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

For example, last year, bagged milk was 19 percent more expensive at 80 cents per liter, while kefir likewise cost 4 cents more.

However, the price of butter went up by more than €1 per kilogram on year – from €12.75  to €13.83 per kilo for a small package of butter, or nearly 9 percent.

Domestic cheese prices also rose 6 percent, from €11.07 per kilo last November to €11.78 last month, while cottage cheese prices went up 4 percent, from €5.61 to €5.84 per kilogram.

Coffee cream and sour cream prices, meanwhile, remained the most stable, decreasing and increasing, respectively, by just one cent on year.

On a month to month basis, no major changes were observed in dairy product prices between October and November.

Butter saw the largest increase on month at 3 percent, followed by sour cream at 2 percent, while kefir prices dropped 2 percent on month.

Egg prices remained largely unchanged on month as well. On year, however, import eggs saw significant price fluctuations.

The price of a ten-count carton of medium eggs dropped by 13 percent, falling from €2.11 last November to €1.83 last month, even as a carton of large eggs rose nearly 10 percent in the same timespan, from €2.41 to €2.64.

Domestic egg prices, meanwhile, saw a very slight decrease on year, with a carton of medium eggs dropping 2 percent, from €2.62 to €2.57, and large eggs by 2 cents per carton.

According to EKI's figures for November, the biggest fluctuation in meat prices on month was recorded for broiler meat.

Import broiler meat saw the biggest change in price on year as well, rising 13 percent from €3.49 to €3.95 per kilogram. Local broiler meat also went up 10 cents per kilo on year, or nearly 3 percent, to €4.15.

Some meat prices fell on year, including a 7 percent drop from €8.95 to €8.33 per kilo for pork chops and a 4 percent drop for smoked pork chops as well.

Most meat products saw prices increase on year, but largely to the extent of 2-3 percent. For instance, pork ribs went up from €8.69 to €8.82 and boneless beef from €17.28 to €17.71 per kilogram.

Sausages were the only product whose prices remained virtually unchanged on year – dropping by just 1 cent between November 2023 and November 2024.

On month, however, it was sausages that saw the biggest price increase, rising 4 percent from €7.20 to €7.50 per kilogram. The price per kilo of ground meat – specifically 50/50 ground beef and pork – likewise rose by 4 percent, from €8.03 in October to €8.23 last month. Smoked pork chops, meanwhile, fell 3 percent, from €11.99 to €11.66 per kilo.

Significant swings in fish prices

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 on year was recorded for chilled trout fillet, which spiked 31 percent from €15.55 per kilogram last November to €20.39 per kilo last month.

Meanwhile, chilled salmon prices plunged 27 percent, dropping from €12.25 to €8.95 per kilo, and chilled salmon fillet fell 13 percent to €16.03 per kilo. The price of chilled whole Baltic herring was down as well, dropping 8 percent to €3.41 per kilo last month.

At markets, chilled pike-perch saw the most dramatic increase in price on year, surging 39 percent from €8.99 per kilogram last November to €12.45 per kilo last month.

Perch fillet also rose nearly 20 percent, chilled perch 16 percent and Baltic herring prices 13 percent on year, the last of which cost €13.20 per kilo at markets this November.

Trout prices at markets decreased, however, falling by 12 percent from €14.92 per kilogram last November to €13.13 per kilo last month.

Vegetables have seen significant fluctuations in price recently as well.

Imported cucumbers saw the sharpest increase on year in November, rising 58 percent from €2.66 per kilogram to €4.20 per kilo. The price of short import cucumbers specifically was even higher – rising 83 percent on year.

Domestic cucumber prices rose significantly as well – by 41 percent, from €3.43 per kilo last November to €4.84 per kilo last month. Import tomato prices also went up 26 percent, and cabbage and carrot prices rose 14-15 percent on year as well.

Import apple prices went up 6 percent on year, from €2.17 to €2.30 per kilogram.

Even so, some vegetable prices saw decreases as well. The price of a kilo of domestic apples fell 18 percent, from €3.47 last November to €2.86 last month.

The price of onions dropped by 23 percent on year to reach €0.79 per kilogram, while potatoes saw a modest decrease of just 1 percent, from €1 to €0.99 per kilo.

Vegetable prices saw notable changes from October to November as well. The price of local and import cucumbers rose 38 and 4 percent on month, respectively, while tomato prices went up by one-fifth.

Decreases in vegetable prices were more prevalent in on-month than on-year comparisons last month. These included a 5-cent, or 9 percent, drop in the price of cabbage to €0.49 per kilogram.

Potato and carrot prices also fell 1-2 percent on month, and the price per kilo of onions likewise dropped 4 percent from October to November.

Apples were also cheaper last month than in October, with domestic apple prices dropping 7 percent, from €3.06 to €2.86 per kilogram, and import apple prices 4 percent, from €2.40 to €2.30 per kilo.

Among grains and bakery goods, only rye bread prices rose, increasing by 4 percent from €2.84 per kilo last November to €2.96 last month.

White bread prices fell 2 percent on year, from €2.91 to €2.86 per kilogram, while the price of oatmeal fell 3 percent to €2.28.

Between last November and last month, wheat flour dropped in price from 9 percent from €1.29 to €1.17 per kilo.

The most significant drop in price on year was recorded for sugar, which fell 22 percent from €1.41 to €1.10 per kilogram. The price of sugar fell on month as well, dropping by 10 cents per kilo since October.

On month, other grains and bakery goods saw negligible changes in price, remaining within 1 percent between October and November of this year.

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