Cost of vegetarian home-cooked meal shot up by 11% in July, non-veg by 6%

Reasons for Increase

The steep rise in the cost of home-cooked vegetarian thali in India is mainly attributed to the increase in prices of tomatoes, onions and potatoes – ingredients that make up the major chunk of a vegetarian meal in the country.

Exceptionally high prices of tomatoes in July substantially contributed to the increase in the cost of the veg thali, specifically 7 per cent out of the total 11 per cent rise.

Tomato prices surged by 55 per cent, increasing from approximately Rs 42 per kg in June to around Rs 66 per kg in July. The spike was mainly due to adverse weather conditions. The summer crop in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh was also affected by exceptionally high temperatures this year, while scattered rainfall in Karnataka during May led to an increase in whitefly infestations, further impacting crop output.

The prices of other basic ingredients of a vegetarian thali, such as onions rose by 20 per cent and potatoes by 16 per cent in July as compared to June. The increase in onion prices was linked to lower rabi production, while a late blight infestation in Punjab, Gujarat, and Uttar Pradesh adversely affected potato yields.

The cost of non-veg thali rose at a slower rate as compared to the veg thali. This slower increase was due to stable chicken prices, which make up more than 50 per cent of the total cost of a non-veg thali.

Comparison of Thali Costs on Year-On-Year Basis

If you compare the cost of veg and non-veg thalis on a year-over-year basis, the scenario is different. The cost of a standard home-cooked veg thali in July 2024 decreased by 4 per cent, while the cost of the non-veg thali saw a more substantial decline of 9 per cent as compared to July 2023..

The reduction in the cost of the veg thali year-over-year was mainly due to a steep 40 per cent drop in tomato prices, which had reached Rs 110 per kg in July 2023. Last year’s high prices were due to flash floods that disrupted supply from northern states and pest infestations affecting crops in Karnataka.

However, the decline in the veg thali’s cost was somewhat muffled by noticeable yearly increases in the prices of onions and potatoes, which rose by 65 per cent and 55 per cent, respectively, due to lower arrivals.

For the non-veg thali, the cost decrease was primarily driven by an estimated 11 per cent year-over-year decline in broiler prices, which had been at a high base in fiscal 2024.

How Thali Cost is Calculated

The average cost of preparing a thali at home is calculated based on input prices from various regions across India–north, south, east, and west. These monthly changes reflect the broader impact on household expenditures. The data highlights the driving factors behind the changes in thali costs, including prices of cereals, pulses, broilers, vegetables, spices, edible oil, and cooking gas.