I just got back from Havana and came across a scenario I cannot figure out.I was speaking to a friend who lives in Alomar in Havana. I asked her what her monthly costs add up to, and she said $200 CUC per month.
I believe that includes everything from food, housing rent, entertainment, etc…Does this number seem off to anyone else? Mind you, she is a single mom with a young child, and takes care of her elderly mother also.
My research is showing the average Cuban makes 1/4 ($50/month) of that at best. How is her monthly expenditure $200CUC per month and she lives in the ghettos with no luxury?And before anyone asks, no, she did not want any money from me. It was simply a discussion we were having and upon my return to Canada, I did some research on the average Cuban income.
She also had a surgery a few weeks back and was indicating that her cab rides to and from the hospital are around $15-20CUC each. I asked her, “dont locals get cheaper cab rides than tourist?” and her response was “not really, unless you have a friend who can take you for cheaper.”
With average income being $20-$50CUC/month, shouldnt the monthly costs of living be around that also?Finally, cab drivers are making $30CUC for an average ride from the airport to the Havana area… That’s just 1 trip a day, and I’m sure they do it multiple times a day. How does this coincide with the average income being so low? Are cab drivers the rich amongst the Cubans? Even if they have to give up some of their income, it’s still very high in comparison to the average income!