Cuba Romania

Updated 2026-02-25

Cuba

Minimum Wage

$MN12.12 /hr

$0.03 USD

Avg. Gross Salary

$MN6,649 /mo

Romania

Minimum Wage

lei24.36 /hr

$5.40 USD

Avg. Gross Salary

lei7,200 /mo

Min wage: -99% Cuba vs Romania Avg. salary: -99% Cuba vs Romania

The minimum wage in Cuba is roughly 183 times lower than in Romania in USD terms, reflecting the gap between a upper-middle-income and a upper-middle-income economy. Average gross salaries diverge further: $16/mo in Cuba versus $1,596/mo in Romania, a 98.4:1 ratio. Cuba has the tighter labor market, with unemployment at 1.8% compared to 6.0%.

Cuba's unemployment rate is 1.8% compared to Romania's 6.0%.

Detailed Comparison

Detailed wage comparison between Cuba and Romania
Metric	Cuba	Romania	Diff
Minimum wage /hr	$MN12.12 $0.03	lei24.36 $5.40	-99.5%
Minimum wage /mo	$MN2,100 $5.12	lei4,050 $897.88	-99.4%
Minimum wage /yr	$MN25,200 $61.46	lei48,600 $10,774.62	-99.4%
Avg. gross salary /mo	$MN6,649 /mo $16.22	lei7,200 /mo $1,596.24	-99.0%
Avg. net salary /mo	$MN6,300 /mo $15.37	lei4,500 /mo $997.65	-98.5%
Median individual income /yr	$MN48,000 /yr $117.07	lei40,000 /yr $8,868.00	-98.7%

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.
Romania: 40 hrs/wk standard

Max 48 hrs/wk

Overtime : 1.75x pay

Standard workweek is 40 hours over 5 days, maximum 8 hours/day. Overtime premium is at least 75% of base salary. Maximum 48 hours/week including overtime, averaged over a 4-month reference period.

• WAGE TRAJECTORY (USD/hr)

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

Year	Cuba (USD)	Romania (USD)
2005	$0.55/hr	—
2019	$0.98/hr	—
2020	$0.98/hr	$494/hr
2021	$5.12/hr	$510/hr
2022	—	$565/hr
2023	—	$665/hr
2024	—	$820/hr
2025	—	$898/hr

What This Means for Workers

A minimum wage worker in Cuba earns 18169% less per hour in USD terms than one in Romania. Standard work weeks differ: Cuba mandates 44 hours while Romania mandates 40 hours. A minimum wage worker's weekly earnings in Cuba are $1 vs $216 in Romania.

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

Compare Cuba with...

Frequently Asked Questions

Is the minimum wage higher in Cuba or Romania?

In Cuba, the minimum wage is $MN12.12/hr ($0.03 USD). In Romania, it is lei24.36/hr ($5.40 USD). Romania has the higher rate by 18169% 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 Romania?

The average gross salary in Cuba is $MN6,649/mo ($16.22 USD), compared to lei7,200/mo ($1,596.24 USD) in Romania. In USD terms, workers in Cuba earn approximately 9743% less. Average salaries reflect the full labor market, not just the minimum wage floor. The gap between Cuba and Romania is shaped by differences in industry composition, labor productivity, and the overall cost of living in each country. Workers in Romania 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 Romania?

Cuba has a longer standard work week at 44 hours, compared to 40 hours in Romania. Workers in Cuba work 44 hours per week by law. Longer mandatory hours can offset a nominally higher wage; a worker in Romania 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.