The traditional Easter feast in Cyprus will cost 4% more this year, with lamb, beef and vegetables showing the sharpest price increases, while cucumber prices have soared by nearly 200% in just three months, the country’s consumer watchdog reported.
According to the Consumer Protection Service’s price observatory, a complete Easter meal for eight people, including meat, dairy products, salads, desserts and beverages, will cost €184.21, up from €177.46 last year—an increase of just €7.
Cypriot lamb, a centrepiece of the traditional Easter meal, has risen 8.34% to €13.46 per kilo from €12.43, while domestic beef (top-side, boneless and trimmed) increased 9.64% to €13.50 from €12.32.
Vegetables recorded the highest price hikes, with greenhouse cucumbers surging 194.63% to €2.97 from €1.01, and field-grown cucumbers up 169.53% to €3.29 from €1.22.
“This increase occurred in just three months and is a result of the adverse weather conditions in recent months,” Aliki Iordanou, head of the watchdog’s competition and stakeholder relations department, told Phileleftheros.
Fresh potatoes have increased 27.64% to €1.22 from €0.95, while leafy greens have risen 19.99% to €0.46 from €0.38 per bunch.
Not all food prices have increased. Large Easter bread loaves (tsoureki) have fallen 6.22% to €4.98 from €5.31, providing some relief for consumers.
Cooking oils have seen the largest price decreases, with both sunflower oil and olive oil falling by as much as 39% for some brands.
Other price increases affecting the Easter table include pork chops, up 5.88% to €6.25 per kilo from €5.90, minced beef up 8.64% to €10.81 from €9.95, and eggs rising 5.38% to €3.05 from €2.89 for a dozen medium-sized eggs.
Traditional cheese pastries with raisins (flaounes) have increased slightly by 2.56% to €13.37 from €13.03, while large white bread, a staple of the Cypriot table throughout the year, has risen 5.6% to €1.91 from €1.81.
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