The UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism has published its monthly price monitoring report for August 2026, examining the average prices of essential goods across 13 retail outlets through the Essential Goods Price Platform.

The digital platform was launched to strengthen market oversight and automate price monitoring. It aims to enhance transparency, market regulation and price controls in local markets, while providing reliable data to track price trends.

The August data covered 33 essential products in various package sizes, including rice, flour, cooking oils, eggs, milk, dairy products, pulses, chicken, bread and sugar, with prices recorded at retailers covered by the platform.

Rice, flour and dairy prices

The average price of a one-kilogram pack of basmati rice was AED 16.62, while a five-kilogram pack averaged AED 45.53.

The average price of one kilogram of first- and second-grade flour was AED 7.76, while a two-kilogram pack cost approximately AED 12.26.

In the dairy category, the average price of a 500ml pack of full-fat fresh milk was AED 3.91, while a one-litre pack averaged AED 9.46. A 170-gram tub of yoghurt cost an average of AED 1.97.

The average price of a one-litre bottle of canola oil was AED 15.86, while a 1.5-litre bottle averaged AED 23.97.

Corn oil averaged AED 13.85 for a 750ml bottle and AED 24.92 for a 1.5-litre bottle. Sunflower oil averaged AED 19.31 for a one-litre bottle and AED 35.70 for a three-litre pack.

A pack of 30 brown eggs cost an average of AED 23.05, compared with AED 22.97 for the same quantity of white eggs.

The average price of a fresh whole chicken was AED 18.94 for an 800-gram bird and AED 22.97 for a one-kilogram bird.

The average price of one kilogram of pure white sugar was AED 8.75, while a two-kilogram pack averaged AED 10.94.

Lowest recorded prices

The UAE Ministry of Economy and Tourism also announced the lowest retail prices recorded during August.

The lowest price for a 170-gram tub of yoghurt was AED 1.42, while the lowest price for 500ml of full-fat fresh milk was AED 3.22.

Other lowest recorded prices included AED 3.24 for 500 grams of dried or canned white chickpeas, AED 4.47 for 600 grams of sliced white bread, and AED 4.93 for 450 grams of dried or canned fava beans.