Retail food prices show a 2.5% decrease y-o-y and a 2.3% decrease from the previous month. Compared to February, onions, coffee, and potatoes experienced the biggest drops showing 8.3%, 7.1%, and 7.0% decreases in prices, respectively.

Based on February data from three open bazaars in Tbilisi, the average cost of cooking one standard portion of Imeretian khachapuri stood at GEL3.47. Someone opting for the convenience of shopping in one of Tbilisi’s major supermarket chains, such as Carrefour, Fresco, Spar, or Goodwill, paid 4.40GEL (representing a premium of about 28%) for cooking exactly the same khachapuri.

In February 2016, the average cost of cooking one standard Imeretian khachapuri declined to 3.44 GEL, which is 4.3% lower month-on-month (that is compared to January 2016), and 4.7% higher year-on-year (compared to February 2015).

Established almost eight years ago, ISET Policy Institute’s Khachapuri Index was inspired by the famous Big Mac Index of The Economist. The Big Mac Index ranks countries on the cost – translated into US dollars – of the Big Mac hamburger sold at local McDonald's restaurants. We rank Georgia’s major cities on the cost of cooking one portion of Imeretian Khachapuri.

The cost of cooking one standard portion of Khachapuri stood at 3.61GEL in January 2016. Compared to the previous month (December 2015) the Index lost 4.3%; in annual terms (compared to January 2015), it actually gained 6%.