A Cuban doctor recently took to TikTok to illustrate how her entire monthly salary vanished in just one day, spent on everyday necessities and a simple photo session to mark her baby's four-month milestone.
The TikTok user known as @javiart08, or JAViart, shared a video last Thursday detailing each expense: two baby photos costing 1,900 Cuban pesos (CUP), bread for breakfast and snacks, cheese for the week, four ripe plantains, a carton of eggs, and a bottle of natural yogurt. The total reached 8,760 CUP, roughly equivalent to $17 on the informal exchange rate.
"I spent my whole salary in a single day without even realizing it," the doctor states at the video's start before itemizing her purchases with a tone of resignation to a situation that has become all too familiar.
What truly caught her attention was the cost of the photos: 1,900 CUP for just two images of her child—a sum she notes is comparable to her grandmother's pension.
"Not everyone earns that in a month, and it wasn't even a large purchase, just a regular one," she comments in the video, emphasizing that these aren't extraordinary expenses but the day-to-day reality in Cuba.
A newly graduated doctor in Cuba earns a base salary of just 5,060 CUP monthly, approximately $10 at the informal exchange rate. With specialization and on-call duties, it can increase to 6,562 CUP, and with over 20 years of experience, up to 8,000 CUP, about $16. The minimum retirement pension, following a partial increase in September 2025, stands at 4,000 CUP, less than $8 per month.
In Havana, a basic basket of goods for two people exceeds 41,000 CUP monthly, as reported by the Food Monitor Program, meaning a doctor's salary covers less than 20% of what's needed to feed a family.
This isn't the first time @javiart08 has highlighted the gap between wages and prices in Cuba. In April, she documented that $100 monthly isn't enough to survive, with an initial purchase of 39,300 CUP leaving just 55 CUP remaining. That same month, she also shared frustrations with the bureaucratic barriers at MINSAP that keep her "regulated" and unable to emigrate despite a three-year wait.
Independent estimates indicate that accumulated inflation in Cuba between 2024 and 2026 exceeds 200%, with the Cuban peso devaluing by 48% against the dollar in a year, moving from 345 CUP per dollar in March 2025 to over 510 CUP now. Cuban doctors, scraping by on $16 a month, have become central figures in a growing TikTok trend where health professionals document the impossibility of living on a salary in the island nation.
The doctor concluded her video with a straightforward message: "Save this video and send it to anyone who claims you can live on a salary in Cuba."
Understanding Cuba's Economic Challenges
What is the average salary for a doctor in Cuba?
A newly graduated doctor's base salary in Cuba is about 5,060 CUP monthly, equivalent to roughly $10 at the informal exchange rate. With experience and additional duties, this can increase to around 8,000 CUP or approximately $16.
How much does it cost to live in Havana?
According to the Food Monitor Program, the cost of a basic basket for two people in Havana is over 41,000 CUP monthly, which means that a doctor's salary covers less than 20% of the necessary expenses.
How has inflation impacted Cuba recently?
Between 2024 and 2026, Cuba experienced an inflation rate exceeding 200%, and the Cuban peso has devalued 48% against the dollar in a year, making daily life increasingly unaffordable for many.