Veg and non-veg thali costs decline by 6% each on year in May, says Crisil

Time of India

3 days ago

The cost of home-cooked vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis declined by about 6 per cent each year on year in May 2025. The decline was due to a sharp drop in prices of key vegetables led by high-base effect, said ratings agency Crisil in its latest Roti Rice Rate report.
'Tomato prices fell ~29 per cent to Rs 23/ kg from Rs 33/kg in May 2025 as concerns over yield had lifted prices last year. Prices of onion and potato declined 15 per cent and 16%, respectively, on year as potato prices had shot up last year due to crop damage following blight infestations and unseasonal rainfall in West Bengal, while
onion prices
had increased due to lower rabi acreage and yield, as water availability in key growing states – Maharashtra, MP and Karnataka was low,' the report said.
'Thali costs diverged marginally on-month in May 2025, with vegetarian thali holding steady and non-vegetarian thali becoming about 2 per cent cheaper. While tomato and potato turned dearer, prices of onion declined, keeping the vegetarian thali cost stable sequentially. The cost of non-vegetarian thali, however, eased due to a decline in broiler prices,' said Pushan Sharma, Director, Crisil Intelligence
He added, 'Going ahead, we anticipate an uptick in vegetable prices owing to seasonal variations and a slight easing in prices of wheat and pulses amid strong domestic output. Meanwhile, rice prices are expected to rise, with a likely 20–25 per cent increase in exports because of competitive pricing in the global market.'
A 19 per cent on-year jump in vegetable oil prices due to a rise in import duty and a 6 per cent on-year rise in the price of liquefied petroleum gas cylinder prevented a further drop in thali cost, said Crisil.
Along with lower vegetable prices, an estimated 6 per cent on-year decline in the price of broiler made non-vegetarian thalis cheaper. 'The decline in prices of broiler — which makes up about 50 per cent of the non-vegetarian thali cost — was due to oversupply and lower demand amid bird flu reported in parts of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka,' the report said.
'On-month, the cost of a vegetarian thali remained stable, while that of non-vegetarian thali reduced nearly 2 per cent in May 2025. Potato and tomato prices rose 3 per cent and 10 per cent on-month, respectively, while onion prices dipped 10%, thereby keeping the vegetarian thali cost unchanged on month. An estimated 4 per cent month on month decline in broiler prices contributed towards the decline in the non-vegetarian,' said Crisil.
'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,' the report said.
A veg thali comprises of roti, vegetables (onion, tomato and potato), rice, dal, curd and salad. A non-veg thali has the same elements, except dal, which is replaced by chicken (broiler); broiler prices for May 2025 are estimated figures; weightage of ingredients does not vary based on volatility in commodity price.