You can still save, but not on all margin-stopped products

By: Trademagazin Date: 2025. 04. 21. 14:53

Although the effect of the Hungarian price caps is starting to be felt on the shelves of domestic stores, there are still some products that are worth buying in Serbia – especially if someone consciously plans and sets off for Subotica with a purpose. During an on-site visit on April 11, 26 out of 30 price caps were found to have Serbian equivalents, and the data from the Hungarian Price Monitor served as the basis for the comparison. According to the exchange rate on that day, 1 Serbian dinar was worth 3.47 forints, writes G7 in a recent article.

Where can you save a lot?

Sour cream and eggs are the most popular: even with the Hungarian price caps, their prices are much more favorable on the other side of the border. A 400-gram sour cream cost only 208 forints in Subotica, while at home prices between 379 and 425 forints are typical for even the cheapest products. The situation is similar with eggs: in Hungary, a box of 10 M starts at 723 forints, while in Subotica you can buy 30 pieces for 1248 forints, which means a price of around 41 forints per piece – and this is already approaching the old, “nostalgia prices”.

It may also be worth buying cooking fat: 250 grams of baking margarine was 395 forints at home on the day of the survey, but in Subotica it was available in a similar package for 243 forints. The price difference was also significant for sunflower cooking oil: compared to the Hungarian average of 738 forints, it was offered for the equivalent of 555 forints in Serbia.

Where is it the same, and where is it more expensive?

The difference with flour is only minimal: the Serbian equivalent of 173 forints was slightly cheaper than the Hungarian price of 187 forints, and the strudel flour cost 191 forints abroad. You can’t win big with these, but the small advantages can add up in the basket.

Meat and dairy products, on the other hand, are cheaper at home. Cottage cheese and Trappist cheese, for example, are more than double the price in Subotica: a 900-gram cottage cheese was asked for the equivalent of 2,151 forints, while a 450-gram Trappist was offered for 2,013 forints. Chicken breast fillet was also more expensive: while it is available for 1,966 forints in Hungary, the price in Serbia was 2,151 forints.