In February 2026, the average cost of preparing a standard portion of Imeretian khachapuri increased to 8.05 GEL, marking a 1.6% rise compared to January 2025 and a 14.3% increase year-on-year. 

Most khachapuri ingredients recorded relatively modest monthly price changes in February. Price of cheese increased the most (+2.8%), followed by yeast (+2.2%) and flour (+1.9%), while price of milk rose only marginally (+0.1%). In contrast, butter and egg prices declined by 4.4% and 1.9%, respectively. Despite the substantial drop in butter prices, the increases in other key ingredients - particularly cheese, which carries a relatively high weight in khachapuri production costs - more than offset these declines, contributing to a 1.6% month-on-month increase in the Khachapuri Index.

In annual terms, most ingredient prices increased substantially. Cheese prices rose by 18.1%, followed by eggs (+16.7%), flour (+11.9%), butter (+6.1%), and yeast (+3.9%), respectively. In contrast, the price of milk declined by 2.0% on an annual basis.

Despite the moderate monthly increase observed in February 2026, strong year-on-year growth in key ingredient prices points to persistent cost pressures. Looking ahead, milk prices are expected to follow a seasonal downward trend in the coming months. Additionally, the Easter effect - specifically Great Lent, beginning on February 23rd - may exert further downward pressure on milk and dairy product prices, as demand for cheese and other dairy products typically declines during this period.