Tipping in Havana

Always leave a tip. Tipping is expected not only in Havana but in whole of Cuba. Local people make less money a month than you pay for pizza at home. Tips help them get better lifestyle. Unless you have had wet mop splashed in your face and soup spilled across your new dress, you should tip.

The downside is, that you will spend more on tips in Havana than you did in any other country you had previously visited. It gets irritating at times as everyone will want a tip for everything. You smile at a musician in the restaurant, he will want a tip, you take a picture of a child on the street, he will want a tip – Cubans expect a tip for everything. If you can afford it, you can rest assured that your money is going towards good cause, but it gets rather tough if your budget is not that high.

How Not To Spend Too Much on Tips

The best thing you can do is to quit looking like a tourist. Do not show off wearing anything expensive. And I’m not only talking about jewelry. Don’t wear designer clothes and sportswear form top makers, such as Nike or Reebok. And do not walk around with your camera hung around your neck. You will see that once you try to blend with the crowd, you will be bugged far less about tipping everyone for everything.

How Much to Tip

Cubans will be happy with 10% tip. Once again – keep in mind that their monthly salary is about as much as two pints of beer at home. CUC$ 1.00 is a decent tip for most services and will be appreciated (CUC is Cuban Convertible Peso). CUC$ 0.50 is often more than enough.

Tipping Gets You Anywhere in Havana

Anything can be done in Cuba in exchange for a little tip. If you need someone to bend the rules or turn around and pretend that they can’t see, depending on difficulty, CUC$ 1.00 – CUC$ 5.00 will be your ticket.

Tipping Bands is a Custom

This part can be difficult to comprehend as cultural difference in this regard is significant between western countries and Cuba. Bands will always expect a tip from everyone who’s sitting on a patio or the beach or anywhere else a band shows up. This is normal in Latin American cultures. Even local Cubans who will be at the bar enjoying the music will leave a tip for the band.

This approach differs from Western cultures. For a westerner, it is easy to perceive a band as some form of group of buskers or street bums looking to rip people off. It is not so in Latino cultures. Mariachis and troubadours don’t get paid by the venues and all locals know playing for people is their bread. In Cuba – if you don’t pay the band, it is as if you were stealing from them.

Make sure you have some change ready before you sit down. Most bands also sell their own CDs. It is often better to purchase a CD as you won’t be expected to tip on top of the price of their CD. For you as a tourist, tip is a money that goes out your pocket for very little or nothing. Buying a CD makes it a little more bearable as you have something to show for your money.

Tipping in Foreign Currency

Cubans have hard time exchanging foreign currency. You may think you’re doing them a favor by tipping them in Canadian dollars or Euros, but you’re not. You’re giving them a headache. Cuban Convertible Pesos are the best currency to tip in.

Besides – foreign coins are completely useless to them. Only bills are exchangeable. So if you’re a Canadian, smallest bill you have available is $5 – that’s a big tip. But that’s not the point. Just imagine you work at a restaurant in your home town in Canada and you get a welthy tourist from Honk Kong whom you serve. Upon leaving, he’d give you a tip in Chinese money. Just what the heck are you going to do with it? And it is much easier to exchange foreign currency in Canada than it is in Cuba. Simple rule of thumb – tip Cubans in Cuban pesos.

For additional information on Havana, go to Havana – Complete Guide