Istanbul's price hike champion for January has been announced: This time it's not food...

The Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO), in order to ensure market transparency and inform the public, has announced the products in Istanbul with the highest and lowest retail price increases in January, along with their prices and rates of change. Among the 242 products included in the ITO's Wage Earners' Cost of Living Index, the retail prices of 158 products increased, 30 products decreased, and 54 products remained unchanged.

76.74 PERCENT INCREASE IN BRIDGE TOLLS

In January, bridge toll fees, which are in the transportation expenditure group, became the item with the highest price increase at 76.74 percent.

Some of the other products that experienced price increases were dental treatment fees from the health expenditure group at 56.39 percent, janitor fees at 49.11 percent, intercity bus ticket prices at 45.12 percent, X-ray fees from the health expenditure group at 38.14 percent, laboratory analysis fees at 37.60 percent, and green onions at 34.16 percent and curly lettuce at 33.47 percent from the food expenditure vegetable and fruit subgroup.

DECLINE IN SHIRT PRICES

In January, shirt prices, which are in the men's clothing subgroup of clothing expenditures, saw a decline of 13.92 percent, making it the product with the largest price decrease.

Other products that saw a decrease in price were suits at 9.04 percent and jackets at 8.17 percent from the men's clothing subgroup of clothing expenditures, oranges at 7.46 percent from the food expenditure group, coats at 6.10 percent from the men's clothing subgroup, and hotel room accommodation fees at 4.67 percent from the culture, education, and entertainment expenditure group.