Everything from potatoes to a trip to the cinema now costs you more

THE cost of basic household staples, including potatoes, bread, motor fuels and haircuts, rose between 2016 and 2017, the Central Statistics Office (CSO) says.

Of 14 items highlighted by the CSO, 10 were more expensive and just four cheaper compared with the previous 12 months.

The sharpest rise was in the cost of a litre of diesel which stood at €1.25 in 2017, up 8.7pc, while a litre of petrol increased by 6.3pc to €1.36, reflecting rising oil prices globally.

The ‘Ireland’s Facts and Figures 2018’ report also highlights how a pack of 20 cigarettes increased by 6.1pc in the same period to €11.43.

The next highest increase was for a cinema ticket, which averages €9.47, a rise of 2.7pc. A pint of stout after the movies will set drinkers back €4.43 – 2.3pc more expensive than a year previously – while a brown sliced pan costs €1.39 (up 2.2pc).

Looking good also comes at a price. A gent’s dry haircut is 1.5pc more expensive at €12.12, but this pales in comparison with the cost of a ladies wash, cut and blow-dry which averages €38.85, a rise of 0.8pc.

The humble spud is also dearer – 2.5kg of potatoes cost €3.18, a rise of 0.6pc.

But it’s not all bad news, as some items were cheaper in 2017 compared with 2016.

The sharpest fall was seen in the cost of a kilo of cheddar which retails for €9.88, some 3.9pc cheaper than a year previously.

A take-home bottle of whiskey will set shoppers back €24.75, a fall of 2.1pc, while two litres of full-fat milk are €1.69, or 1.2pc cheaper.

Finally, one kilo of topside or rib roast beef costs €13.26, a fall of 0.2pc.