Onion, LPG prices push home-cooked thali costs up 9% in July: Crisil

The cost of a home-cooked vegetarian and non-vegetarian thali increased 4% and 9% year-on-year in July 2026 due to higher prices of onion, vegetable oils and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) cylinders, according to Crisil's Roti Rice Report (RRR).

The report calculates the average cost of preparing a thali at home based on prevailing input prices across India. The monthly change reflects the impact on the common man’s expenditure.

“Higher onion, edible oil and LPG prices kept the costs elevated for both thali categories. Onion prices rose on tighter supply following weather-related damage to crops and inventories in Maharashtra, which accounts for 40% share in India’s onion production,” said Pushan Sharma, director of Crisil Intelligence.

"Edible oil and LPG prices remained inflated amid supply disruptions and higher energy costs linked to the West Asia conflict," Sharma added.

Onion prices rose 20% on-year, driven by the arrival of higher-priced stored rabi stocks in the market. Unseasonal rainfall and hailstorms in Maharashtra during March-April reportedly damaged the late-season crop and stored inventories, further tightening supplies, the report said.

Also, vegetable oil and LPG cylinder prices rose 11% and 10% on-year, respectively, primarily due to supply disruptions and elevated energy prices stemming from the ongoing West Asia war.

The increase in overall thali cost was partly offset by a decline of 12% and 2% on-year in the prices of potato and tomato, respectively. Potato prices softened due to a 2-3% rise in rabi production, supported by acreage expansion. Tomato prices remained lower on-year due to the delayed arrival of the summer crop, caused by prolonged high temperatures during February-March. This postponed planting by nearly a month and shifted the supply cycle, resulting in higher market arrivals in July.

The non-veg thali cost rose due to an estimated 14% on-year increase in broiler prices, which account for ~50% of the cost. Higher feed costs and a low base effect from shifting the Shravan month from July in 2025 to August this year spurred prices.

Month-on-month change

On a month-on-month basis, the cost of veg thali rose 2%, while that of non-veg thali remained stable. Onion and potato prices rose 23% and 4% month-on-month, respectively, pushing up thali costs. However, a 1% decline in tomato prices and relatively stable prices of other commodities prevented a further uptick.

The cost of a non-veg thali remained stable because of an estimated 2% month-on-month decline in broiler prices amid a moderation in demand.

“Onion prices are expected to remain firm due to tight rabi supplies and an expected delay in kharif onion arrivals. Potato prices may inch up as high-priced cold-storage stock is released into the market, while tomato prices will likely remain stable in the near term, supported by fresh arrivals from the south, before strengthening from September on account of delayed kharif arrivals and seasonal festive demand,” Sharma said.

“Prices of edible oil are also expected to remain firm. Higher crude oil prices are keeping the pressure on freight and landed costs of imports, even as elevated polymer and resin prices are hardening packaging costs,” he added.