The average cost of preparing a thali at home is calculated based on input prices prevailing in north, south, east and west India. The monthly change reflects the impact on the common man’s expenditure. The data also reveals the ingredients (cereals, pulses, broilers, vegetables, spices, edible oil and cooking gas) driving the change in the cost of the thali.

On-year, the cost of home-cooked veg thali rose 7%, and of non-veg thali by 2%, in November

• Veg thali cost rose due to increase in the prices of tomato and potato, which collectively account for ~26% of the thali cost
  
  • Price of tomato increased 35% onyear to Rs 53/kg from Rs 40/kg in November 2023
  • Price of potato increased 50% on-year on a low base to Rs 37/kg from Rs 25/ kg in November 2023 due to a 20% on-year decline in arrivals amid low yield following late blight infestation in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Gujarat
    
• Price of pulses rose 10% on-year due to lower opening and pipeline stocks. Prices are expected to dip once fresh arrivals begin in December
• Adding to the cost, vegetable oil prices rose 13% on-year due to import duty hike, coupled with the festive and wedding season demand
• An 11% drop in fuel cost – from Rs 903 last year for a 14.2 kg LPG cylinder in Delhi to Rs 803 currently – prevented further increase in the thali cost
• For the non-veg thali, an estimated decline of 3% on-year in broiler prices, which account for 50% of the non-veg thali cost, arrested further the cost increase
  

On-month, the cost of veg thali declined 2% in November, while that of non-veg thali remained flat

• Tomato prices declined 17% on-month with fresh supplies from Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat in October, but lower arrivals in November capped further decline
• Rise in prices of vegetable oil, onion and potato by 4%, 4% and 1% on-month, respectively, arrested further decline in thali cost
• For the non-veg thali, an estimated 2% rise in broiler prices led to stable thali cost