Cost of living: is 100 dollars enough for two at a Pétion-Ville restaurant?

With 100 US dollars, two people can no longer eat and drink beer in a Pétion-Ville restaurant in 2026: that is the claim made by Pipo Saint Louis in a video clip shared on X by the account Fyete Ayiti, then reposted on Wednesday 28 October on Instagram by the page hitpamhaiti, with the caption "Tet chaje wi".

In the short video, the man presented as Pipo Saint Louis, wearing a national-team jersey, speaks on what looks like a show set. A presenter by that name is known as a commentator on konpa music; NAGO was unable to find the original programme or his full remarks. Under the post, users debate prices, some citing a beer at 300 or 350 gourdes.

What the official figures say

The remark comes as price growth is slowing, without stopping. According to the Haitian Institute of Statistics and Informatics (IHSI), year-on-year inflation fell to 16.4% in September 2026, after 17.0% in August and 17.5% in July. It stood at 32.2% in October 2025, its highest level over the past year.

Meals eaten out, however, remain among the costliest items. The index's "Restaurants" division rose 19.3% year on year in September, compared with 21.4% in August and 22.9% in July, again according to the IHSI. In July, the metropolitan area, which includes Pétion-Ville, showed the highest regional increase, at 18.5%.

The exchange rate has stayed almost flat. The reference rate of the Bank of the Republic of Haiti (BRH) was 130.6751 gourdes to the dollar on Thursday 29 October. The business outlet The Rio Times noted in September that the gourde had moved only 0.13% in a year. At that rate, 100 dollars is worth about 13,070 gourdes.

In other words, the gourde has not lost value, but prices in gourdes have kept climbing: a restaurant meal costs on average nearly a fifth more than a year ago, according to official data. NAGO has not surveyed restaurant prices in Pétion-Ville and cannot confirm the amount put forward in the video.