High prices in markets: pensioners can no longer cope with rising vegetable costs

Rising prices in markets are causing increasing hardship for Romanians, with pensioners feeling the financial strain most acutely. Vegetables, staple foods, and dairy products have all become considerably more expensive, and people say they are forced to walk from one end of the market to the other in search of the lowest prices, as their money no longer stretches far enough.

For retirees, every leu counts, as the available sum must be divided between food, medication, and bills.

How much vegetables cost now

A kilogram of tomatoes has exceeded 10 RON, and the situation is similar for other vegetables, such as peppers and aubergines. Visibly affected by these price increases, some pensioners have delivered an emotional message, in tears, to the country's leadership, calling for those in power to be replaced.

Increasingly difficult choices when shopping

For those on small pensions, the situation is all the more difficult. They recount having been forced to give up certain products and to plan their shopping around every single leu at their disposal.

Some shoppers admit that they go to the market solely to compare prices across several stalls and find the cheapest option, no longer able to buy everything they actually need.