Chicken thali up 5%, veg meal 1% costlier in August: Onion jumps 43%, oil and LPG rise; potato-tomato ease

Eating a home-cooked meal became costlier in August, with the price of a typical non-vegetarian thali rising 5% year-on-year and a vegetarian thali becoming 1% more expensive, according to a CRISIL Intelligence report. Higher chicken, onion, edible oil and LPG prices pushed up household food costs, although cheaper potatoes and tomatoes provided some relief.

The average cost of preparing a vegetarian thali at home rose to ₹29.50 in August, from around ₹29 a year earlier. The cost of a non-vegetarian thali climbed to ₹57.50, from about ₹55. The increase means households cooking the same basic meal are spending more, particularly when chicken is included in the plate.

What made your food bill higher?

For vegetarian meals, onion emerged as a key driver. Onion prices jumped 43% year-on-year to ₹40 per kg in August from ₹28 a kg a year earlier, as supply remained tight. Unseasonal rainfall and hailstorms in Maharashtra during March-April damaged late-season crops and stored inventories, while rabi production was estimated to have declined 5-6%, further tightening supplies.

The cost of vegetable oil rose 11% year-on-year, while LPG cylinder prices increased 10%, adding to the expense of preparing food at home. The rise in cooking costs came even as some vegetables became cheaper.

Potato prices fell 12% year-on-year, supported by an estimated 2-3% increase in rabi production and higher acreage. Tomato prices declined 28% amid increased market arrivals. These declines helped contain the overall rise in the cost of a vegetarian thali.

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Chicken makes the non-veg plate pricier

For non-vegetarian households, broiler chicken was the biggest pressure point. Broiler prices were estimated to have risen 10% year-on-year, with chicken accounting for around half the cost of the non-vegetarian thali.

Higher feed costs contributed to the increase, pushing up the cost of the chicken component and, consequently, the overall meal.

On a month-on-month basis, however, the picture was mixed. The cost of a vegetarian thali rose 1% in August, while the non-vegetarian thali became 1% cheaper. Onion prices increased 17% during the month, pushing up vegetarian meal costs, while a 7% decline in tomato prices limited the increase.

The fall in non-vegetarian thali costs was linked to an estimated 4% monthly decline in broiler prices, as demand weakened during the Shravan month.

What is in the CRISIL thali?

CRISIL’s vegetarian thali comprises roti, vegetables, rice, dal, curd and salad, while the non-vegetarian version replaces dal with broiler chicken. The calculation uses prevailing input prices across north, south, east and west India.

The latest data shows that the cost of a simple home-cooked meal is increasingly being shaped not just by vegetable prices, but also by energy costs, edible oil and protein prices—meaning changes in the prices of everyday ingredients can quickly show up on the household food bill.

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