Cuba Ghana

Updated 2026-05-27

Cuba

Minimum Wage

$MN12.12 /hr

$0.03 USD

Avg. Gross Salary

$MN6,649 /mo

Ghana

Minimum Wage

GH₵2.72 /hr

$0.18 USD

Avg. Gross Salary

GH₵3,500 /mo

Min wage: -84% Cuba vs Ghana Avg. salary: -93% Cuba vs Ghana

The minimum wage in Cuba is roughly 6 times lower than in Ghana in USD terms, reflecting the gap between a upper-middle-income and a lower-middle-income economy. Average gross salaries diverge further: $16/mo in Cuba versus $236/mo in Ghana, a 14.5:1 ratio.

Cuba's unemployment rate is 1.8% compared to Ghana's 3.0%.

Detailed Comparison

Detailed wage comparison between Cuba and Ghana
Metric	Cuba	Ghana	Diff
Minimum wage /hr	$MN12.12 $0.03	GH₵2.72 $0.18	-83.9%
Minimum wage /day	—	GH₵21.77 $1.47	—
Minimum wage /mo	$MN2,100 $5.12	GH₵565.02 $38.05	-86.5%
Minimum wage /yr	$MN25,200 $61.46	GH₵6,780.24 $456.58	-86.5%
Avg. gross salary /mo	$MN6,649 /mo $16.22	GH₵3,500 /mo $235.69	-93.1%
Avg. net salary /mo	$MN6,300 /mo $15.37	GH₵3,000 /mo $202.02	-92.4%
Median individual income /yr	$MN48,000 /yr $117.07	GH₵12,000 /yr $808.08	-85.5%

Percentage differences are based on USD equivalent values. Positive means Cuba is higher.

Work Week

Cuba: 44 hrs/wk standard

Max 44 hrs/wk

Overtime : 1.25x pay

Labour Code sets standard working hours at 8 hours/day and 44 hours/week. Overtime is paid at 125% of normal rate. Some sectors work 40 hours/week.
Ghana: 40 hrs/wk standard

Max 48 hrs/wk

Overtime : 1.5x pay

Labour Act 2003 (Act 651) sets standard working hours at 8 hours/day, 40 hours/week. Overtime must be paid at 1.5x the normal rate. Work on rest days or public holidays at 2x.

• WAGE TRAJECTORY (USD/hr)

Cuba Ghana Source: wage.is · USD equivalent/hr

Year	Cuba (USD)	Ghana (USD)
2005	$0.55/hr	—
2019	$0.98/hr	$0.80/hr
2020	$0.98/hr	$0.84/hr
2021	$5.12/hr	$0.91/hr
2022	—	$1.00/hr
2023	—	$1.10/hr
2024	—	$1.22/hr
2025	—	$1.34/hr
2026	—	$1.47/hr

What This Means for Workers

A minimum wage worker in Cuba earns 520% less per hour in USD terms than one in Ghana. Standard work weeks differ: Cuba mandates 44 hours while Ghana mandates 40 hours. A minimum wage worker's weekly earnings in Cuba are $1 vs $7 in Ghana.

See this comparison from Ghana's perspective: Ghana vs Cuba

Compare Cuba with...

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the minimum wage higher in Cuba or Ghana?

In Cuba, the minimum wage is $MN12.12/hr ($0.03 USD). In Ghana, it is GH₵2.72/hr ($0.18 USD). Ghana has the higher rate by 520% in USD terms. That nominal gap does not account for local prices; see the purchasing power comparison below for a cost-of-living-adjusted view. Workers in Cuba may retain a larger share of their earnings if prices there are lower.

How much less does the average worker earn in Cuba compared to Ghana?

The average gross salary in Cuba is $MN6,649/mo ($16.22 USD), compared to GH₵3,500/mo ($235.69 USD) in Ghana. In USD terms, workers in Cuba earn approximately 1353% less. Average salaries reflect the full labor market, not just the minimum wage floor. The gap between Cuba and Ghana is shaped by differences in industry composition, labor productivity, and the overall cost of living in each country. Workers in Ghana earn more in nominal terms, though how far that income stretches depends on local prices in Cuba.

How do work hours compare between Cuba and Ghana?

Cuba has a longer standard work week at 44 hours, compared to 40 hours in Ghana. Workers in Cuba work 44 hours per week by law. Longer mandatory hours can offset a nominally higher wage; a worker in Ghana working fewer hours may have comparable or better effective hourly earnings depending on the wage levels of each country. Total annual compensation depends on both the wage rate and the number of hours required.