A Cuban woman's TikTok video has gone viral after she disclosed that she spent over $6,000 during her brief three-day visit to Cuba. Her revelation came as a response to criticism aimed at another user who claimed her brother had spent $5,000 on food during a five-day trip to the island—an amount many found exaggerated and implausible given Cuba's current economic climate.
To defend the possibility of incurring such expenses in Cuba, Laritza Alfaro (@laritzaalfaroz on TikTok) detailed her weekend trip expenditures. "I want to show you what I spent on my last trip to Cuba. I returned a couple of weeks ago," she begins, explaining that she would account for all expenses, including airfare, luggage contents, and accommodation costs.
Breaking Down the Expenses
Laritza mentioned purchasing her first-class ticket the day before her departure for $700, justifying the choice as it allowed her to avoid additional baggage fees. The luggage, filled with essentials like medicines, toiletries, and shoes, totaled approximately $1,500, with $700 solely spent on medicines.
Accommodation proved to be another major cost. She rented an Airbnb in Havana for ten people over three nights, costing $800. During her stay, she covered her family's expenses and noted they ventured out twice to enjoy the city. One outing to a restaurant cost $800, and another night at a nightclub came to $600.
Detailed Spending Habits
"I keep everything recorded because I manage everything in dollars," she added, emphasizing her meticulous record-keeping. In all, including additional outings and purchases in Cuba, she reported spending $2,200. Furthermore, she allocated $1,000 to distribute among family and left $200 in tips during her stay. She clarified that she avoided car rental costs, which helped reduce overall expenses.
Concluding her video, Laritza stated, "The total for my trip to Cuba was $6,400. It was just a weekend from Friday to Monday. I believe everyone spends based on what they bring. I don't think it was too expensive; we didn't go out much. And when you bring money there, it holds significant value, and I didn't find what we ate to be costly, except when we went out, but considering there were 11 of us, it seemed reasonable."
Mixed Reactions on Social Media
The TikTok community quickly reacted, with many users questioning the authenticity of her claims, suggesting that the figures seemed disproportionate. Meanwhile, others supported her right to spend according to her means and lifestyle choices.