Prices in Croatian supermarkets have surged an average of 1.8% in just one month, with coastal towns seeing the sharpest increases, according to new data published by UsporediCijene.info, a portal established after the government mandated major retail chains to publicly report their price changes.
Leading the surge is Baška, where prices jumped a staggering 10.68%. Close behind are Tribunj (+9.91%) and Posedarje (+9.79%). Other holiday hotspots reporting hikes above 9% include Pirovac, Pag, Pomer, Žminj, Kali, Pakoštane, Fažana, Pašman, Zaostrog, Novalja, Sveti Filip i Jakov, and Omiš—locations popular with summer tourists.
Even Dubrovnik, despite its already premium pricing, recorded a 3.7% rise, followed by Zadar (+2.32%), Rijeka (+1.38%), Split and Zagreb (both +1.15%), and Osijek (+1.05%).
Surprisingly, only two places saw a drop in prices: Kaštela (-0.2%) and Starigrad Paklenica (-0.4%).
Among retail chains, the largest price hikes were observed in Plodine (+3.62%), Tommy (+3.37%), and Kaufland (+2.34%). On the other end, DM showed a price drop of 1.36%, while Metro (+0.27%) and Vrutak (+0.31%) remained relatively stable.
The Croatian government’s mid-May decision to force transparency on supermarket pricing now covers stores that make up around 75% of national retail turnover, including supermarkets, hypermarkets, and discount stores. The comparison portal collects data across branches to calculate an average product price per retailer.
As summer tourism picks up, concerns are rising that these price hikes will not only affect locals but also impact visitor satisfaction. Some industry voices already warn that Croatia’s price rises outpace those of regional competitors.