Nicosia, Cyprus. The Consumers Association said Monday it found noticeable price increases on products listed on the government’s e-kalathi online price comparison platform and limited competitive pressure among most participating supermarkets. The association compared prices recorded on Monday with data from July 2025.
Survey scope and methodology
The association processed and evaluated prices recorded on Monday, benchmarking them against July 2025 figures. Its survey covered 42 randomly selected products drawn from all categories on the platform.
Price gaps and competition assessment
The association said the average percentage difference between the most expensive and the cheapest prices for the surveyed products was 62 per cent, which it described as “very high for basic consumer products.” In six of the 42 products, the price gap between the cheapest and most expensive option exceeded 100 per cent.
Based on these figures, the association said it could not conclude that there was fierce competition, at least for the products included in the survey. It added that fierce competition appeared “only in a small number of supermarkets” for common products listed on the platform, while the majority did not show such a dynamic.
Milk prices as an exception
Fresh pasteurised milk differed from the broader pattern, with the nationwide average price difference across supermarkets at 18 per cent. Among the three largest chains, the association said the difference was “zero.”
Use of e-kalathi data and ongoing monitoring
The association said its conclusions were drawn exclusively from prices published on e-kalathi and that it would continue monitoring price movements and “transparently publish its conclusions” from ongoing evaluations.
E-kalathi was introduced to help consumers compare grocery prices across supermarkets, with the stated aim of encouraging competition and easing cost-of-living pressures.
How do you use e-kalathi to compare prices when shopping across different supermarkets?