On Friday, Cuban content creator Sisi Aguilera voiced her concerns about how eating in Cuba has become a luxury due to surging food prices and frequent power outages that strain families.
In a video she shared on Facebook, Aguilera displayed her recent grocery purchases, stating she spent 1,450 pesos on a kilogram of sugar and 200 pesos for a hand of bananas.
Aguilera also mentioned that a pound of rice costs around 330 pesos, a price not everyone can afford.
"It's no secret—I know it—but it's outrageous," Aguilera remarked in the brief video, which lasts just over a minute.
The Impact of Power Outages on Food Preservation
The ongoing electricity shortages exacerbate the expense of food, Aguilera explained. Lengthy blackouts make it impossible to keep food in refrigerators, forcing many families to buy only what they need each day.
"You end up spending more money than usual because if you can't refrigerate your food, you have to buy just the essentials, which often spoil," she explained.
Struggling to Obtain Basic Necessities
Aguilera humorously noted the fate of the bananas she purchased, saying they wouldn't be fried due to a lack of cooking oil. "These are for boiling," she said.
Her story adds to the growing number of citizen complaints about rising food costs and the increasing difficulty Cuban families face in securing basic goods amidst an economic and energy crisis.
Government Measures and Economic Challenges
This testimony arises amid a wave of price hikes affecting the entire island, worsened by inconsistent government policies.
In June, the Ministry of Finance and Prices lifted national price caps on oil, chicken, powdered milk, pasta, and sausages through Resolution 150/2026. In July, Decree 156 also removed the cap on rice, which had been set at 155 pesos per pound since March 2025. Less than two months later, several provincial governments began reinstating local controls haphazardly, with varying prices depending on the region.
In Holguín, officials announced a maximum 30% profit margin on basic items, yet residents reported that even after the announcement, a carton of eggs remained at 5,000 pesos and oil over 3,000.
Meanwhile, in Pinar del Río, oil was set at 2,150 pesos with penalties for violators. At a fair in Camagüey commemorating the centennial of dictator Fidel Castro (1926-2016), beef was offered at 600 pesos per pound, which one attendee called "quite affordable" because "elsewhere it's 900."
The disparity between wages and prices makes the situation untenable for most. From January to April 2026, the average state salary was 7,074 pesos per month, equivalent to roughly 13 to 17 dollars at the informal exchange rate.
Independent economists estimate that an individual needs over 70,000 pesos monthly just to meet their nutritional needs. The average salary covers only 10% of this amount.
Economist Pedro Monreal summarized the government's cycle of measures and reversals with a widely shared phrase: "176 measures and only one achievement: proving they learned nothing."
Understanding Cuba's Economic and Energy Crisis
Why has eating become a luxury in Cuba?
Eating has become a luxury in Cuba due to skyrocketing food prices and prolonged power outages that hinder food preservation.
How do power outages affect Cuban families?
Power outages prevent families from storing food in refrigerators, forcing them to buy only daily necessities, which often leads to spoilage and increased spending.
What government measures have impacted food prices?
The Cuban government removed price caps on several foods, leading to inconsistent local controls and further price increases, exacerbating the economic burden on residents.