Cuban Influencer’s Monthly Grocery Bill Sparks Debate Over Island’s Rising Costs
HAVANA, Cuba – โคA Cuban social โฃmedia influencer’s recent post detailing her monthlyโข food expenditure has ignited โขa conversation about the escalatingโฃ cost of living in Cuba. Jeniffer, known โonline as @jeniffer_bichota_de_cuba_, โขshared a video showcasing a grocery haul totaling over 90,000 Cuban pesos (CUP) – equivalent to more than 250 โขUS dollars on โtheโฃ informal market.
“Join me in spending โ90,000 Cuban pesos on my โขfood purchase for the entire month. Leave me โขin the comments if you โคsee the purchase as goodโข or โขas โขbad,” Jeniffer โคstated in โthe accompanying video.
The extensive shopping list included:
* โ 10 pounds of sugar at 280 CUP per pound.
* โ 20 pounds of rice at 280 CUP per pound.
* 10 pounds of beans (5 red and โฃ5โข black) at 340 CUP per pound.
* 20 โpoundsโค of minced meatโฃ at 280 CUP per โpound.
* โ 10 pounds of beef at โ1,100 CUP per โคpound (noting some vendors sell it for 1,300 โฃCUP).
* 3 packagesโ of chicken at 3,800โ CUP each.
* 10 packages of โsausages (“dogs”)โค at 480 CUP each.
* 2 knobs of oil at โ960 CUP each.
* โ 12 pounds of porkโฃ at 1,100 CUP per pound.
* โ 1 can of tomato puree at 370 CUP.
* 30โ juicesโ for children at 180 CUP each.
* 1 carton of eggs at 2,600 CUP.
* 4 jellies at 250 CUP each.
* 4 โฃbags of chips at 280 CUP each.
* 2 packages of โdetergent atโค 450โค CUP each.
* โ 7 pots of iceโค cream at 750 CUP each.
* 4 packages of โคhamburgers (price not specified).
Jeniffer clarified that this level of spending is not typical forโ most Cubans, attributing her ability to affordโฃ the purchase to financial support from her children’s father, โขwho โคresidesโ in the United States. โ
The post has generated critically important online discussion, with manny โcommenters highlightingโฃ the stark contrast between the influencer’s spending and the economic realities faced by average Cubans. With average monthly salaries around 5,000 CUP, theโ majority of the population would struggle to cover even a fraction of this grocery bill โฃwithout relying on remittances. The situation underscores the ongoing economic challenges and high prices โimpacting daily life in Cuba.
