Price movements on the e-kalathi platform were mixed in August 2026, with reductions slightly outnumbering increases even as several major product categories became more expensive. The Cyprus Consumers Association said the pace of increases slowed during the month, continuing a trend observed in the second half of July, while price reductions accelerated.
The association described the development as a positive indication for consumers.
Where prices changed most
Price increases were recorded in 1,434 instances, with the average increase reaching 10.4%. Meanwhile, prices fell in 1,511 instances, with an average reduction of 10.6%.
The largest increases were recorded in:
- Frozen fish: 14.8%
- Nuts: 10.5%
- Pasta: 8.8%
- Cheese: 7.7%
- Personal hygiene products: 7.4%
The association has published a detailed breakdown of the categories in which prices increased by more than 5%.
Large differences between supermarkets
The Cyprus Consumers Association reiterated its assessment that price differences across most supermarkets participating in e-kalathi are so significant that they do not appear to indicate strong competition.
A survey conducted on 31 August 2026, covering 177 common products across 12 supermarkets, found a 13.6% difference in their average total cost.
Among the five supermarkets carrying the largest number of products, the difference for a basket of 326 common products stood at 6.7%.
The widest gap was recorded in comparison group four, where the difference between the lowest and highest total cost reached 39.6%.
How the 20 supermarkets were compared
The association said it decided to publish its own comparison tables for 20 supermarkets because the competent authority does not provide sufficient information for consumers to compare prices between retailers.
The supermarkets were divided into four groups according to the total number of products they list on e-kalathi:
- Group one: The five supermarkets carrying the largest number of products.
- Group two: Two supermarkets with the fewest products, compared with three carrying the most.
- Group three: Nine supermarkets, compared with the three carrying the most products.
- Group four: Four supermarkets, compared with the three carrying the most products.
The comparison is based on prices recorded on 31 August. Each table shows the total cost of the products common to the supermarkets in that group, allowing consumers to see the extent of the price differences.
The association has published both the detailed comparison of the four groups and a full table covering all the supermarkets examined, including the total cost of their common products.
Consumers urged to respond to increases
The Cyprus Consumers Association called on shoppers, where possible, to avoid buying products whose prices have increased. It described this as a form of consumer response aimed at helping to contain further increases.
The association said its findings were based exclusively on prices recorded through the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry’s e-kalathi platform and the free private Smart Kalathi application.
It added that it would continue monitoring prices for widely consumed products and publishing its observations and conclusions.
