Planning a Trip to Cuba: Cost Breakdown
Ready to plan your own trip to Havana? If you're on a Budget, check out our cost breakdown to find ways to save money on your flights, accommodations, food and entertainment!
Flights
We booked our flights thru Southwest from Fort Lauderdale at a total cost of:
2,232 Southwest Points (FLL to HAV)
$112 Expense (HAV to FLL)
We have a Southwest Companion Pass so we only had to buy one ticket. Note - The Companion Pass works for all Domestic and International routes operated by Southwest!
In addition to the flights, we had to buy Cuba Travel Visas for $50 per person before takeoff from the Fort Lauderdale Airport (Terminal 1, 1st floor Baggage Claim)
$100 Expense
Accommodations
We stayed in an apartment booked via Airbnb in Vedado (adjacent to Havana Vieja). The apartment was equipped with a working kitchen, TV (antenna service), AC, and a modern bathroom.
For 3 nights, we paid $196 (including taxes and fees). We also decided to rent out our own home on Airbnb during this time and we were fortunate enough to recover $213 as someone wanted to rent our home for 2 of the 3 nights we were going to be out. This worked out well as it ended up generating some positive cash flow:
$196 Expense + $213 AirBnb Income = $17 Income
Food, Entertainment, Travel
Havana Tour Company for 2 People: $200 Expense
Purchased prior to departure for an all-day tour which included an English-speaking guide that will take you through a walking adventure of Havana and teach you about the history, culture, and people. The full day option also included:
- Lunch
- Cruise in a classic 1950’s American muscle car
- Drinks overlooking the Ocean @ Hotel Nacional
Expenses incurred in Cuba: $280 Expense
We exchanged $200 USD at the Airport after clearing Customs. Although, the conversion rate is supposed to be $1 USD to 1 CUC, after the exchange charged its fees, we were left with 182 CUC. We also exchanged 70 EUR at a Hotel later in our trip and received 65 CUC.
You may be able to get better rates elsewhere or perhaps arrange with your Airbnb host at a better rate. Unfortunately, the few ATMs in the city do not accept American Debit Cards, I tried!!
Total CUCs: 247 CUC
- Souvenirs: 50 CUC
- City Map of Havana: 2 CUC
- Food, Drinks, Misc: 95 CUC
- Taxis, including Airport to Vedado: 100 CUC
We had our Airbnb host arrange for a Taxi to pick us up from the airport. We felt like we were traveling back in time as there was a gentleman waiting for us with a sign with our name ready to take us to our destination.
Have you traveled to Cuba lately? How much did your trip cost?