Walk into a butcher shop in Girne or Lefkoşa — the first thing you see is the price tags. They rise so fast that sellers are tired of restickering them.
What it costs today
According to UKON (National Red Meat Council) data for 6 August 2026, wholesale carcass prices are:
Beef — 583 TL/kg · Lamb — 608 TL/kg
But retail is a different story. Here are real prices from North Cyprus counters (May–August 2026):
| Product |
TL/kg |
€/kg |
| Beef mince |
900–1 400 |
17–26 |
| Beef cubes (kuşbaşı) |
1 000–1 500 |
19–28 |
| Beef steak (biftek) |
1 200–1 700 |
23–32 |
| Lamb rib (pirzola) |
1 000–1 400 |
19–26 |
| Lamb fillet (şiş) |
up to 1 700 |
up to 32 |
| Whole chicken |
~200 |
~3.8 |
| Chicken fillet |
250–270 |
4.7–5.1 |
For comparison: the global average beef price is around $18/kg. In Northern Cyprus it is $20–25. In neighbouring Turkey it is noticeably cheaper. On the Greek south — €7–12/kg, almost half.
'I used to cut 100 lambs a week — now it's 10'
We gathered what the butchers themselves say.
Mehmet Kermeoğlu, butcher in Lefkoşa: 'I used to dress 100 lambs a week. Now it's 10 if I'm lucky. We sit waiting for customers. Tükendik — we are exhausted. The trade is dying.'
Halil Akbıçak, butcher representative: 'A live lamb has gone up 55% in 4 months — from 320 to 500 TL. On the counter lamb is already 1 300 TL/kg. People go south for meat. The state loses over €250 million a year from this alone.'
İsmail Kamkam, butcher: 'Costs are rising and purchasing power is falling. Slaughter fees: 500 TL per small head, 4 000 TL per large head. That's before feed, rent, electricity. People buy less and less, but we can't cut prices — we'd be selling at a loss.'
How did we get here
Several reasons, all compounding. The island does not produce enough meat. 18 000 cattle and 137 000 lambs are slaughtered annually — 8 500–9 000 tonnes. For half a million residents plus tourists — not enough. Feed is getting expensive, barley is in short supply, farmers are reducing herds.
In the last two months the price of a live calf rose 50% — from 200 to 300 TL per kilo live weight. That went straight to retail.
Then there is the border paradox. On the Greek side the same products cost half as much. Result: residents of border areas increasingly shop for meat in the south. According to meat unions, the volume of meat brought in from the south (including illegal channels) already exceeds official sales inside Northern Cyprus.
What's next
Butchers and farmers have sat down at the same table for the first time — they are forming a cooperative to bring prices down. They are discussing controlled imports, modernising slaughterhouses, joint feed purchasing. For now these are plans.
Some experts predict: after the elections, beef could cross 1 500 TL per kilo.
What about tourists and newcomers
If you are on holiday — cafe and restaurant portions are still generous, local kebabs or etli börek are still affordable. But if you are renting an apartment and planning to cook yourself — budget extra for meat. Chicken remains the budget option: whole bird ~200 TL, fillet 250–270.
In short: meat in Northern Cyprus is expensive and getting more so. Locals increasingly replace it with chicken, fish, or cross to the south. Butchers are sounding the alarm: 'tükendik'. The authorities are looking for solutions, but for now a kilo of good steak is a small celebration, not an everyday dinner.
◆ Sources: UKON · Kıbrıs Gazetesi · Giynik Gazetesi · Kıbrıs Postası · @northcyprusfaq
