Varadero at a glance
- Varadero ranks 3rd of 4 priced cities in Cuba on cost: $1,070 a month in essentials, 55% above Havana, the cheapest.
- The average net salary of $19 covers that 0.0×.
- 106.6 men per 100 women aged 20–39, measured at province level.
- PM2.5 averages 7.4 µg/m³ a year, 1× the WHO guideline of 5.
Green is the better side of each figure. Every line is computed from the tables below.
Monthly cost breakdown
Rent outside centre plus utilities, groceries, dining and local transport make up the essentials figure. Not a full lifestyle budget. The middle column is the median across the 4 Cuba cities we track, so every row says whether Varadero is the cheap side of its own market or the dear one. Green is the better side of each row.
| Essentials, monthlyrent outside centre + bills + food + transit | $1,070 | $1,026 | $44 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $575 | $416 | 1.38× as much |
| Rent, 1-bed city centremonthly, USD | $500 | $430 | $70 |
| Groceriesmonthly, one person | $123 | $147 | $24 |
| Dining outmonthly, one person | $97 | $143 | 1.47× as much |
| Utilitiesmonthly: power, water, heating, internet | $260 | $199 | 1.31× as much |
| Local transportmonthly pass or fare equivalent | $15 | $35 | 2.33× as much |
| Average net salarymonthly, after tax; average, not median | $19 | $33 | 1.71× as much |
| Rent, 3-bed outside centremonthly, USD | $650 | $628 | $22 |
| Rent, 3-bed city centremonthly, USD | $1,200 | $1,110 | $90 |
Single person, USD. Data updated August 6, 2026.
Everyday prices
What single items cost in Varadero, in USD. The monthly figures above are built from these. Cheaper side of each row in green.
Eating out
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $4.44 | $5.54 | $1.10 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Meal for 2, mid-range, three courses | $20.00 | $29.18 | 1.46× as much |
| McMeal at McDonald's | $7.00 | $6.45 | $0.55 |
| Cappuccino, regular | $1.60 | $1.95 | $0.34 |
| Domestic beer, 0.5 L draught | $2.63 | $1.69 | 1.56× as much |
| Imported beer, 0.33 L bottle | $3.50 | $2.29 | 1.53× as much |
| Coke/Pepsi, 0.33 L | $1.99 | $1.84 | $0.15 |
| Water, 0.33 L bottle | $0.96 | $0.98 | $0.02 |
Groceries
| Milk, 1 L | $3.00 | $2.64 | $0.36 |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread, 500 g | $1.49 | $1.49 | same |
| White rice, 1 kg | $1.48 | $1.83 | $0.35 |
| Eggs, 12 | $2.19 | $3.71 | 1.70× as much |
| Local cheese, 1 kg | $6.00 | $5.77 | $0.23 |
| Chicken fillets, 1 kg | $4.50 | $4.75 | $0.25 |
| Apples, 1 kg | $3.50 | $4.04 | $0.54 |
| Bananas, 1 kg | $1.03 | $1.12 | $0.09 |
| Tomatoes, 1 kg | $1.56 | $2.11 | 1.36× as much |
| Potatoes, 1 kg | $2.16 | $1.87 | $0.29 |
| Onions, 1 kg | $3.78 | $2.88 | 1.31× as much |
| Water, 1.5 L bottle | $0.56 | $0.98 | 1.76× as much |
Transport & bills
| One-way ticket, local transport | $0.10 | $0.35 | 3.50× as much |
|---|---|---|---|
| Monthly transit pass | $15.43 | $20.00 | 1.30× as much |
| Taxi start | $2.00 | $1.50 | 1.33× as much |
| Taxi, 1 km | $1.00 | $0.81 | $0.19 |
| Gasoline, 1 L | $1.31 | $1.28 | $0.03 |
| Basic utilities, 85 m² flat | $40.00 | $42.12 | $2.12 |
| Internet, 60 Mbps+ | $220.00 | $155.10 | 1.42× as much |
| Mobile plan, monthly | $40.00 | $40.00 | same |
Leisure
| Gym, monthly | $40.00 | $40.00 | same |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cinema, one seat | $1.00 | $1.00 | same |
Dating-age sex ratio
Varadero has 106.6 men per 100 women aged 20–39 (province level). That is the 6th-highest of 10 Cuba cities we track. Cuba's national figure is 105.4, so Varadero runs 1 above the country as a whole.
A supply figure, 20–39. The dating-pool model is in Pro.
How Varadero ranks against every city we track
Varadero sits ahead of 99% of the 562 cities we track on safety. On clean air it is ahead of 80% of 898. Its weakest measure is salary against local costs, ahead of only 0% of 534.
Longer is better on every row: bar length is where Varadero sits among all the cities carrying that measure, which is why the count differs by row.
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Photo: Laslovarga, CC BY-SA 3.0.
