How much cash to take to Cuba?
 

I can't remember if I've asked this previously, sorry if I have...

We will be in Cuba for a total of 11 days. All accommodations have been pre-paid.

By my count, we will have to pay for about 3 breakfasts, 6 lunches and 7 dinners.

Of course, we'll have to pay for drinks, music, miscellaneous entries, sightseeing and any purchases.

How much cash would you recommend we take per person?

Well, I spent about twice what I thought I would. I would feel comfortable with U$100 per day.

Did you say you were doing an arranged tour of some sort and then some independent days?

IMO better to take more and have it, as you probably have figured out. The rooms I stayed in and the walking around conditions seemed very safe, but I am used to carrying cash in other countries, most less safe than Cuba.
By the second time I had the Stonegate Bank credit card, but really, there was nowhere I went to use it for services or purchases, except for the official cigar store.
Also I was traveling solo, so some expenses, like taxis and rooms, could have been shared/divided .
I also did not pre-pay anything except the flights.

What I ended up spending a lot more on were taxis. It was SO hot (on the September trip) that occasionally I just wanted to be in an air conditioned space, including a modern taxi with ac getting from place to place. However, the drivers know you are a tourist and often quote a high price. There are so many tourists that they can make a take it or leave it offer.

Dinner can be from 10CUC to reportedly 35 or 45CUC, depending on where you eat (the higher end ones are in Havana, like the one Obama ate at) and how many drinks or wine.....
A drink in a tourist bar is about 6 CUC.
Most of my breakfasts were at the casas particulares for 5 CUC. That usually got me through until dinner, because of the heat related loss of appetite principally.

Hope you have a great trip!

my memory is of spending something like 5 CUC for a round of drinks for the two of us, [beers, coffees, mojitos] and breakfast, if not included, was indeed something like 5 CUC, with lunch about 10CUC and dinner more like 20 CUC plus drinks. for all that, $500 each would be lavish.

you may also think about souvenirs - they are not expensive but there are some fun things to buy, from paintings to musical instruments to lace [if you're going to Trinidad] to jewellery made from cutlery which we found in the craft market in Havana and books of SA cartoons.

If you are going to bring U$ to change into CUC, I understand that there is 10% charge for doing so over and above the normal charge for changing currency, so you might want to bring Can $ instead. But the advantage of course of bringing U$ is that you can simply take them home again, if you don't use them all.

And you don't need to worry about security - you will be perfectly safe, however much cash you are carrying, so you can bring more than you think you will need and not worry about walking round with it.

I will recommend at least $50 per day for meals, perhaps a bit more if you would like to splurge in entertainment and souvenirs.