The cost of home-cooked vegetarian thali remained unchanged year-on-year in February 2026, while the price of non-vegetarian thali fell by about 3%, mainly due to lower broiler chicken prices, according to the Crisil Roti Rice Rate (RRR) report.
RRR calculates the average cost of making a thali based on prevailing input prices in North, South, East and West India. The monthly price movement reflects its impact on household spending. The monitored ingredients include cereals, pulses, broilers, vegetables, spices, edible oil and cooking gas.
“Vegetarian thali costs remained flat year-on-year in February as lower prices of onions, potatoes and pulses offset the sharp rise in tomato prices,” said Pushan Sharma, Director, Crisil Intelligence.
Tomato prices rose by 43% year-on-year to approx ₹33 per kg in February 2026 from ₹23 per kg in February 2025. The increase was attributed to lower market arrivals between November 2025 and January 2026, which fell by around 32% compared to the previous year. This decline was mainly due to delayed transplanting, which affected crop yields and tightened supply.
However, onion prices fell 24% year-on-year as markets saw a late influx of the kharif crop. Limited shelf life and subdued export demand also forced farmers and traders to quickly sell produce in domestic markets.
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Likewise, potato prices fell by about 13% year-on-year as the crop entered its peak harvest phase. The decline was further supported by the ongoing liquidation of stocks stored in cold storage from the previous rabi season.
Pulses prices declined by around 9% year-on-year, mainly due to higher initial stocks during the current fiscal year. Tur stocks for the July-June marketing year are estimated to be about 20% higher, while Bengal gram stocks for the January-December marketing year are about 10% higher this season, putting downward pressure on prices.
Meanwhile, vegetable oil prices rose about 4% year-on-year due to tighter global soybean oil supplies, pushing up domestic edible oil prices. Additionally, a 6% increase in the price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders has limited any potential reduction in the overall cost of home-made thali.
The cost of non-vegetarian thali has come down mainly due to an estimated 7% drop in broiler chicken prices, which accounts for almost half of the total food cost. Lower prices for onions, potatoes and pulses also contributed to lower costs, although rising tomato prices limited the overall decline.
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Monthly decline
However, on a month-on-month basis, the cost of both vegetarian and non-vegetarian thalis declined in February. The price of vegetarian thali has fallen by about 5%, while the price of non-vegetarian thali has fallen by about 1%. The monthly decline was largely due to lower vegetable prices as tomato, potato and onion prices fell by around 29%, 6% and 4% respectively due to increased market arrivals.
However, the price of non-vegetarian thali declined at a slower rate as broiler prices increased by around 2% month-on-month. The increase was driven by higher feed costs, strong seasonal demand and tight supply conditions in the poultry market.
On the outlook for the coming months, Sharma said, “Vegetable prices are expected to soften in the near term. Tomato prices are likely to remain higher year-on-year till mid-April and then firm up as seasonal arrivals tighten and the market transitions between crop cycles. Potato prices are also likely to remain subdued till March-April unless they fall during the peak export arrival season.”
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