Cuba's Currency Conundrum: Four Ways To Pay

When going to restaurants, buying groceries, or paying for services on the island, one can pay with the Cuban peso, the dollar, the euro, or the MLC, a virtual currency launched in 2019 by the government (Credit: AFP)

"How can I pay you?": In Cuba, the question goes beyond cash or card as citizens grapple with four different currencies, turning them into amateur traders as they try to squeeze the most value out of their money.

Pedro Gonzalez, a 68-year-old engineer who stepped back from retirement due to the country's dire economic crisis and inflation, describes a simple shopping trip as "tortuous."