€131 GAP IN THE SAME CART - CART VALUE OF 253 COMMON PRODUCTS IN SEVEN SUPERMARKETS, FROM €995 TO €1,126 - Filenews 21/3 by Angelos Nikolaou
In an environment where food inflation continues to put pressure on households, new data from the Price Observatory of the Consumer Protection Service and the "e-kalathi" platform reveal an impressive reality: for the exact same products, consumers in Cyprus may pay up to 13.2% more, depending on the supermarket they choose. The most recent comparison of the Consumer Protection Service (16/3/2026) focused on 253 perfectly common products. The analysis of the data shows that the choice of store, but also of specific products, can offer each consumer the opportunity to save a significant amount for their daily shopping.
Specifically, the cost of the exact same basket in the most expensive supermarket reaches €1,126.60, while in the cheapest one it is limited to €994.99. The difference of €131.61 proves that the well-informed consumer can save a respectable amount on a monthly basis.
In fact, according to the Ministry of Commerce, the ranking of the seven supermarkets has remained stable for five months, showing an entrenched pricing policy on the part of retailers.
In addition to the comparison between supermarkets, the general Observatory for February, which covers 400 stores nationwide, records a mixed picture. Annual inflation was held at +0.1%, but some categories fluctuated extremely.
Fresh vegetables and greens "starred" with an increase of 20% compared to January, while frozen meats (breaded/pre-cooked) rose by 16.1%.
On the other hand, frozen molluscs and shellfish recorded an impressive drop of -31.2%, while smaller decreases were seen in sugar (-4.5%) and pasta (-3.1%).
As we approach the Easter holiday, the Consumer Protection Service has already started a systematic recording of meat items (lamb, pork, beef, chicken). However, products that for an inexplicable reason are outside the e-kalathi application (www.e-kalathi.gov.cy) to enable consumers to compare prices in real time. If we take into account the prices of meat on 17/3/2026 compared to the same period last year, a significant increase is observed. The price of lamb meat (€13.25 this year) is 25% more expensive compared to the same period last year and 21% more expensive than Easter 2025, pork remains unchanged, while beef shows an increase of 25% compared to last year's Easter.
