Moving to Cuba?

Question

I'm considering moving to Cuba. I visited it a few months back and am going again.

I want to know about other people's experiences after moving there.is it easy to live there? Every day living comforts, can they be had at a reasonable price. Can I buy a car there?etc.

Your comments would be appreciated

Answer 1

Ahhhh comrade. You have decided to join us Commies. When you arrive give me a call. We shall have a drink with Mr. Castro, perhaps shoot a few Americans.

Phone: 666-CASTRO

E-mail: [e-mail]

Answer 2

Yes you can live there and enjoy your life. And you can buy a car there. If you have money you will be able to enjoy more commodities. I can't speak from experience of living there, but I do know others that have moved there. They are working as well and living well.

You can look at the link to read more on how it is easy to live in Cuba as a foreigner.

Hope it all works out for you. Cuba is a gorgeous island and filled with culture, history and 'warmth'.

**PS: I didn't mean to confuse you or 'flower' it up. It is possible to get work depending on what it is but I wasn't trying to say that it would be very easy. Cubans will get first pick on employment but many foreigners have come in with the tourism/hotel business, and if they do international trade. I think one of the guys mentioned that. But foreigners wouldn't be only living on $10-15 CUC a month if they have money. And you do have to abide by Cuban laws when living there.

Anyway, sorry if my information mixed you up. And thanks guys for any clarification needed.

Answer 3

To actually have the right to live in Cuba (without becoming a Cuban citizen), a foreigner can either find a job (not easy), get a work permit and temporary residency or marry a Cuban.

Apart from that, there are foreigners who effectively live here on tourist visas. For Canadians, that is easy, as they can stay up to six months at a time - then pop out (to Cancun, say) and back. Other foreigners can only stay two months at a time, so have to do more trips to Cancun.

Some things are expensive (breakfast cereal, for example), some things are cheap (local vegetables, for example). Only certain brand names are available. (Unilever products yes, Proctor & Gamble, much less so).

A foreigner with residency can buy a car. Tourists cannot.

Foreigners cannot buy property. (Apart from a number of apartments - but they have all been sold).

As Richard says, visiting and living are two different things. Most foreigners that I know are either living a lifestyle aprt from the Cubans, or some sort of mixture. I know very few foreigners living like Cubans (one guy I know is Guatamalan, but has been here almost 50 years).

To work here, you either need to get a job with a multinational - most of those jobs need you to be in that business already - or to create your own business. (Most of those are importers selling to Cuban companies).

Answer 4

.Although I enjoyed reading the info on the sites that Tropical posted I do tend to be somewhat sceptical as to how  much they can be relied on. How anyone can live the good life on the equivalent of $15.00- $20.00 U. S. per month without the family support Cubans enjoy  is beyond my comprehension.   One should very much realize there is a huge huge difference in culture which  could be extremely difficult to adapt to living with on a  daily basis.  For  several years I lived  in the Dominican Republic so I do have a little experience in living in the Caribbean. So very few ex-Pats lived the Dominican way. Unless  one has the wherewithal to live more or less  on  your own resources or  your own business life was not very pleasant.   Not much is worse than  being a poor Gringo in these countries. Anyone considering moves to the tropics should be very aware it is one thing to visit as a tourist for a couple of weeks and very much another to live in those countries full time.

Here  are a couple more comments.   I could see it if you were a student attending university and living on your own resources.  I could also see it if you married a Cuban. Another possibility would be if you worked in management  for an international company or you were employed  by  possibly a tour company and were fluently tri-lingual if you were Canadian.  Sorry to be a wet blanket but I really wouldn't like to see anyone getting their hopes up and being disappointed.  I saw dozens of people over the years moving to the DR only to be shattered by the reality of being unable to find any worthwhile  job and  having to return  from whence they came without so  much as a peso in their pocket.

Since he lives in Cuba I would interested to see a post from Beardo on this thread.