Price data from the Institute of Economic Research for July shows that the prices of dairy products predominantly fell. The most significant drop was seen in regular packaged milk, which was 21 percent cheaper compared to July of the previous year, dropping from 85 cents to 67 cents per liter.

The prices of packaged kefir and sour cream also saw a decrease of around 7 percent. Last year, a liter of kefir cost 87 cents, now it costs 81 cents. Sour cream dropped from €3.48 to €3.24. The price of coffee cream decreased by 5 percent, and the cost of butter saw a slight reduction by a few cents per kilogram.

However, some dairy products became more expensive. The price of cheese per kilogram increased from €11.38 in July last year to €11.69 this year, a rise of nearly 3 percent. Cottage cheese also saw a price increase of about 1 percent.

The price movement for eggs differed between domestic and imported eggs. The price of Estonian eggs remained largely unchanged, with fluctuations within one cent per carton of ten eggs, and the price of size L eggs was exactly the same as a year ago.

In contrast, a carton of size L imported eggs rose by nearly 12 percent, from €2.34 to €2.61. Meanwhile, the price of size M imported eggs dropped by three cents.

Looking at the price changes from June to July this year, the prices of milk and coffee cream remained the same, kefir prices fell by 2 percent and sour cream and cottage cheese prices increased by a couple of percent.

For eggs, the most significant change was in the cost of imported eggs, particularly size M. The price for a carton of size M eggs dropped to €1.86 in June, but rose by 15 percent in July to €2.14.

The prices of cereal and bakery products decreased. A kilogram of wheat flour, which cost €1.30 in July of the previous year, now costs €1.18, marking a 9 percent drop.

The price of a kilogram of rolled oats fell by 5 percent, from €2.36 to €2.25. The price of white bread saw a decline of less than 2 percent.

The only product in this category that saw a price increase was bread, with its price per kilogram rising from €2.85 last year to €2.92 this year.

Comparing the prices of cereal products in July to those in June, the costs of all items decreased slightly, by one to two cents. The price of wheat flour saw the largest drop, nearly 2 percent.

The price of sugar remained unchanged over the month, but compared to a year ago, it fell by 16 percent, from €1.48 per kilogram last July to €1.25 this year.

The prices of some meat products saw slight decreases. The prices of pork loin, boneless pork and homemade minced meat all fell, but the drop was within 1 percent. Pork ribs decreased by 1.5 percent and the price of sausages fell by 2.5 percent over the year.

However, imported broiler chicken was an exception, with its price rising by 27 percent over the year, from €3.06 per kilogram in July last year to €3.89 this year. At the same time, the price of local broiler chicken increased by four cents per kilogram, averaging €4.15.

The price of cooked sausage also rose by nearly 6 percent, from €6.29 per kilogram last year to €6.64 in July this year.

Compared to June, meat product prices in July remained relatively stable. The price of sausages and smoked pork loin decreased by 2 percent, with smoked pork loin dropping by 4 percent. Pork ribs and boneless beef saw a price increase of about 1 percent.

Fish prices showed more significant fluctuations compared to other goods, as their prices tend to vary more month-to-month and can differ considerably between stores and markets.

Chilled perch fillet saw the largest price increase in stores, rising by 28 percent over the year. Perch and herring prices increased by 13 percent. Meanwhile, the price of chilled salmon fell by 22 percent and trout by 12 percent.

At markets, the price of chilled herring rose the most, by 16 percent, and perch fillet by 15 percent. Conversely, the prices of trout and trout fillet decreased by 4 and 5 percent, respectively. The price of salmon fillet at markets was 3 percent lower than a year ago.

Among other food items, vegetables experienced the most significant price fluctuations. The price of a kilogram of head cabbage in July was 41 percent lower than last year, dropping from €1.18 to €0.70.

The price of a kilogram of potatoes fell by just one cent, while loose carrots saw a price drop similar to that of head cabbage, falling from €1.39 last July to €0.83. However, there was a substantial difference between loose and packaged carrots, as the latter saw a price increase of 28 percent, rising from €2.11 to €2.71 per kilogram.

The price of onions also dropped by nearly 50 percent. Last summer, a kilogram cost €1.81, but this summer it averaged €0.95.

Just as there were significant drops, there were also considerable increases, particularly for imported cucumbers. On average, the price per kilogram of cucumbers increased by 40 percent over the year, with long cucumbers seeing a 63 percent rise, from €1.72 to €2.80 per kilogram. Short imported cucumbers became 25 percent more expensive.

The price of locally grown long cucumbers rose by 27 percent over the year, and imported apples saw a 17 percent price increase. In contrast, imported tomatoes became 9 percent cheaper.

Comparing prices from June to July, vegetable prices also showed fluctuations. For example, the price of loose potatoes increased by 15 percent and head cabbage by 19 percent. Meanwhile, the price of loose carrots dropped by 10 percent, short imported cucumbers by more than 20 percent and onions by 12 percent.

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