In Oct. 2022, basic products on Formentera cost 18% more than on Eivissa and 22% more than in mainland Spain

These findings were revealed by a 2022 study comparing the prices of ten basic products conducted by the Formentera Data Observatory. In addition, from January to October, the cost of these groceries increased 21%

The Formentera Data Observatory of the Consell de Formentera conducted a study on the local cost of groceries compared to Eivissa and mainland Spain. Prices were also compared between January and October 2022 –before and after the start of the war in Ukraine– to see how inflation has affected commodities.

The prices of ten basic private label products were compared for the study: one kilo of rice, one loaf of bread, one dozen eggs, one head of lettuce, one five-litre jug of water, one litre of whole milk, one litre of sunflower oil, one litre of olive oil, one kilo of potatoes and one kilo of chicken.

To run the comparison, the engineers of the study looked at two large supermarkets on Eivissa, two on the mainland, and the two Formentera supermarkets with the lowest prices. In January 2022 it cost 13% more to buy groceries on Formentera than on Eivissa and 12% more than on the mainland. In October 2022, shopping on Formentera was 18% more expensive than on Eivissa and 22% more expensive than on the mainland.

Month-to-month comparison
During this first year of data collection, the comparison was performed in a total of five Formentera stores. Among them, variations of up to 60% were detected between the highest and lowest prices.

Moreover, comparing the average cost of these basic purchases in the five stores in January 2022 with October 2022, the local cost of groceries increased by 21%. During this same period, prices increased by 17% on Eivissa and by 11% on mainland Spain.

"These data highlight the sharp premium that Formentera residents face when making basic purchases, and that this has increased in the last year", explained Alejandra Ferrer, vice president and head of the Formentera Data Observatory. Vice President Ferrer voiced concern about "the great expense that Formentera residents face when buying basic items on the island" and asserted, "We will continue with these studies and implement new ones, improving our working methodology to discover the real cost of living on Formentera and introduce or request measures to offset our insularity".

Furthermore, the Consell de Formentera has requested a meeting with the Small and Medium-Sized Business Group (Pimef) to explain the data obtained and discuss this issue.

This year, small businesses on Eivissa and in mainland Spain have been included in the study to make it possible to compare all types of establishments in the three locations. Sampling will also be conducted more frequently to obtain more specific data.

Complete data from the study can be found in the "Visió del Resident" section of the Formentera Data Observatory website. https://www.observatorideformentera.cat/visions/visio-del-resident/cistella-de-la-compra/

16 March 2023
Office of Communication
Consell de Formentera