Comparison finds Malta food prices at midpoint between expensive and cheaper nations

Just three weeks ago, Benna raised its fresh milk prices for the first time in seven years.

The recommended price of whole milk rose by 10c, with an increase from 86c to 96c, while the price of skimmed and 2.5% whole milk, increased by 11c to the prices of 92c and 94c respectively.

The reason for the price hike was credited to the increase in feed and operational costs.

Last year the cost of bread also rose, by 24c on the large loaf, and 20c in on the small loaf.

Food costs around Europe are spiralling, and Malta seems to be following suit, but how does the country compare to others in the continent?

A study by web comparison website Compare My Mobile looked to understand how food prices vary across Europe, as the cheapest and most expensive places to buy the most popular weekly food items were revealed.

The most expensive average shopping basket full of the most common food items costs the most in Switzerland, with a weekly total of €141.06, which adds up to a whopping yearly cost of €7,335.35c.

On the other hand, Ukraine proved to be the cheapest country for the weekly shop at only €27.07 per month.

The yearly cost on weekly groceries in Ukraine stood at an average of €1,407.62.

Malta’s average weekly cost on food supplies equated to €56.79, a little more than one third of the cost in Switzerland.

The yearly cost of common food items in Malta stood at €2,953.03.

The study singled out the costs of individual food items in the different countries, some of which include the prices of chicken, beef, eggs, milk, cheese, bread, potatoes, apples, oranges, bananas, coffee, cola, beer and wine.

According to the study, the cost of 1 kg of apples and banana proved to be the cheapest in the Ukraine, at a price of €0.56 and €0.97 respectively.

The price for buying the same weight in apples at the most expensive country to buy food supplies in Europe quadrupled, at €3.40 per kilogram, with bananas costing €2.63 a kilo.

Malta found itself at the mid-point between the two countries, with the cost of one kilogram of apples at price of €1.98, and banana costing an average of €1.63.

With the country priding itself on the export of potatoes, buying a kilogram in Malta costs €1.26.

The same weight in potatoes costs just €0.28 in Ukraine, while Monaco topped the list at €3.43 for a kilogram of potatoes.

Ukraine also proved to be the cheapest country for meat lovers, with 1kg of beef round costing €4.46.

The same amount in meat would cost ten times as much in Switzerland, at a price of €41.31 per kilogram.

The price of meat in Malta averaged at €10.22 per kilogram, according to the study.

Switzerland also topped the list for the price of chicken, at €20.76 per kilo, ten times the cost of the same weight in chicken when bought in Turkey at €2.77.

Buying a kilogram of chicken in Malta averaged at €6.54.

Norway topped the list for price of beer, with a 0.5 litre bottle costing €3.23, while Ukraine found itself at the bottom of the list at just €0.54 per half litre.

Malta’s price of beer averaged €1.26.

The price of a 1.5 litre water bottle averaged the cheapest in Turkey, at just 27c for a 1.5 litre water bottle, 47c more than the same volume of water in Malta.

Switzerland topped the list for the most expensive 1.5 litre bottle, at €1.14 a bottle.

A 330-ml bottle of Coke or Pepsi costs an average of €1.46 in Malta, according to study.

Monaco topped the list at €3.66 for the same volume in cola, while the Ukraine once again found itself at the bottom, at just 44c.

Compare My Mobile stated that the study uncovered that location may be a contributing factor to the range of expenses incurred when buying the weekly food shop.