Aizawl: Mizoram recorded one of the highest grocery costs in the country in November 2025, with an individual needing Rs 77.5 per day to afford a basic balanced diet, according to IndiaSpend’s Food Price Watch dashboard. This is nearly Rs 20 higher than the national average of Rs 57.
IndiaSpend reports that neighbouring northeastern states also saw some of India’s highest food prices. Arunachal Pradesh had the second-costliest groceries at Rs 66 per day, while Meghalaya followed at Rs 63. Outside the Northeast, Tamil Nadu registered the highest cost at Rs 60.
The IndiaSpend analysis is based on daily price data from the Ministry of Consumer Affairs and calculates the cost of the most affordable vegetarian foods needed to meet nutrition guidelines set by the National Institute of Nutrition. The basket includes chana dal, basic cereals, onions, potatoes, tomatoes, milk, oil, sugar and salt, and excludes fruits, leafy vegetables, packaged foods and fuel costs.
Despite food inflation falling to –5.02% in October 2025, IndiaSpend notes that Himalayan and northeastern states continue to face some of the steepest prices due to difficult terrain, transport challenges and frequent disruptions such as bandhs. Ladakh, for instance, recorded the highest price of gram dal in the country at Rs 129 per kilogram, and depends heavily on imported food because local production cannot meet demand.
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IndiaSpend earlier reported that regions like Ladakh face extreme climate conditions, limited storage facilities and high transportation costs, all of which push up prices and restrict access to nutritious food. The Food Corporation of India operates only 65 godowns in the Northeast, compared to 576 in the rest of India, adding to supply constraints.
According to IndiaSpend, improving storage, reducing transport disruptions and strengthening local food production remain essential to making nutritious diets affordable in these regions.
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