Carrying out a weekly grocery shop in Malta costs 21% of a person’s average monthly salary in Malta, compared to 19% in Sicily and 16% in Cyprus. An analysis carried out by Times of Malta looked at the average price of several basic food items across three supermarkets in Malta, Sicily and Cyprus. These three Mediterranean islands were selected for this exercise in order to compare areas with similar geographical challenges.
The food selected includes fresh fruit and vegetables, dairy products, fresh meat and poultry, dry goods such as pasta and cereals, soft drinks and dog food, as well as basic washing-up products, personal hygiene items and toiletries.
The analysis found that purchasing these items would cost €84.58 in Malta, remarkably similar to the €84.51 that it would cost in Cyprus. The same shop in Sicily would cost slightly more, at €91.77. A similar exercise based on a smaller number of identical items at a LIDL supermarket in each country found that Malta was the most expensive of the three. Items amounting to €39.36 in Malta could be purchased for €35.27 in Sicily, whilst items totalling €17.63 in Malta can be bought for €16.74 in Cyprus.
Source: timesofmalta.com