Archive · 9 Sep 2026
Home-Cooked Meal Costs Rise as Onion Prices Climb
A report found that cooking meals at home became a little more expensive in August.
A vegetarian meal cost Rs 29.5, which was 1% more than a year earlier and in July.
A non-vegetarian meal cost Rs 57.5.
It was 5% more expensive than last year but slightly cheaper than in July.
Onions became much more expensive because bad weather hurt supplies.
Cooking oil and LPG also cost more than last year.
Cheaper potatoes and tomatoes helped keep the total increase smaller.
Experts expect onion prices to stay high for the next two to three months.
The cost of a vegetarian thali rose 1% year-on-year and month-on-month to Rs 29.5 in August.
A non-vegetarian thali cost Rs 57.5, up 5% year-on-year but down 1% from July.
Broiler prices rose 10% year-on-year, while onion prices increased 43% to Rs 40 per kg.
Higher onion, vegetable oil, rice and LPG prices kept meal costs elevated compared with last year.
Lower potato and tomato prices limited the increase, but onion prices are expected to remain firm over the next two to three months.
- Who
- Households buying ingredients for vegetarian and non-vegetarian meals, as analyzed by CRISIL Intelligence.
- What
- The cost of home-cooked vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis changed in August.
- When
- August 2026, compared with the previous year and July.
- Where
- The report covers domestic meal costs and attributes onion supply problems to Maharashtra.
- Why
- Prices rose mainly because onions, vegetable oil, rice, LPG and broiler products became more expensive, although potatoes and tomatoes became cheaper.
- Vegetarian thali cost
- Rs 29.5 in August
- Vegetarian year-on-year change
- Up 1%
- Non-vegetarian thali cost
- Rs 57.5 in August
- Non-vegetarian year-on-year change
- Up 5%
- Onion price
- Rs 40 per kg, up 43% year-on-year and 17% month-on-month
- Broiler price change
- Up 10% year-on-year but down 4% month-on-month
- Expected onion trend
- Prices are expected to remain firm over the next two to three months