By Diplomatic Insider

A comparison of basic food prices in Turkey between March 2017 and December 2025 reveals an extraordinary rise in the cost of living, with many staple products recording increases of more than 1,000 percent, and some exceeding 3,000 percent.

The total cost of a standard basket of essential food items increased from 297.07 Turkish lira in 2017 to 6,100.13 lira in 2025, representing an overall rise of approximately 1,953 percent.

Among the most striking increases is plain yogurt (1 kg), which rose from 2.30 lira to 92.00 lira, an increase of nearly 3,900 percent. Butter (1 kg) surged from 28.90 lira to 720.00 lira, marking a 2,391 percent increase, while sunflower oil (1 litre) jumped by 3,118 percent, climbing from 5.59 lira to 179.90 lira.

Basic staples such as white cheese (1 kg) rose from 19.90 lira to 299.00 lira, an increase of 1,403 percent, while fresh kaşar cheese (700 grams) recorded a 2,299 percent rise. Minced meat (1 kg) increased from 33.90 lira to 725.00 lira, up 2,039 percent, and beef sucuk sausage (1 kg) climbed by 2,245 percent to 1,100.00 lira.

Everyday items also saw steep increases. Tea (1 kg) rose by 1,203 percent, milk (UHT) by 1,937 percent, and eggs (15-piece carton) by 667 percent. Imported products were not spared, with bananas (1 kg) increasing by 2,581 percent.

Cooking essentials such as natural olive oil (1 litre) increased by 1,864 percent, while organic tomato paste (660 ml) rose by 3,454 percent, one of the highest jumps on the list.

The data underscores the severe erosion of purchasing power for ordinary citizens over the past eight years, as food inflation continues to place growing pressure on household budgets across the country.