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What is the current situation of cash in Cuba? Last time I was there, there used to be convertible pesos (CUC). It was good to have some moneda nacional (MN) to buy for instance fruit in a small store or as a souvenir but with no practical use.

Also, there was some difference in exchange rate between a cadeca and the street, but in my opinion it was not worth the risk.

Now, I am going to a small city. Should I expect problems/delays/queues to get CUCs? What would be the exchange rate? Will there be a significant difference between, for instance, the hotel, the airport or a cadeca, and the street?

And lastly, will it be very difficult to change back the CUC to EUR? (I guess so)

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  • There will be quite a difference between official exchanges (cadeca, hotel etc) and the street but since the official rate was increased the difference is not so dramatic. Changing money in the street is not a good idea, AFAIK it is technically illegal, and there’s a risk you’ll be given counterfeit notes
    – Traveller
    Jan 20 at 16:01

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Last time I was there, there used to be convertible pesos (CUC)

Back in 2020, CUC has been scrapped

CUP is now the only currency in Cuba, along MLC (which is a digital currency pegged to the USD at 1 MLC = 1 USD), of which I know very little about, but this article should help

What would be the exchange rate?

After the scrapping, the rate was to be fixed at 24 CUP for 1 USD, but inflation got it raised by a lot and now the rates hover at the 1USD = 110 CUP mark (buy rate is as of the post date, sell rate is 123 CUP = 1 USD)

The official exchange rates are displayed on the Casas de Cambio website, and this source reports daily about the unofficial rates

Will there be a significant difference between, for instance, the hotel, the airport or a cadeca, and the street?

Definitely yes, the source reports a sell value for CUP to be 162 CUP = 1 USD, might be the same for buy rate

And lastly, will it be very difficult to change back the CUC to EUR? (I guess so)

Seems like that will be the case, so you may want to only change a bit at a time

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  • The OP will need EUR at the airport if he/she wants to buy refreshments (pesos are not accepted AFAIK), and there should be a cadeca onsite where leftover pesos can be exchanged
    – Traveller
    Jan 20 at 16:04
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    Changing a weak currency into a strong one can be painful. I saw an exchange in Uruguay where the spread between the buy and sell price for the Argentinian Peso was a whopping 10:1. They REALLY did not want to buy any,
    – Hilmar
    Jan 20 at 18:29
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    The OP also asks Should I expect problems/delays/queues to get CUCs? YES, 100%. Expect (long) queues, ATMs running out of notes and/or suddenly dropping out of service, and power outages that affect ATMs’ working.
    – Traveller
    Jan 21 at 9:28

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