Families preparing their Easter feasts this year will face higher prices at the checkout, with some vegetables nearly tripling in cost, according to new data.

The Consumer Protection Service’s Easter Price Watch, published on Wednesday, shows that a typical holiday meal for eight now costs €184.21, up from €177.46 in 2024. The steepest increases are seen in vegetables and meat, while oils and traditional Easter bread, or tsoureki, have dropped in price.

Consumers’ association chairman Marios Drousiotis was relatively upbeat over the increases. He said that while prices for Easter goods have increased “for three or four years in a row”, this year’s overall increase is comparatively small.

“These prices are of course, on the whole, higher than what they were a year ago. The prices are always going up, and this year is no different. This year, given that the increase is comparatively small, we can say that it is good. We escaped the worst of what could have been,” he told the Cyprus Mail.

Lamb, a staple on Cypriot Easter tables, has risen by 8.34 per cent and now averages €13.46 per kilo. Beef prices have jumped even higher, up 9.64 per cent to €13.50 per kilo. Pork chops have increased by 5.88 per cent to €6.25 per kilo, while chicken breast is up by 4.14 per cent to €8.67 per kilo.

Vegetables have seen the most dramatic hikes. Greenhouse cucumbers now cost €2.97 per kilo, a 194.63 per cent increase from last year’s €1.01. Field cucumbers have followed closely, rising 169.53 per cent to €3.29 per kilo. Fresh potatoes are up by 27.64 per cent and bunched greens have increased by 20 per cent.

Not all items have become more expensive. Olive and sunflower oil prices have dropped by 39 per cent, with olive oil now priced at €9.12 per litre and sunflower oil at around €6.82 for three litres. Charcoal prices have remained stable at €6.19.

Traditional Easter treats have shown mixed trends.

Flaounes, or cheese pies, have risen only slightly, by 0.05 per cent, with savoury versions now priced at €13.17 per kilo and raisin-filled ones at €13.37.

In contrast, large tsourekia have dropped in price by 6.22 per cent to €4.98. Chocolate Easter eggs are selling at a wide range of prices, from €6.91 to €13.60.

The data, collected on April 14, 2025 from 86 meat retailers and 66 bakeries and supermarkets across the country, is intended as a guide rather than a substitute for personal research. The Consumer Protection Service urged shoppers to compare both prices and quality before making their purchases.

“Price watch reports are for general information only,” the service clarified. “Consumers should always assess their own needs and preferences.”