Havana vs Copenhagen Cost of Living Comparison
Executive summary: Havana leads on CPI (23.1 vs 80.6, NYC=100), Havana leads on rent index, and Copenhagen leads on purchasing power. Validate neighbourhood rents before relocating — city-wide winners can reverse at district scale.
Overall Cost Winner
Havana
Lower overall CPI; largest measurable gaps: Purchasing Power (554% gap, Copenhagen ahead); Restaurants (240% gap, Havana ahead).
Monthly Cost Difference
Estimated monthly housing+utilities+internet basket is about $1,094 lower in Havana than in Copenhagen (~202% gap; converted via exchange rates).
Estimated monthly difference: $1,094 (favoring Havana).
Category Winners
| Category | Winner | Note |
|---|---|---|
| Overall CPI | Havana | CPI 23.1 vs 80.6 (lower is better) |
| Housing | Havana | Rent index 14.2 vs 42.5 (lower is better) |
| Food | Havana | Groceries index 34.6 vs 75.6 (lower is better) |
| Transport | Havana | One-way ticket 10.51 vs 14.69 (lower is better) |
| Utilities | Copenhagen | Utilities (85m²) 586.5 vs 681.6 (lower is better) |
| Internet | Havana | Internet 362.88 vs 427.94 (lower is better) |
| Restaurants | Havana | Restaurant index 25 vs 85 (lower is better) |
| Salary | Copenhagen | Avg net salary 46972.44 vs 24998.4 (higher is better) |
| Purchasing Power | Copenhagen | PP index 109.8 vs 16.8 (higher is better) |
Biggest Difference
Purchasing Power: Copenhagen leads with a 554% gap.
PP index 109.8 vs 16.8 (higher is better)
Quick Decision
- Students: Havana — Lower housing / rent index (199% gap).
- Families: Havana — Housing is typically the largest household line; rent index favors Havana; purchasing power favors Copenhagen.
- Remote Workers: Havana — Everyday cost index (CPI) favors Havana (~249% gap).
- Budget Living: Havana — Lowest overall consumer-price index in this pair.
Key Takeaways
- Havana is the overall cost winner on CPI (~249% lower everyday-cost index than Copenhagen).
- Housing: Havana leads on rent index (199% gap).
- Food / groceries: Havana is lower (118% gap).
- Purchasing power: Copenhagen scores higher (554% gap).
- Largest category gap: Purchasing Power (554%), favoring Copenhagen.
- Sample monthly basket (1BR + utilities + internet) is ~$1,094 cheaper in Havana.
Analysis
Detailed breakdown uses only paired indices: CPI 23.1/80.6, rent 14.2/42.5, purchasing power 16.8/109.8. Category winners can diverge — a city may win rent while losing CPI. No GDP, climate, or industry claims are invented for either city.
Trust & data transparency
Last updated: 2026-08-21
Data Sources
This page uses CityCost index inputs. Platform sources (see also Data sources):
- Regional
- Regional
On-page labels for this view: Regional · Regional.
Methodology
Each indexed city is associated with a reference basket of common living costs (for example rent, groceries samples, transport tickets, utilities, restaurant meals, and net salary where available). From those items, the platform derives relative indices such as CPI, rent, groceries, restaurants, and local purchasing power, using New York City = 100 as the familiar baseline convention for relative comparison.