A Cuban doctor, who goes by the handle @unadoctoracubana on TikTok, has exposed the stark disparity between wages and prices in Cuba. She documented the staggering cost of a weekly shopping trip for basic groceries, spending 40,400 Cuban pesos on essentials, a sum that exceeds five months of her salary as a physician.
"I nearly had a stroke when I calculated how much we spent today just to fill the fridge, and we didn't even buy luxury items," the doctor began in her video, which she posted on August 22.
The shopping was funded by $70 sent from abroad, which, at the informal exchange rate of 660 CUP per dollar that day, amounted to 46,200 Cuban pesos. With this money, she purchased: a 10-pound package of chicken (8,500 CUP), two pounds of minced meat (1,300 CUP), three pounds of pork (4,500 CUP), nearly three pounds of smoked loin (6,200 CUP), 10 pounds of beef (12,000 CUP), a carton of eggs (4,500 CUP), and 10 pounds of rice (3,500 CUP).
And this didn't even include everything. "What I just showed you already totals 40,400 pesos, not counting root vegetables, greens, and the seasonings we use throughout the week," she explained.
"Many who watch this video might think it's a normal shopping trip, relatively cheap, but there it is, folks, more than five months of my salary as a doctor in Cuba," she noted.
The question she posed at the end of the video encapsulates the desperation felt by millions: "I wonder, folks, how are people surviving on just one salary?"
The doctor also briefly mentioned being able to buy beef because "it seems it's now legal," referring to a regulated opening that allows authorized producers to sell it through specific official channels, though it remains largely inaccessible to the general population.
"It's a lot of work, a lot of sacrifice, and a lot of improvisation just to put food on the table," she concluded, summarizing in a single sentence the everyday reality for those who uphold Cuba's healthcare system with wages that can't even cover a week's worth of groceries.
Understanding the Economic Challenges in Cuba
How much did the Cuban doctor spend on groceries?
The doctor spent 40,400 Cuban pesos on basic groceries, which surpasses five months of her salary.
How was the grocery shopping funded?
The shopping was funded by $70 sent from abroad, converted into 46,200 Cuban pesos at the informal exchange rate of the day.
Why is beef now available in Cuba?
Beef is now available due to a regulated opening that allows authorized producers to sell it through specific official channels, although its access is still limited.