Price

The new year has ushered in a wave of controversy in the bustling tourist hub of Antalya, where a whopping 80 percent surge in haircut prices has become the talk of the town.

A pivotal regulation, effective since Jan. 1, 2024, now mandates the visible display of price lists at the entrances and tables of restaurants, cafes, and bakeries. The Trade Ministry's regulation, prompted by a surge in complaints about undisclosed charges on bills, aims to ensure consumer protection and foster transparent pricing.

Property market professionals report a gap ranging around 15% to 25% on average between the asking prices and the prices at which the sales are finally made, which means there is plenty of room for prospective buyers to bargain.

The house price rally has inflated the expectations of rental property owners who are trying to maximize their monthly income. Comparing the prices asked in classified ads with those included in lease agreements, it turns out that the discrepancies are large.

Huge projects are due to deliver new neighbourhoods in Prague. Photo: Central Group Priced out

In the Hungarian capital, buyers need more than 16 average annual salaries to buy a 75 square metre (m2) apartment. This means that if you start working at 23 and miraculously don't spend on anything else, at 40 you can own a home. This trend accelerated especially from 2015 on.

Price hikes in Greek housing accelerated further in the first quarter of the year, according to data published on Monday, forcing many local buyers into changing their preferences and downsizing investment choices, experts say.

The effort to have taxable property rates (known as "objective values") converge with the actual market prices currently looks like a losing battle.

At its meeting on Thursday, the Croatian government will take a decision to set a fixed price for eight basic products, said Prime Minister Andrej Plenković.

The price of sunflower oil will be lower - 1.72 euros per liter (now it is 1.86 euros), there will be a price limit for milk, flour, sugar, whole chicken and minced pork.

The head of an umbrella organization of restaurants has called on all eating houses to freeze prices until Ramadan, pointing out the "recent decline in many input prices."

As long as demand is greater than supply, apartment prices will go up, architect Branka Bonjak tells RTS and reveals when prices are expected to start declining.