The average cost of cooking one standard Imeretian khachapuri reached 3.45GEL in August 2017. The price jumped up by 3.9% month-on-month (compared to July 2017), and by 9.2% year-on-year (compared to August 2016).

The Khachapuri Index increased in all large cities in Georgia compared to the prior year. The highest yearly increase of 12.8% was observed in Batumi, where the price stood at 3.60 GEL, followed by Telavi (3.52 GEL) where the annual increase was 11.6%, and Kutaisi (3.41 GEL) with an increase of 6.5%. The capital of Georgia happened to be the cheapest place to buy khachapuri (3.25 GEL), although the Tbilisi price of khachapuri increased as well (by 5.9%). The price difference between the most expensive city (Batumi) and the cheapest one (Tbilisi) was 0.35 GEL.

As was mentioned in the previous publication, this price increase might be related to the increased number of tourists coming to Georgia. Another factor affecting the Khachapuri Index is an increase in transportation costs, due to higher prices for fuel, largely because of an excise tax introduced by the government. According to Geostat figures, in August, prices in the transport commodity group increased by 11.6% compared to the previous year (August 2016). Since increased transportation costs translate into increased cheese prices, it is not surprising that khachapuri became more expensive in all of Georgia’s big cities.