And the final tally is…..(drum roll)…..$150 per week. (real US dollars)
This is for 2 people over a period of 14 weeks spent in Cuba and leaving with $1,000 of food and wine stashed on board. This makes Cuba a cruising bargain.
Sailorgirl is a frugal traveller, however, there are some things a girl must have. Eating out is one of them as is a cold beer every now and then (especially when you live without refrigeration). It is possible to spend more money by indulging in things like rental cars, that’s only an option in large cities. For the most part, it’s hard to spend money in Cuba. There’s nothing to buy.
We had anticipated $180 a week, it was nice to come back with money.
As you read this, remember the Cuban Golden Rule: if you don’t like something, wait an hour and it’ll change. This is what we found, who knows what it is now. Here’s a breakdown of our costs:
Marinas
We prefer to anchor out but at some places this is not an option (like Havana). Marinas in Cuba are all 45 cents per foot per night. Maria La Gorda is now charging 15 cents per foot per night for a mooring ball. We anchored in Cienfuegos but the marina is charging a “mooring fee” of $10 per night. Argue. We all did and got it down to $5.
Cost of checking in
cruising permit…………………$15
tourist cards……………………$15 per person for first 30 days, $25 per person for second (or third)
veterinary certificate …………$20
Charts
per chart kit $40 – $50 (widely available)
Car Rentals
Here’s where you will break the cruising kitty. Per day a car will set you back a minimum of $90. We only did this once and split it with friends.
Entertainment
Get used to entertaining yourself. We went to a movie once (Scream 3, in Spanish on a TV), 5 cents each.
Eating/Drinking Out
a cold beer………………………80 cents to $2 depending on the place, average $1
a cocktail………………………..in a tourist resort or city $2 – $4, in a small town, $1
restaurant meal for 2………….$16 (not including drinks)
meal in a private house………$16 (drinks sometimes included)
bottle of water………………….$1
Supplies/Miscellaneous
bottle of rum…………………..silver – $3, 5 year old – $5.40, 7 year old – $7
wine (Spanish only)………….$3 – $6
vegetables……………………..a large bag of whatever’s available $2 (see our shopping list from Santa Fe)
groceries……………………….wild card. Kellogs Corn Flakes $7, Oreo Cookies $2, 1 lb pasta 80 cents
lobster tail……………………..$1 or a bottle of rum or coffee
coffee…………………………..$6 per pound (in stores), $2 per pound from a private house (hard to find)
fish………………………………$1 – 4 or a t-shirt
meat…………………………….ha! don’t bother
laundry………………………….$5 for a large pillowcase stuffed (3 sets of sheets, 4 towels and all our clothes)
Boat Supplies
gasoline………………………..$4 gallon
diesel…………………………..$1 gallon
12 volt battery………………..$85 (bought in Nueva Gerona)
That’s it for the boating supplies available. You did read the part about taking everything you will need with you, didn’t you?