UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism Unveils August 2026 Price Monitoring List Covering 33 Essential Goods Across 13 Retailers Nationwide.
The UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism has released its monthly price monitoring data for August 2026, tracking the average cost of essential goods across 13 retail outlets through its ‘Essential Goods Prices Platform’.
The digital platform is designed to strengthen market supervision by automating the monitoring of commodity prices. It also aims to improve transparency and regulatory oversight while providing reliable data to help authorities and consumers follow price trends across local markets.
The August price monitoring data covered 33 essential products in different pack sizes, ranging from rice, flour and cooking oils to eggs, milk, dairy products, legumes, chicken, bread and sugar. Prices were collected from the retail outlets included in the ministry’s monitoring platform.
Rice, Flour and Dairy Prices
Basmati rice averaged around Dh16.62 for a 1kg pack, while the average price for a 5kg pack was Dh45.53. Meanwhile, a 1kg pack of first- and second-grade flour cost an average of Dh7.76, with the 2kg pack averaging about Dh12.26.
For dairy products, a 0.5-litre carton of fresh full-fat milk was priced at an average of Dh3.91, while a 1-litre carton averaged Dh9.46. A 170g serving of yoghurt, meanwhile, cost an average of Dh1.97.
Cooking oil prices varied depending on the type and pack size. A 1-litre bottle of canola oil averaged Dh15.86, rising to Dh23.97 for 1.5 litres. Corn oil was priced at an average of Dh13.85 for a 0.75-litre bottle and Dh24.92 for 1.5 litres. Sunflower oil averaged Dh19.31 per litre, while a 3-litre bottle cost an average of Dh35.70.
For eggs, a pack of 30 brown eggs averaged Dh23.05, slightly higher than the Dh22.97 average recorded for a 30-pack of white eggs.
Fresh whole chicken averaged Dh18.94 for an 800g bird and Dh22.97 for a 1kg bird. Pure white sugar, meanwhile, averaged Dh8.75 for a 1kg pack and Dh10.94 for a 2kg pack.
Lowest Prices Recorded
The ministry also published the lowest prices recorded across the monitored retail outlets in August. A 170g container of yoghurt was available for as little as Dh1.42, while the cheapest 0.5-litre carton of fresh full-fat milk was priced at Dh3.22.
Other essential goods were also available at relatively low prices during August. The lowest recorded price for a 0.5kg pack of white chickpeas, including dry and canned varieties, was Dh3.24. A 0.6kg pack of sliced white bread was available for as little as Dh4.47, while 450g of fava beans, covering dry and canned options, had a minimum recorded price of Dh4.93.
