The cost of living in Algeria

The Trade Union Confederation of Productive Forces (COSYFOP) announces the publication of its economic and social study on purchasing power, wages and the real cost of living in Algeria in 2026.

The study draws on a field survey of prices and data collected on 14 September 2026 by COSYFOP teams and members in several wilayas across Algeria. Prices observed in local markets were then compared with available administrative benchmarks, including price data published by the Directorates of Commerce.

The findings show that, among 18 products for which a direct comparison could be made on the basis of the same product and unit, 17 were priced above the average administrative benchmark. This points to a significant gap between prices observed in the markets and the administrative reference prices available to the public.

COSYFOP also examined how the National Guaranteed Minimum Wage (SNMG) has evolved in relation to inflation since 2020. The study finds that simply restoring the purchasing power lost since 2021 would require a minimum wage of around DZD 27,000 gross, or approximately DZD 28,000 as a rounded technical benchmark. This figure represents only the recovery of purchasing power already lost.

Even that adjustment, however, would still fall short of the actual cost of living. In the most basic scenario examined, a worker living alone and without a housing payment requires a monthly budget of around DZD 35,000, while the corresponding reference income is estimated at approximately DZD 37,000 net. For the reference household, the study shows that basic needs are well above current wage levels, with the gap varying considerably according to housing circumstances.

For this reason, the Trade Union Confederation of Productive Forces maintains its call for the National Guaranteed Minimum Wage to be raised to at least DZD 35,000 gross as an initial step from 2027, together with the opening of meaningful wage negotiations aimed at bringing workers’ incomes more closely into line with the actual cost of living and the needs of workers and their families.

DZD 35,000 is not an end point. It is the minimum starting point for addressing the decline in purchasing power and beginning a genuine process of wage improvement.

The report is available here.