The average price of the 476 products tracked on the e-kalathi platform fell slightly between 1 and 31 October 2026, the Cyprus Consumers Association said, though it criticised the level of competition among the participating supermarkets.
The association found that the average retail price rose by between 5 per cent and 15.31 per cent for 17 products and fell by between 5 per cent and 12.3 per cent for 35 products. There was no overall price rise.
The biggest increases were in ravioli, fruit juices, baby wipes, flour and household cleaning products. The biggest falls were in cheese, chocolate, baby food, pasta and coffee. The association said the drops in baby food and coffee were partly due to the zero VAT rate, which came into force on 12 October 2026.
Despite the small overall fall, “there does not appear to be fierce competition” among most of the supermarkets on e-kalathi, the association said.
It called for a review of the products listed on the platform, saying some are sold in very few shops, or even in only one. This does not fit with the competent authority’s statements that the app covers widely consumed products, it said. A product sold in a single branch of one supermarket cannot be considered a basic consumer product, it added.
The association also asked for an update on the 1,000 new products that, according to a public announcement by the competent authority, were to be added to e-kalathi by June 2026, and asked whether they had been forgotten.
It urged consumers to avoid buying products whose prices have risen, where possible, describing this as a way to help keep prices down.
The association said its findings were based solely on prices listed on the e-kalathi platform of the Ministry of Energy, Commerce and Industry, and on its analysis of prices from the free private app smart kalathi.
