Comparing last month's prices with October 2023 prices, dairy products fell in price somewhat on year, according to figures released by the Estonian Institute of Economic Research (EKI).

The cost of a liter of bagged milk fell 19 percent, from €0.80 last October to €0.65 on average last month.

Sour cream has also gotten cheaper over the past year, down 5 percent from €3.45 in October 2023 to €3.29 last month. The price of coffee cream and kefir both likewise went down by a few cents each.

Some dairy products, however, saw their prices go up on year. For example, small packages of butter, which last month cost  €13.38 per kilogram, were 5 percent cheaper last October at €12.80 per kilo.

Domestic cheese prices also went up by more than 4 percent on year to average €11.86 per kilo. Cottage cheese, meanwhile, saw prices go up by three cents, or less than 1 percent.

Eggs slightly cheaper

Both import and domestic eggs, meanwhile, decreased slightly on year. Overall, the price of a ten-count carton of domestic eggs fell by an average of 2 percent. Among these, the price of a carton of large domestic eggs only changed by one cent, but the price of medium eggs fell by 4 percent on year, from €2.68 a carton last October to €2.57 last month.

Import eggs, meanwhile, saw the opposite occur, with the price of a carton of large import eggs going up 10 percent to €2.65, but medium import eggs falling 12 percent to €1.81 a carton.

On a month to month basis, price changes in dairy products and eggs between September and October were generally minor. For example, the price of bagged milk fell by two cents and cottage cheese by three cents on month, while sour cream went up eight cents and the cost of a kilogram of cheese rose by 15 cents on month.

The biggest change was recorded in the price of coffee cream, which fell 6 percent on month.

According to EKI's figures for October, the biggest changes in price on year were recorded for pork chops, which fell 9 percent to €8.23 per kilogram, and import broiler meat, which went up by 12 percent to €3.89 per kilo.

Other meat products saw more modest changes. For example, both pork ribs and boneless beef prices went up 3 percent, to €8.82 and €17.63 per kilo, respectively.

Meanwhile, ground meat – specifically 50/50 ground beef and pork – dropped by nearly 3 percent, from €8.09 per kilogram last October to €7.91 last month. The price of franks likewise fell, from €7.46 to €7.20 per kilo, as did the price of cooked sausage, down a couple of percent to average €6.30 per kilo.

Compared with September, pork chops saw the biggest change in price, falling 4 percent on month; franks and cooked sausage prices also fell by 3 percent.

Fish prices fluctuate

This October, fish products saw more significant price increases than other categories.

Fish prices fluctuate more than those of other food prices, and are thus tracked both at markets and in supermarkets, between which shoppers can encounter major price differences.

In stores, the biggest price increase was recorded for chilled trout, which jumped by nearly 28 percent from €8.93 per kilo in October 2023 to €11.41 per kilo last month.

Trout fillet also went up 17 percent and chilled perch 19 percent on year.

At markets, the price of chilled perch rose 10 percent on year, but perch fillet increased even more dramatically – by 35 percent – from €14.90 per kilo last October to €20.15 last month.

Chilled Baltic herring also went up by 27 percent and chilled trout by nearly a quarter in price on year.

From month to month, many varieties of fish saw prices fall both in stores and at markets, although most price decreases remained within the 5 percent range.

An exception to this was chilled pike perch, which was 8 percent cheaper at markets last month than in September.

Soaring cucumber prices

According to EKI figures, several prices in the vegetable category have risen considerably on year.

The most significant spike was seen with imported cucumbers, which climbed 82 percent from €2.30 per kilogram last October to €4.18 per kilo last month. Domestic cucumbers went up 29 percent in price as well.

The price of short imported cucumbers also rose considerably – from €2.44 per kilogram last October to €3.89 last month, representing a 59 percent increase.

Imported tomatoes got 55 percent more expensive on year, rising in price from €2.66 to €4.13 per kilogram. Other vegetables saw more modest price increases, with the price of a kilogram of carrots up an average of 9 percent, cabbage 6 percent and potatoes 3 percent on year.

Some vegetables, however, were cheaper in October than during the same month last year.

The price of onions fell 27 percent on year, from €1.12 to €0.82 per kilo, and while import apple prices rose 7 percent, the price of domestic Estonian apples fell 10 percent on year to €3.06 per kilogram.

Vegetable prices saw significant differences between September and October as well. For example, the price of cabbage dropped by more than a fifth, from €0.69 to €0.54 per kilo, while the price of carrots fell 8 percent on month.

Cucumbers saw prices go up on month, with the price of domestic cucumbers rising 36 percent and imported cucumbers 68 percent.

Apple prices, meanwhile, moved in two directions last month. The price of a kilogram of domestic Estonian apples dropped by more than 20 percent compared with September, even as the price of import apples rose by 28 percent.

Sugar getting cheaper

Among grains and bakery goods, October prices generally declined on year.

The price of wheat flour dropped 10 percent, from €1.31 per kilogram last October to €1.18 per kilo last month. Oatmeal and white bread prices also fell by four cents each.

Rye bread, however, has gotten more expensive on year, rising from €2.85 to €2.98 per kilogram – a 5 percent increase.

On month, grains prices remained nearly unchanged. The price of rye bread did remain unchanged between September and October, and white bread went up by 2 cents. Wheat flour and oatmeal prices likewise went up by one and three cents per kilo, respectively.

The price of sugar in October, meanwhile, was down both on year and on month. Last fall, sugar cost €1.46 per kilogram; last month, the price of sugar was down 18 percent to €1.20 per kilo. It also fell by month, although by just four cents since September.

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