Union consumer basket reaches 2,170 euros: up 60 euros in three months

The union consumer basket (SPK) for the third quarter of this year reached 2,170 euros, according to research by the Center for Education, Information and Trade Union Research (CEISI), which operates within the Union of Free Trade Unions (USSCG), as RTCG reports. Compared with the second quarter, the basket rose by 60 euros, or 2.84 percent.

Of the ten categories of expenditure defined by the Methodology for compiling the SPK, this quarter saw increases in four categories: daily household maintenance expenses (+4.35%), housing and utility expenses (+5.88%), education and culture expenses (+28.57%) and summer holiday expenses (+7.41%).

Tracking the prices of 20 selected items in Montenegro’s three largest retail chains, daily household maintenance rose by 4.35 percent, which translates on average into five euros more, the union’s announcement says. Housing and utility expenses reach 270 euros, with an increase of 5.88 percent, or 15 euros in nominal value — the rise was mainly influenced by the average electricity bill, which increased this quarter due to the cooling season during the summer months, while telecommunications service prices also rose.

The education and culture category recorded the highest increase: it reached 135 euros, from 105 euros a quarter earlier, or +28.57 percent. This includes the average price of a set of textbooks for secondary school, as well as additional expenses for notebooks and school supplies — textbooks for primary school are not included, as they are provided free, while the children of the observed family of four are of primary and secondary school age, RTCG reports. The increase is explained by the intensive start of the school year, as in the same period last year the prices of textbooks and school supplies remained at approximately the same level.

The third quarter was also marked by annual holidays: due to the rise in hotel service prices in the previous period, summer holiday expenses rose by 7.41 percent, from 135 to 145 euros per month. In annual terms, this means that a family of four, for a seven-day stay at the seaside, with half-board in low- and mid-category hotels (two and three stars), had to set aside a total of 1,740 euros — spread over 12 months, this brings a nominal increase of ten euros per month.

Compared with the third quarter of last year, the union basket rose by 95 euros, or 4.58 percent, while compared with the third quarter of 2024, the increase is 170 euros, or 8.5 percent, concludes the announcement by CEISI, cited by RTCG.