This month's price review by the Estonian Institute of Economic Research (EKI) reveals the price of dairy products remained at almost the same level in September this year as in the previous month.

No products fell in price on month, though any price rises were no more than 1 percent, the EKI found.

But if we compare the price of dairy products in September with the same month in 2023, several categories saw a fall in prices on year. For instance, a liter of milk packaged and sold in plastic bags (Kilepiim) cost 81 cents a year ago, but in September it cost 67 cents. Sour cream (Hapukoor) fell in price by six percent, and the price of kefir in a plastic package was 87 cents per liter, a fall in price of five cents on year.

Meanwhile coffee cream (Kohvikoor) rose in price by 5 percent on year to September, from €2.58 to €2.71. Cottage cheese (Kodujuust) also saw a 9-cent price rise; butter in smaller packages was 2 percent more expensive, ie. rose in price by 27 cents, to €12.92.

Locally-produced cheese was 4 percent more expensive this September compared with a year ago, the EKI found: One kilogram cost €11.23 last September and on average €11.71 this year.

Locally-sourced eggs also got cheaper over the year. The price of a carton of M-sized Estonian eggs (in Estonia eggs are sold in cartons of 10 rather than by the dozen) fell the most, from €2.67 in September last year to € 2.55 in September 2024, a fall in price of 5 percent. However price of L-sized eggs fell by only three cents.

In the case of imported eggs, L-sized eggs became more expensive, with their price rising by 8 percent to €2.61, while a carton of M-sized imported eggs decreased by nearly 9 percent to €1.93.

Comparing price changes of eggs on the month, in September, both local and imported eggs gained a bit in price, at most by 3 percent, though, compared with August.

Imported L-size eggs were the only category whose price was unchanged at €2.61 for 10 in both August and September.

As for meat products, on-year price movements have been slightly greater. The most significant rise, of 23 percent, was seen in imported broiler meat, which cost €3.89 in September.

The price of domestically-produced broiler meat rose by 4 percent over the year, reaching a level of €4.15 per kilogram.

Boiled sausage (Keeduvorst) rose in price by 3 percent compared with the same month in 2023, to €6.50.

Smoked sausage (Suitsukarbonaad) experienced a similar price rise and cost €12.08 per kilo in September. Minced meat (Kodune hakkliha) rose by 2 percent to €8.09 per kilogram.

Between August and September, some price increases in this segment are noticeable, though they remained modest. Pork chops, boneless pork, and minced meat fell in price by less than 1 percent, while boneless beef has gained a few cents in price on the month. The price of broiler meat has not changed between August and September.

The price of sausages has slightly fallen; while the price was €7.75 in August, in September it stood at €7.46. The price of a kilogram of boiled sausage also fell, by nine cents per kilo.

The price of fish in stores and markets varies often. On supermarket shelves, the price of chilled Baltic herring and chilled perch rose the most over the year. The former could be had for €3.58 per kilogram in September last year, whereas this year it cost €4.42: A rise of 25 percent.

Chilled perch rose in price by the same amount, from €9.52 to €11.89 per kilo, between September 2023 and September 2024.

The per-kilogram price of chilled trout also rose, by 18 percent over the year.

The only fish type to become cheaper in stores over the year was chilled salmon, which cost an average of €10.68 last month, a fall of 7 percent on year.

At markets, the price of chilled perch (Jahutatud ahven) per kilogram rose the most in the annual comparison: From €5.78 to €7.25 – more than a quarter.

The price of Baltic herring per kilogram rose by 17 percent; chilled trout by 15 percent.

While only chilled salmon fillet got cheaper, the price fall was fairly negligible, at just 1 percent.

From the vegetables category, cucumber, tomato, and onion saw the largest price jumps over the year.

The price of imported cucumber increased by 28 percent, or from €1.87 to €2.40 per kilo, while imported tomato got 17 percent more expensive, reaching a level of €3.41 per kilo.

The price of carrots also rose on year, by 8 percent, yet the price of packaged and loose carrots moved diverged: While the latter got 5 percent cheaper, carrots in packaging were 12 percent more expensive this September compared with last year.

The price of onion bulbs, however, fell by 33 percent: In September last year, a kilo cost €1.30, and this year, 87 cents.

Apple price trends were also related to origin: Estonian apples became seven percent more expensive, while the price of imported apples fell by 17 percent.

The price of vegetables also changed over one month. For example, the price of a kilo of potatoes, loose, fell by nine cents; a kilogram of cabbage fell by seven cents on year, while local tomatoes cost 11 percent less, or €4.44, in September 2024 compared with September last year.

However, local cucumber got 13 percent more expensive, reaching €2.58 per kilo. Imported cucumber also saw a 9-percent price rise.

The price of cereal and bakery products was mostly in decline. The largest was the price drop for wheat flour: in September 2023, it cost an average of 1.28 per kilogram, and this year at the same time, 1.17, or nearly nine percent less.

Oat flakes also became over 4 percent cheaper, and the price of a kilogram of white bread was 2 percent less than it was in September last year.

An exception among cereal products is black and brown bread, whose price went on by nearly five percent. In September last year, a kilogram of bread cost €2.85, and this year €2.98.

On the month, the price of brown and black bread rose by nearly 2 percent, and the price of white bead also rose, by three cents.

The price of sugar dropped significantly over the year. While it cost €1.47 a kilo a year ago, this year it was €1.24, or 16 percent lower in price.

However, between August and September of this year, sugar rose in price by a cent per kilo.

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