HCM City (VNA), July 30 -- The July consumer price index (CPI) in Ho Chi Minh City picked up 0.61 percent from last month, according to the municipal Statistics Office.

Month-on-month price hikes were seen in eight of the 11 groups of main consumer goods and services, namely food and restaurant services (0.16 percent); garment, headwear and footwear (0.42 percent); housing, electricity, water, fuel and construction materials (0.43 percent); household appliances (0.09 percent); transport (4.59 percent); education (0.08 percent); culture, entertainment and tourism (0.02 percent); and other goods and services (0.11 percent).

While the group of beverages and cigarettes recorded a price decline of 0.05 percent, prices of medicine and healthc...