How Turks came to commute to Greece to buy meat and cheese. How much do the products cost in the two countries
Photo: Tero Vesalainen | Dreamstime.com
Turkish citizens regularly make cross-border pilgrimages to Greece, driving for hours to fill their shopping baskets with everyday groceries that cost a fraction of domestic prices, writes Bloomberg.
The publication gives the example of Cihan Citak, the CEO of a food and beverage company, who makes the roughly four-hour trip from Istanbul to Alexandroupolis, a Greek seaside town 40 kilometers from the Turkish border, almost monthly, finding that his shopping costs a third of what it would at home. The olive oil that sells for 10 euros a liter in Greece costs twice as much in Turkey, and his basket full of wine, cheese and groceries represents an economy he considers worthy of his effort.
Price differences are large and systematic across all product categories. At Lidl in Alexandroupolis, minced beef costs 9.36 euros ($10) per kilogram, compared to 12.10 euros at CarrefourSA in Turkey, while beef sausages sell for almost half the Turkish price. Gouda cheese and Kinder chocolate cost about a third of the equivalent price in Turkey. The phenomenon has become so common that 6 percent of all Turks who crossed the border into Greece in the first nine months of 2025 were shopping — the highest proportion of all travelers since at least 2012, according to the country's statistics agency.
This is a complete reversal of the situation a few years ago, when Greeks were coming from Turkey with bags full of food and other goods. Inflation in Turkey in recent years has strongly changed the trend.
The phenomenon has spawned a cottage industry of organized shopping tourism, with travel agencies in Istanbul, Çanakkale and Bursa offering day bus trips to Alexandroupolis for around 50 euros, including ticket and exit tax.
The trips have become social events, with hundreds of Turkish shoppers heading to Greek supermarkets before gathering at restaurants to compare purchases and prices. Some share their experiences on YouTube and TikTok, racking up thousands of views with videos showing off the price tags. Travel agency operators report that customers are buying everything from meat and cheese to pasta, yogurt and vegetables, and the cheaper seafood in Greek restaurants is an added bonus. However, the popularity creates its own complications – Citak reported that the most recent return trip involved waiting hours at passport control due to the high volume of cross-border shoppers.
