And yes, definitely aim for a homestay – these are some of the best experiences you can have abroad! So glad to hear you enjoyed your homestays in South America – best way to immerse yourself in a different culture!

Happy travels Trisha :)

I just returned from Cuba a few weeks ago, it was so amazing! Def stay with a local family in a casa cheaper and great experience.

So glad to hear you had an amazing time!

a very good informative post. keep it more

Glad you enjoyed it Rumah – hope you have the chance to travel to Cuba soon :)

My friend followed a lot of your advice when he went to Cuba. He went to a website called: cuba-junky.com. It’s kinda like AirBnB, only focused on Cuba. I never asked Nate about the water, but water purification is a big deal. Nate is an American and was one of the first Americans to go after the travel ban was lifted. One thing Nate pointed out was that there are a lot of people who want to sell you stuff, especially if you’re a tourist. Also being blonde and blue eyed makes you stick out like a sore thumb. If anyone wants to see our pictures of Cuba , please feel free to browse.

Thanks for the tip on cuba-junky.com – hadn’t come across that one before, so will definitely check it out :) … and also for the link to your Cuba photos … jumping over to check them out now :)

Great tips for visiting Cuba! I like the one about going to the bathroom before you leave the your hotel, my partner is a nightmare for needing the bathroom 20 minutes after we leave anywhere.

Thanks James! Haha I think we’ve all been that person once or twice :D!

I would love to visit Cuba one day. But when I do, I will do it on budget and your post is very helpful, Meg!

So glad we could help Agness :) Hope you have the chance to visit Cuba soon!

Cuba was my fist country I visited in Latin America and probably the one that made me focus my travels on that continent now instead of Asia. A great experience!

A very easy way to plan your trip is to check casaparticular.com for Havana (your first stay) and plan your trip via Viazul (the local “intercity” bus). Usually people at the casas particulares know other people offering this service at your next destination, so you won’t have much trouble to find a new place to stay. And even if they are fully booked, noone gets left at ones doorstep: They will personally guide you to another casa of a friend if you just ask.

So glad to hear you were inspired by Cuba Mario! Thanks for the tip on casaparticular.com and Viazul – taking advantage of the local knowledge and advice is definitely a big perk of the Casa Particulars – the hospitality here is so wonderful, it’s not many destinations where noone gets left at the door :)

Happy travels, hope you’re enjoying Latin America!

Everyone needs to go to Cuba! Thanks for sharing advice on how to do it on the cheap!

Amen to that! You’re welcome, glad you enjoyed the post!

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How to Travel to Cuba on a Budget

Last Updated: December 8, 2021 References

This article was co-authored by Angela Rice . Angela Rice is a Luxury Travel Specialist and Co-Founder of Boutique Travel Advisors, a luxury travel advising business in Phoenix, Arizona. Angela specializes in consulting and curating highly customized and unique travel itineraries for clients seeking luxury, group, and multi-generational family travel. Angela studied at Arizona State University and The University of Iowa Tippie College of Business. She has prior consulting experience in accounting and business, which helps her run her business behind the scenes. Angela has been featured in The Washington Post, Reader's Digest, Travel Weekly, USA Today, Travel Market Report, Phoenix Magazine, and MSN. She is also a frequent guest on WBBM News Radio 105.9 FM's Travel Tuesday show. There are 11 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been viewed 2,592 times.

Traveling the world is an incredibly exciting and rewarding thing to do! It's always really useful to know how to make your money go as far as possible so you can get the most out of your travels and by looking for deals in the right places, you can do this. Even though Cuba is an island and therefore relatively isolated, there are lots of tips and tricks you can use to save money while traveling there.

Researching Your Options

• There are cruises available that visit many islands in the region (including Cuba) but these are notoriously expensive.
• Use a website that scans the web for the best flight deals rather than booking directly through an airline.

• The resorts will be cheaper during this time but they will also be much quieter, possibly making the atmosphere seem somewhat dull. [2] X Research source
• If you're in a city, it will probably be busy year round with plenty of atmosphere and cheer.
• Christmas is not a particularly large celebration but New Year's Eve and the eve of the Revolution anniversary are.

• Santa Clara

• It may turn out that booking through a travel agent is more expensive but it can never hurt to simply get a quote and compare it to the prices you can find on your own. [5] X Research source

• It's possible that you're asked to show evidence of your travel insurance when you arrive.
• Not all world travel insurance policies cover Cuba so ensure you take one out that does.

Exploring While in Cuba

• Going to the beach to enjoy the generally beautiful weather and warm temperatures.
• People watching in the streets.
• Looking around the markets for fresh food and local cuisines.
• Going to museums such as the Museo de la Revolucion (Museum of the Revolution).

• Alternately you can use the local public transport system which is very cheap as well. [8] X Research source
• There are tourist buses available as well, but they tend to be more expensive.

• If you decide to eat at a restaurant you can expect to be spending $5-10 CUC for a meal before drinks.
• Drinks in restaurants tend to be about $1 CUC for a beer and $2-3 CUC for a cocktail.
• When eating street food like Guarapo, Refresco, or Pork and Beans, you can expect to be paying much less than $1 CUC per meal. [9] X Research source

• Casas particulares are much cheaper than hotels/resorts in the area.
• For a more authentic Cuban experience, make a point of conversing with the owner of the house to learn about their life in Cuba.
• You can often purchase meals from the owner for significantly cheaper than restaurants and you can always use their knowledge to find out about local hotspots and places to check out.

• Make sure you change currency before you enter the country as finding places to do this once inside can be challenging and also costly.
• There are two Cuban currencies. One is the Cuban convertible peso (CUC) which is reserved for tourists and the other is the Cuban peso (CUP). 1 CUC is equivalent to 25 CUP. It's helpful to have both currencies. [12] X Research source
• Many things you can buy with the peso are significantly cheaper as they are being sold to locals rather than tourists.

Expert Q&A

• Although budgeting is important, it's also important to make sure that you aren't compromising on your safety just to save a bit of money. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• You will be charged a 25 CUC (Cuban tourist currency equivalent where 1 CUC = 1 USD) tourist fee upon entry and exit. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
• When traveling as a tourist you will likely need a tourist visa in order to visit Cuba. These are relatively cheap and easy to acquire but you will need to look at your country's tourist arrangements with Cuba. Thanks Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.mappingmegan.com/budget-travel-tips-cuba-cheap-travel/
• ↑ https://www.roughguides.com/destinations/central-america-and-the-caribbean/cuba/when-to-go/
• ↑ http://annaeverywhere.com/cheap-direct-flights-to-cuba-from-usa/
• ↑ Angela Rice. Travel Specialist. Expert Interview. 18 September 2020.
• ↑ https://thepointsguy.com/2015/05/cuba-travel-agent/
• ↑ https://www.goatsontheroad.com/travelling-to-cuba-what-does-cost/
• ↑ https://www.viahero.com/blog/how-to-travel-cheap-and-save-money-in-cuba
• ↑ http://www.cuba-junky.com/cuba/budget_travel.htm
• ↑ https://diytravelhq.com/peso-street-food-cuba/M
• ↑ http://floratheexplorer.com/cheap-budget-travel-in-cuba-guide/
• ↑ https://www.tourepublic.com/blog/cuban-currency/

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FAQs about Cuba

How much does it cost to stay in cuba.

We make it easy to travel somewhere new, with Cuba stays starting from as little as $17 a night.

If I'm not able to travel, can I cancel my Cuba booking?

Yes, you can. We totally understand that life doesn’t always go to plan, so we’re here to help if you need to make changes to your Cuba vacation. It may be possible to amend or cancel your booking at no cost if you’ve booked within 24 hours. Your hotel may charge you a fee if you booked more than 24 hours ago. Have a look at our Customer Service Portal for further information.

Where do travelers stay in Cuba?

People heading to Cuba will often book one of these amazing properties: CasavanaCuba Boutique Hotel, Alhabana, Blanc Blue 1924 Boutique Hotel, La Villa Teresa, Art Studio Habana Vieja 55, Hostal Doña Amalia Cuba, Vapor 156 Boutique Hotel, VOYA Boutique Hotel, Art Boutique Havana, Joe David, SAN IGNACIO 659, Boutique Casa Italia.

How do travelers in Cuba rate their stay?

Travelers love staying in Cuba thanks to the quality of its properties. The average review ratings for accommodations in Cuba is 9.3.

What is the average price to stay in Cuba?

If you book now, you’ll find offers between $17 and $180 per night. However, if you are flexible on dates, keep an eye on our website as you might be able to find even greater deals.

How do I get a cheap deal for my Cuba vacation?

Booking a Cuba stay with Expedia is one of the best ways to save. Secure your getaway now and unlock amazing deals – with more than 321,000 properties around the globe, and 5,502 only in Cuba, we offer a great selection of accommodations for every occasion. With such a fabulous range to choose from, you’ll have no difficulty putting together your perfect getaway.

How far in advance should I book my Cuba vacation?

It’s difficult to pick the perfect time for vacation deals, but we usually say the earlier, the better. Many offers on Expedia become available to compare up to 12 months in advance. If you’re booking last minute, don’t despair. Budget prices appear from time to time within a few weeks of departure dates.

Does Expedia offer Book Now, Pay Later on Cuba vacation bookings?

Most good vacations can become costly, so it’s good to know that Expedia is able to make things easier. Thanks to our partnership with online lender Affirm, you can now make the most out of your budget with a Book Now, Pay Later stay.

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Cuba moves to ‘partially’ dollarize economy as government struggles to make payments

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Cuban Prime Minister Manuel Marrero said the government will embrace a “partial” dollarization of the economy as it struggles to buy food, oil, and pay creditors in a scenario he described as a “war economy.”

During a session of the National Assembly on Wednesday, Marrero said the government will start accepting payments in dollars and other foreign currencies at hotels, stores and other venues linked to the island’s tourism industry as a temporary measure.

“It is not the government´s vision to pursue a full dollarization of the economy,” he said.

Currently, tourists must purchase prepaid cards in a local virtual currency, the MLC, to buy goods, gas and services, as the government has pushed to transition from cash to online payments. Cubans often complain about such requirements in a country with a poor technological infrastructure and frequent blackouts, and the country’s prime minister acknowledged that was the case.

“It cannot be that [tourists] want to buy an expensive excursion, and at that moment there is no connectivity and they cannot pay with the card,” he said. “And yet they have cash but we say no and we lose the money.”

For a brief period, the government opened dollar stores in Cuba in 2020, but the dollars had to be deposited to a card linked to a bank account.

Marrero said the authorization to pay foreign currency in cash “in some sectors” was one of several measures the government was taking to stabilize the country’s finances. He announced a new policy requiring state enterprises to use only the local Cuban peso for transactions with some exceptions, including wholesale importers, exporting companies and enterprises in the Mariel Special Development Zone, a special economic zone to attract foreign direct investment.

Despite worsening economy, Cuba announces crackdown on growing private sector

Crackdown on the private sector

But the prime minister squarely blamed an informal currency exchange market and the private sector for redirecting and taking in most of the foreign currency entering the country. About $2 billion “previously controlled by the state has gone to that market, partly illegal,” he said.

He shared figures showing that the private sector, including small and medium enterprises, self-employed workers and cooperatives imported about $1.3 billion dollars in goods last year. But he said that economic activity has created an “uncontrollable demand” for dollars, driving its price up and depriving the government of foreign currency.

The minister then announced new restrictions on private enterprises, including tighter controls on their bank accounts, price caps on food and goods they sell, higher taxes, and a ban on using foreign banks to pay providers abroad. If enacted, the measures would significantly thwart any further expansion of private enterprises, even threatening their survival.

Some Cuban observers say the crackdown on the private sector makes little sense at a time of significant scarcity, given the gap these businesses are filling as significant importers of food and goods.

“It reeks of desperation,” said Ric Herrero, the executive director of the Cuba Study Group, a Cuban American organization that supports private entrepreneurs in Cuba. “The Cuban government can defy math laws, but a private business can’t. Private businesses will leave the market and there will be nothing left. The government will see the results of these Draconian measures right away.”

A source who has a business in Cuba and asked not to be named said the move seems to be an attempt to fill the government coffers with dollars coming from elsewhere because the government “is bankrupt.”

“They have a lot of internal struggles and are trying to calibrate how to stimulate the economy without giving away power,” the source said.

Limiting car imports

The source said the government is under pressure from state workers, the Communist Party bureaucracy and retired miitary officers who are now watching how others prosper while earning meager salaries and pensions.

That tension was evident during Marrero’s address to the National Assembly when he announced restrictions on the cars imported by private enterprises. Business owners have been buying millions of dollars in vehicles from the United States — and Florida in particular — according to U.S. trade statistics, some of them luxury brands like Mercedes Benz and Tesla.

“The number and types of vehicles that non-state management firms can import will be limited,” he said. “There are some cars that are entering that are not compatible with our society, they are not necessary. And we also have to limit the number, which should be based on the interests of the country.”

Marrero said the government lacked foreign currency to fund its budget fully and was open to foreign investment. “But we will never give up sovereignty. We are not giving the country away.”

He had a message to foreign creditors: “We ask for understanding regarding the delay in payment but we reiterate that we will fulfill our commitments to the last cent. When? When our possibilities and conditions improve.”

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What’s the Cheapest Hawaiian Island to Visit?

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Hawaii isn’t known as a cheap destination, but if you’re set on visiting the Aloha state, choosing the right island can make a big difference in the cost of your trip. If you’re looking to save on a trip to Hawaii, head to the island of Oahu.

Of the four main Hawaiian islands for tourism — Oahu, Maui, Kauai and the Big Island — Oahu is the cheapest Hawaiian island to visit by multiple metrics. Oahu has the lowest daily average hotel room rate of the islands and the lowest average daily spending per tourist, according to May 2024 data from the Hawai‘i Tourism Authority.

The cost of hotel rooms on Oahu

Though the average room rate in May 2024 across all of Hawaii was $342, Oahu hotel rooms average about 21% less, coming in at $272. That translates to about $70 per night less than the average.

In a breakdown of average daily room rates in May 2024 by island, Oahu shines.

One reason for Oahu’s lowest average room rate? The island also has the biggest supply. In fact, Oahu had more than double the number of hotel room nights than Maui, the next closest contender.

Even when broken down by hotel class, Oahu still has the most affordable room rates across every level, from economy and midscale to luxury options.

Midscale and economy rooms in Oahu cost $151 per night on average. That’s 30% less than the average price for the same class of room across the entire state. And if you have a penchant for the finer things in life, you’ll save on Oahu, too. In fact, you could save about $223 per night by choosing to vacation at a luxury hotel in Oahu versus Maui .

Oahu, like other islands, offers opportunities to book stays using hotel points and credit card rewards. For example, Oahu is the only island with a Hampton Inn & Suites outpost, a midscale brand where you can redeem Hilton Honors points — and avoid pesky resort fees on award bookings.

One of Oahu’s most famous luxury hotels, the historic Moana Surfrider, a Westin Resort & Spa, Waikiki Beach, can be booked using Marriott Bonvoy points. Those can be earned through Marriott credit cards as well as general travel credit cards that accrue points that transfer to Marriott .

On the other side of the island sits another famous property, Turtle Bay Resort. The luxury hotel will soon become a Marriott property when it’s rebranded as The Ritz-Carlton O‘ahu, Turtle Bay in August 2024.

The cost of activities on Oahu

More goes into a vacation budget than just a hotel. There’s food, tours, ground transportation and souvenirs. And once again, travelers arriving by air spend less per day on Oahu than any other island.

Across all trip expenditures (including lodging), Oahu is the best bargain in average daily spending per person in May 2024, according to a separate study by the Hawai’i Tourism Authority.

So why is spending on Oahu lower than on other islands? Not only are there more hotels, but also more restaurants and other types of businesses. According to the latest U.S. Census Bureau data, Honolulu County in Oahu had more than 21,000 businesses in 2020, while Maui County in Maui had fewer than 5,000. The increased competition lowers prices for consumers.

There’s also just a lot of free and cheap stuff to do on Oahu . Many of the top activities — including visiting the Pearl Harbor National Memorial, lounging on Waikiki Beach and hiking the Makapuʻu Point Lighthouse Trail — are free. It costs just $5 per person to enter Diamond Head State Monument (though it’s an additional $10 for parking).

And because of Honolulu’s robust bus network and walkability, it’s easy to get around Honolulu without a rental car . For places more difficult to get to, it’s possible to rent a car for just a day or rely on rideshare services like Uber or Lyft.

There are plenty of ways to save on a Hawaiian vacation. Start by finding affordable flights to Hawaii’s cheapest island, Oahu. The higher concentration of hotels and businesses means more affordable options.

How to maximize your rewards

You want a travel credit card that prioritizes what’s important to you. Here are some of the best travel credit cards of 2024 :

Flexibility, point transfers and a large bonus: Chase Sapphire Preferred® Card

No annual fee: Bank of America® Travel Rewards credit card

Flat-rate travel rewards: Capital One Venture Rewards Credit Card

Bonus travel rewards and high-end perks: Chase Sapphire Reserve®

Luxury perks: The Platinum Card® from American Express

Business travelers: Ink Business Preferred® Credit Card

on Chase's website

1x-5x 5x on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3x on dining, select streaming services and online groceries, 2x on all other travel purchases, 1x on all other purchases.

60,000 Earn 60,000 bonus points after you spend $4,000 on purchases in the first 3 months from account opening. That's $750 when you redeem through Chase Travel℠.

1.5%-5% Enjoy 5% cash back on travel purchased through Chase Travel℠, 3% cash back on drugstore purchases and dining at restaurants, including takeout and eligible delivery service, and unlimited 1.5% cash back on all other purchases.

Up to $300 Earn an additional 1.5% cash back on everything you buy (on up to $20,000 spent in the first year) - worth up to $300 cash back!

on Capital One's website

2x-5x Earn unlimited 2X miles on every purchase, every day. Earn 5X miles on hotels and rental cars booked through Capital One Travel, where you'll get Capital One's best prices on thousands of trip options.

75,000 Enjoy $250 to use on Capital One Travel in your first cardholder year, plus earn 75,000 bonus miles once you spend $4,000 on purchases within the first 3 months from account opening - that’s equal to $1,000 in travel.