At a meeting on the new price regulation system held on February 28, 2025, Alexander Lukashenko criticized those who are dissatisfied with the cost of goods in Belarus. On that day, the Telegram channel Pul Pervogo published a video clip from the event.

"Our prices are the lowest in the world, the very lowest. They may not satisfy everyone, they never will satisfy everyone, but they are the lowest in the world," said Lukashenko.

Prices in Belarus are indeed among the lowest in the world. However, the WTF team found at least 16 countries where living is even cheaper. In the 2025 cost of living ranking, which considers prices for housing, food, transportation, and other expenses, Belarus ranks 17th from the bottom out of 139 countries. The very bottom of the list is closed out by Pakistan, Libya, and Egypt. It's also cheaper to live in Russia, Uzbekistan, and Ukraine.

Switzerland tops the list as the priciest country. Groceries alone would cost €630 per month there. According to the ranking's calculations, in Belarus, a person would need between 380 rubles for an Eastern European diet and up to 500 rubles, or €150, for a Western European diet over the same period.

According to the National Statistics Committee, Belarusians spend even less on food: about 40% of household consumer expenses. This amounts to approximately 630 rubles for an average family.