The average cost of cooking one standard Imeretian Khachapuri in November 2014 was 3.34 GEL, which is 0.2% lower month-on-month (m/m, that is compared to the previous month), and 2.4% lower year-on-year (y/y, that is compared to the same month of last year). However, Khachapuri became even cheaper for foreign currency earners because of a sudden GEL depreciation (m/m and y/y) relative to USD and EUR during the last two weeks of November.
The average cost of cooking one standard Imeretian khachapuri varied in September 2014 across Georgian cities from 3.01 GEL, the minimum observed in Telavi, to 3.55 GEL, the maximum observed in Tbilisi and Kutaisi. The average price was 3.35 GEL, which is 3.2% higher compared to the previous month (August 2014), and 13.7% higher compared to September of last year.
In September 2014, the cost of cooking one Imeretian khachapuri gained 3.2% relative to August, reaching 3.35 GEL. Importantly, Khachapuri Index added much more than 13.7% in annual terms, suggesting that Georgia is beginning to experience inflation, at least as far as food prices are concerned.
Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) is an economic tool for the comparison of costs and benefits associated with various alternatives. This tool is used to systematically estimate the strengths and weaknesses of different options of investing capital. It is a technique that is used to determine options that provide the best outcomes in terms of benefits in labor, time and cost savings etc.
When thinking of “market distortions” we typically imagine government regulations, taxes, and subsidies that prevent market mechanisms from achieving an optimal outcome. For example, if you pay $100 for a 30-minute taxi ride (as is the case in many European capitals), you can easily relate it to a government regulation requiring all taxi drivers to be licensed (at a very high cost). In the absence of such a requirement, many more drivers would be able to enter the taxi driving profession, increasing supply and reducing prices.