Retail prices of common kitchen staples have moved in different directions across southern India over the past two years. Sunflower oil and coriander have climbed, while tur dal (split pigeon peas), red chilli and turmeric have fallen. Sugar has also risen, while salt has moved differently from state to state.South First analysed retail price data from the Price Monitoring Division of the Department of Consumer Affairs, recorded on 18 August in 2024, 2025 and 2026, across Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Telangana. Keralam does not have comparable entries for every year, so it is included only where the data allows.The three-year data shows sharp movements in the prices of some commodities. The five-year comparison, using August 2022 as the starting point, shows that rice, milk and sugar have also become costlier.Sunflower oil records the sharpest recent riseSunflower oil recorded the largest increase among the commodities tracked between 2024 and 2026.In Telangana, the price rose from Rs 110.50 a kg in August 2024 to Rs 192.73 in August 2026 (74.4% increase). Karnataka went from Rs 114.38 to Rs 192.25 (68.1%), Tamil Nadu from Rs 115.71 to Rs 193.58 (67.3%), and Andhra Pradesh from Rs 115.50 to Rs 188.67 (63.4%).Across these four states, the average price moved from about Rs 114 a kg in 2024 to Rs 159 in 2025 and Rs 192 in 2026.Keralam has no comparable 2024 observation in the dataset. Its price rose from Rs 169.29 a kg in 2025 to Rs 202.43 in 2026 (19.6%).But the five-year comparison tells a different story.In August 2022, sunflower oil cost Rs 174.50 a kg in Andhra Pradesh. By 2026, it was Rs 188.67 (8.1% increase). Karnataka went from Rs 175.17 to Rs 192.25 (9.8%), Tamil Nadu from Rs 182.22 to Rs 193.58 (6.2%), and Telangana from Rs 179 to Rs 192.73 (7.7%).Prices were higher in 2022, then fell in 2024 before rising again. The sharp movement since 2024 therefore includes a recovery from the lower 2024 prices.Coriander rises, but the pace slowsCoriander also recorded a large increase between 2024 and 2026.In Tamil Nadu, the price rose from Rs 23.82/kg to Rs 46.11 (93.6% increase). Andhra Pradesh went from Rs 20.33 to Rs 35.93 (76.7%), Telangana from Rs 25.50 to Rs 43.91 (72.2%), and Karnataka from Rs 31.38 to Rs 40.38 (28.7%).The four-state average rose from about Rs 25 a kg in 2024 to Rs 36 in 2025 and Rs 42 in 2026.Most of the increase came in the first year. The average price rose 41.9% between 2024 and 2025, before increasing another 16% between 2025 and 2026.Keralam’s coriander price rose from Rs 32.57/kg in 2025 to Rs 50.50/kg in 2026 (55.0%).Coriander cannot be compared over five years using this dataset because comparable state-level observations are not available for 2022 and 2023.Sugar has risen over five yearsSugar shows a longer upward movement than sunflower oil.Between August 2022 and August 2026, the price in Karnataka rose from Rs 40.25/kg to Rs 53.34/kg (32.5% increase). Tamil Nadu went from Rs 40.11 to Rs 53.58 (33.6%), Andhra Pradesh from Rs 41.00 to Rs 49.00 (19.5%), and Telangana from Rs 39.79 to Rs 45.00 (13.1%).The increase continued between 2024 and 2026. Karnataka went from Rs 43.37 a kg to Rs 53.34 (23.0%), Tamil Nadu from Rs 44.28 to Rs 53.58 (21.0%), Andhra Pradesh from Rs 43.50 to Rs 49.00 (12.6%), and Telangana from Rs 40.50 to Rs 45.00 (11.1%).Much of the recent increase came in 2026. Across the four states, the average price moved from Rs 44.18 a kg in 2025 to Rs 50.23 in 2026.Keralam’s sugar price went from Rs 42.58 a kg in 2023 to Rs 46.07 in 2025 and Rs 55.57 in 2026.Tur dal moves in the opposite directionTur dal rose sharply between 2022 and 2024, before falling over the following two years.In Andhra Pradesh, the price rose from Rs 114.50 a kg in 2022 to Rs 166.25 in 2024. It then fell to Rs 117 in 2026 (29.6% below the 2024 price).Karnataka went from Rs 112.58 in 2022 to Rs 163.86 in 2024 and then to Rs 121 in 2026 (26.2% below 2024).Tamil Nadu went from Rs 121.78 in 2022 to Rs 172.89 in 2024 and then to Rs 131.31 in 2026 (24.0% below 2024).Telangana went from Rs 99.20 in 2022 to Rs 163.50 in 2024 and then to Rs 124.73 in 2026 (23.7% below 2024).The five-year comparison gives another picture. Andhra Pradesh went from Rs 114.50 in 2022 to Rs 117 in 2026 (2.2% increase), Karnataka from Rs 112.58 to Rs 121 (7.5%), Tamil Nadu from Rs 121.78 to Rs 131.31 (7.8%), and Telangana from Rs 99.20 to Rs 124.73 (25.7%).The government has a price-stabilisation mechanism for pulses. The Price Monitoring Division says it maintains and releases strategic buffer stocks in a calibrated manner to moderate prices. Its stated buffer target includes 10 lakh tonnes of tur.The data does not establish how much of the decline in tur prices can be attributed to these interventions.Red chilli and turmeric fallRed chilli prices fell between 2024 and 2026 in all four states with comparable observations.Andhra Pradesh went from Rs 43.28/kg in 2024 to Rs 30.07 in 2026 (30.4% decrease). Karnataka fell from Rs 39.10 to Rs 30.47 (22.1%), Telangana from Rs 37.85 to Rs 30.07 (20.6%), and Tamil Nadu from Rs 33.67 to Rs 30.54 (9.3%).The four-state average fell from about Rs 34.69 a kg in 2024 to Rs 21.92 in 2025 before recovering to Rs 27.47 in 2026.Turmeric followed the same broad pattern.Andhra Pradesh went from Rs 24.50 a kg in 2024 to Rs 15.72 in 2026 (35.8% decrease). Karnataka went from Rs 29.80 to Rs 14.42 (51.6% decrease), Tamil Nadu from Rs 28.90 to Rs 16.29 (43.6%), and Telangana from Rs 28.65 to Rs 17.82 (37.8%).The four-state average fell from about Rs 27.96 a kg in 2024 to Rs 15.38 in 2025 and then remained almost unchanged at Rs 15.92 in 2026.Keralam’s red chilli price rose from Rs 21.07 a kg in 2025 to Rs 32.79 in 2026 (55.6%), while turmeric moved from Rs 16 to Rs 16.50 (3.1%).Salt moves differently by stateSalt does not show the same direction across the four states.Between 2024 and 2026, Andhra Pradesh went from Rs 20.75/kg to Rs 17.59/kg (15.2% decrease). Karnataka went from Rs 18.25 to Rs 20 (9.6% increase), Tamil Nadu from Rs 24.59 to Rs 27.29 (11.0%), and Telangana from Rs 22.00 to Rs 23.45 (6.6%).The five-year comparison is also mixed.Tamil Nadu went from Rs 22.22 a kg in 2022 to Rs 27.29 in 2026 (22.8% increase), while Telangana went from Rs 18.60 to Rs 23.45 (26.1%). Andhra Pradesh went from Rs 19.74 to Rs 17.59 (10.9% decrease).Milk rises over five yearsMilk provides a different picture from sunflower oil because its increase is more visible over five years than over the most recent two.Between August 2022 and August 2026, Karnataka’s milk price rose from Rs 43.50 a litre to Rs 51.97 (19.5% increase). Telangana went from Rs 57.20 to Rs 67.64 (18.3%), Andhra Pradesh from Rs 56 to Rs 60.52 (8.1%), and Tamil Nadu from Rs 41.67 to Rs 44.53 (6.9%).The movement was not continuous. In Telangana, milk went from Rs 57.20 a litre in 2022 to Rs 62.11 in 2023, fell to Rs 59 in 2024, remained at Rs 59.20 in 2025 and then rose to Rs 67.64 in 2026.The latest increase in Telangana was from Rs 59.20 to Rs 67.64 a litre (14.3%).Keralam has no comparable 2022 figure. Its available prices were Rs 53.25 a litre in 2023, Rs 54.57 in 2025 and Rs 58.43 in 2026.Rice rises across the four statesRice prices also increased between 2022 and 2026 in all four states with comparable observations.Telangana rose from Rs 41.80/kg in 2022 to Rs 57.64 in 2026 (37.9% increase). Karnataka went from Rs 48.25 to Rs 61.72 (27.9%), Tamil Nadu from Rs 48.44 to Rs 60.25 (24.4%), and Andhra Pradesh from Rs 51 to Rs 55.44 (8.7%).The movement was not linear.In Karnataka, rice went from Rs 47.53/kg in 2025 to Rs 61.72 in 2026 (29.9% increase). Andhra Pradesh went from Rs 47.47 to Rs 55.44 (16.8%) over the same period.Telangana went from Rs 54.60 to Rs 57.64 (5.6%), while Tamil Nadu went from Rs 55.75 to Rs 60.25 (8.1%).The five-year increase therefore reflects several movements rather than one uninterrupted rise.A decade of changeThe longer view shows that some price movements extend beyond the recent two or five years.The national average price of packed sunflower oil rose from Rs 96.32 a kg in August 2016 to Rs 190.92 in 2026 (98.2% increase).Iodised packed salt rose from Rs 14.65 a kg to Rs 22.27 (52.0%) over the same period.Tur dal moved in the opposite direction, from Rs 133.86 a kg in 2016 to Rs 123.65 in 2026 (7.6% decrease).What the numbers showThe southern Indian grocery basket has not moved in one direction.Sunflower oil and coriander have recorded their largest movements since 2024. Sugar, rice and milk show increases when the comparison is extended to five years. Tur dal, red chilli and turmeric have fallen from their 2024 prices, while salt has moved differently across states.The Price Monitoring Division tracks 38 essential commodities through 575 reporting centres. Retail and wholesale prices are collected daily from state Civil Supplies Departments, with prices reported through a geo-tagged and time-stamped mobile system. FCI and NAFED also cross-check retail prices for several commodities, including tur and sugar.The division also monitors crop production, area, stocks, procurement, domestic and international prices and weather conditions that can affect commodity prices.For households, changes in the grocery bill therefore depend on what they buy. The price movements of cooking oil, rice, milk, and sugar have differed from those of pulses and spices, producing different changes in the cost of the same everyday kitchen basket.This article first appeared on South First.