This is a problem all over the Balkans, particularly in countries outside the EU. The cost of basic essentials in supermarkets in Serbia and elsewhere is absolutely obscene. Meanwhile, wages are tiny and job opportunities minimal. The population is collapsing and region dying.
https://x.com/KitKlarenberg/status/1937415166129283381?t=auZG-t-zFea0kaxbdlE7vw&s=19
I might add restaurants remain considerably cheaper in Serbia relative to the West. Friends who visit me are often awed at how high quality meals in decent establishments are practically free in comparison to their home countries. But for how much longer?