Housing, water, gas and electricity increase 10.9%

The cost of housing, water, electricity, and gas services increased by 10.9% in one year (May 2022 versus May 2023) according to the report of the Consumer Price Index (CPI).

The report details that the CPI for electricity skyrocketed 41.4% in one year, impacted by the elimination of subsidies that were given to some customers based on consumption due to the pandemic. The seasonal increase in the service that is recorded each semester due to the increase in energy costs also had an impact.

In the case of housing, the prices affected by the rise were housing repair and maintenance services, which increased by 11.7% in one year.

FOOD PRICES 
Between May 2022 and May 2023, the CPI for food and non-alcoholic beverages also accelerated by 4.2%.

The food products that increased in price the most in one year were pasta at 10.8%, followed by creams and flour at 9.1%, and bread and other bakery products at 3.8% interannual variation.

Meat prices on average rose 2.7% in one year, driven by the 11.9% increase in products such as canned beef and pork, in addition to sausages by 8.4%.

In the case of the milk, cheese, and eggs group, the CPI accelerated 6.4% and the greatest increases were in products such as cheese at 9.1% and eggs at 6.1%.

In May, the price of the Basic Family Food Basket measured by the Consumer Protection Authority (Acodeco) registered an average of $289.56 an increase of 3.15% compared to May 2022.