Cost of living goes up in north Cyprus, increases by 3.28 percent in August

The TRNC Statistics Institute on Wednesday reported that the cost of living increased by 3.28% in August compared to the previous month.

Looking at different spending categories, the biggest price increase was in the Restaurants and Hotels category, which went up by 5.25%. Other notable increases were in:

• Entertainment and Culture: up 5.16%
• Education: up 4.39%
• Food and Non-Alcoholic Beverages: up 4.02%
• Housing, Water, Electricity, Gas, and Other Fuels: up 2.77%
• Transportation: up 2.39%
• Health: up 2.10%
• Furniture, Household Appliances, and Home Maintenance Services: up 1.88%
• Various Goods and Services: up 1.71%
• Communication: up 1.31%
• Alcoholic Beverages and Tobacco: up 0.65%

However, prices in the Clothing and Footwear category actually decreased by 2.77%.

Out of the 440 items tracked, prices increased for most, while the prices for 81 items went down. The top three items with the biggest price hikes were:

• Eggplant: up 137.31%
• Zucchini: up 131.22%
• Tomatoes: up 82.20%

On the other hand, the top three items with the largest price drops were:

• Green beans: down 31.45%
• Watermelon: down 27.81%
• Lettuce: down 26.75%.