How cost and nutrition are estimated
Every recipe shows an estimated cost per serving and estimated nutrition. Here is exactly where the numbers come from and where they fall short.
Prices last checked: week ended 29 Oct 2026 (fetched 2026-11-04).
Cost per serving
Source: Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, weekly Sensitive Price Indicator (SPI). PBS records the average retail price of 51 essential items in 17 cities every week. Handi uses the 28 food items below. For each recipe we convert every ingredient to grams (or litres or pieces), multiply by the SPI price, add them up and divide by the servings. You can choose one city instead of the national average on any recipe.
Assumptions we make
- Chicken (with bone): SPI lists live broiler; we assume about 70% of live weight is cleaned meat
- Chicken (boneless): SPI lists live broiler; we assume about 45% of live weight is boneless meat
- Chicken mince: SPI lists live broiler; we assume about 45% of live weight is boneless meat
- Beef (boneless): Priced as SPI beef with bone; boneless costs more
- Beef mince: Priced as SPI beef with bone
- Mutton (boneless): Priced as SPI mutton
- Mutton chops: Priced as SPI mutton
- Mutton mince: Priced as SPI mutton
- Leg of mutton or lamb (raan): Priced as SPI mutton
- Chicken liver: Priced as SPI broiler
- Basmati rice: Priced as SPI basmati broken (average quality); whole-grain sella costs more
- Sella basmati rice (parboiled): Priced as SPI basmati broken; sella costs more
- Bread (double roti): SPI prices a small plain loaf; we assume about 14 slices
- Whole brown lentils (sabut masoor): Priced as SPI washed masoor
- Whole green moong: Priced as SPI washed moong
- Whole black urad (sabut mash): Priced as SPI washed mash
- Spices, fresh herbs, ginger, most vegetables, nuts, cream and paneer are not in the SPI. They are left out unless you enter your own price on the recipe, which is saved in your browser.
- Oil marked "for deep-frying" is mostly left in the pan and reused, so we count 20% of it (60% for shallow-frying), in both cost and nutrition.
- Gas or electricity for cooking is not included.
| SPI item | Unit | This week | Last week | A year ago | Used for |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wheat Flour Bag | 20 Kg | Rs 2,950 | Rs 2,980 | Rs 2,190 | Whole wheat flour (atta) |
| Rice Basmati Broken (Average Quality) | 1 Kg | Rs 215 | Rs 215 | Rs 215 | Basmati rice, Sella basmati rice (parboiled) |
| Rice IRRI-6/9 (Sindh/Punjab) | 1 Kg | Rs 155 | Rs 155 | Rs 155 | Short or broken rice (IRRI / tota) |
| Bread plain (Small Size) | Each | Rs 125 | Rs 120 | Rs 110 | Bread (double roti) |
| Beef with Bone (Average Quality) | 1 Kg | Rs 1,280 | Rs 1,280 | Rs 1,140 | Beef (with bone), Beef (boneless), Beef mince, Beef shank (nihari cut) |
| Mutton (Average Quality) | 1 Kg | Rs 2,400 | Rs 2,400 | Rs 2,090 | Mutton (goat, with bone), Mutton (boneless), Mutton chops, Mutton mince, Leg of mutton or lamb (raan) |
| Chicken Farm Broiler (Live) | 1 Kg | Rs 430 | Rs 445 | Rs 325 | Chicken (with bone), Chicken (boneless), Chicken mince, Chicken liver |
| Milk fresh (Un-boiled) | 1 Ltr | Rs 220 | Rs 220 | Rs 205 | Milk |
| Curd (Dahi) Loose | 1 Kg | Rs 260 | Rs 255 | Rs 240 | Yogurt (dahi) |
| Powdered Milk NIDO 390 gm Polybag | Each | Rs 1,140 | Rs 1,150 | Rs 1,110 | Milk powder |
| Eggs Hen (Farm) | 1 Dozen | Rs 255 | Rs 260 | Rs 345 | Eggs |
| Mustard Oil (Average Quality) | 1 Kg | Rs 570 | Rs 570 | Rs 540 | Mustard oil |
| Cooking Oil DALDA or Other Similar Brand (SN), 5 Litre Tin | Each | Rs 3,100 | Rs 3,100 | Rs 2,910 | Cooking oil |
| Vegetable Ghee DALDA/HABIB or Other superior Quality 1 kg Pouch | Each | Rs 620 | Rs 620 | Rs 580 | Vegetable ghee (banaspati) |
| Bananas (Kela) Local | 1 Dozen | Rs 125 | Rs 130 | Rs 125 | Bananas |
| Pulse Masoor (Washed) | 1 Kg | Rs 265 | Rs 270 | Rs 290 | Red lentils (masoor daal, washed), Whole brown lentils (sabut masoor) |
| Pulse Moong (Washed) | 1 Kg | Rs 355 | Rs 355 | Rs 380 | Yellow moong daal (washed), Whole green moong |
| Pulse Mash (Washed) | 1 Kg | Rs 470 | Rs 470 | Rs 450 | Whole black urad (sabut mash), White urad daal (mash, washed) |
| Pulse Gram | 1 Kg | Rs 305 | Rs 300 | Rs 295 | Split chickpeas (chana daal) |
| Potatoes | 1 Kg | Rs 51 | Rs 49 | Rs 83 | Potatoes |
| Onions | 1 Kg | Rs 190 | Rs 190 | Rs 175 | Onions |
| Tomatoes | 1 Kg | Rs 125 | Rs 93 | Rs 175 | Tomatoes |
| Sugar Refined | 1 Kg | Rs 140 | Rs 140 | Rs 190 | Sugar |
| Gur (Average Quality) | 1 Kg | Rs 225 | Rs 225 | Rs 250 | Jaggery (gur) |
| Salt Powdered (NATIONAL/SHAN) 800 gm Packet | Each | Rs 62 | Rs 62 | Rs 73 | Salt |
| Chilies Powder NATIONAL 200 gm Packet | Each | Rs 370 | Rs 370 | Rs 320 | Red chilli powder |
| Garlic (Lehsun) | 1 Kg | Rs 405 | Rs 405 | Rs 425 | Garlic |
| Tea Lipton Yellow Label 190 gm Packet | Each | Rs 465 | Rs 465 | Rs 445 | Black tea leaves (patti) |
Pakistan Bureau of Statistics, SPI, week ended 29 Oct 2026. National average of 17 cities.
SPI cities: Islamabad, Rawalpindi, Gujranwala, Sialkot, Lahore, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Multan, Bahawalpur, Karachi, Hyderabad, Sukkur, Larkana, Peshawar, Bannu, Quetta, Khuzdar
Nutrition per serving
Source: USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy (April 2018), public domain. For each ingredient we use the USDA food listed below (a close match where the exact Pakistani item is not in the database), take its calories, protein, fat, carbohydrate, fibre and sodium per 100 g, multiply by the grams in the recipe and divide by the servings. Ingredients without a match (a few masala blends, kewra, saffron, food colour) are left out; the share of the recipe covered is shown on each page.
Limits
Raw-ingredient values: bones are counted as meat, deep-frying oil is counted at 20% (60% for shallow-frying) by assumption, and water lost in cooking is ignored. Use it to compare dishes, not to manage a medical diet.Ingredient → USDA food used (163)
| Chicken (with bone) | Chicken, broilers or fryers, meat and skin, raw |
|---|---|
| Chicken (boneless) | Chicken, broiler or fryers, breast, skinless, boneless, meat only, raw |
| Chicken mince | Chicken, ground, raw |
| Beef (with bone) | Beef, chuck, arm pot roast, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 1/8" fat, choice, raw |
| Beef (boneless) | Beef, chuck, arm pot roast, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 1/8" fat, choice, raw |
| Beef mince | Beef, ground, 80% lean meat / 20% fat, raw |
| Mutton (goat, with bone) | Lamb, shoulder, whole (arm and blade), separable lean and fat, trimmed to 1/4" fat, choice, raw |
| Mutton (boneless) | Lamb, shoulder, whole (arm and blade), separable lean and fat, trimmed to 1/4" fat, choice, raw |
| Mutton chops | Lamb, shoulder, whole (arm and blade), separable lean and fat, trimmed to 1/4" fat, choice, raw |
| Mutton mince | Lamb, ground, raw |
| Leg of mutton or lamb (raan) | Lamb, leg, sirloin half, separable lean and fat, trimmed to 1/4" fat, choice, raw |
| Beef shank (nihari cut) | Beef, shank crosscuts, separable lean only, trimmed to 1/4" fat, choice, raw |
| Chicken liver | Chicken, liver, all classes, raw |
| Mutton liver and kidney | Lamb, variety meats and by-products, liver, raw |
| Brain (maghaz) | Lamb, variety meats and by-products, brain, raw |
| Fish (rohu, sole or similar, cut) | Fish, carp, raw |
| Fish fillet (boneless) | Fish, tilapia, raw |
| Prawns (cleaned) | Crustaceans, shrimp, raw |
| Eggs | Egg, whole, raw, fresh |
| Milk | Milk, whole, 3.25% milkfat, with added vitamin D |
| Yogurt (dahi) | Yogurt, plain, whole milk |
| Cream | Cream, fluid, heavy whipping |
| Butter | Butter, salted |
| Desi ghee | Butter, Clarified butter (ghee) |
| Paneer | Cheese, ricotta, whole milk |
| Khoya (mawa) | Milk, dry, whole, without added vitamin D |
| Sweetened condensed milk | Milk, canned, condensed, sweetened |
| Milk powder | Milk, dry, whole, without added vitamin D |
| Mozzarella or pizza cheese | Cheese, mozzarella, whole milk |
| Cheddar or processed cheese | Cheese, cheddar (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program) |
| Cooking oil | Oil, soybean, salad or cooking |
| Mustard oil | Oil, mustard |
| Vegetable ghee (banaspati) | Shortening, vegetable, household, composite |
| Basmati rice | Rice, white, long-grain, regular, raw, unenriched |
| Sella basmati rice (parboiled) | Rice, white, long-grain, parboiled, unenriched, dry |
| Short or broken rice (IRRI / tota) | Rice, white, long-grain, regular, raw, unenriched |
| Cracked wheat (daliya) | Bulgur, dry |
| Pearl barley (jau) | Barley, pearled, raw |
| Rolled oats | Cereals, oats, regular and quick, not fortified, dry |
| Egg noodles (dried) | Noodles, egg, dry, unenriched |
| Vermicelli (sewaiyan) | Pasta, dry, enriched |
| Bread (double roti) | Bread, white, commercially prepared (includes soft bread crumbs) |
| Bun (for bun kabab or burger) | Rolls, hamburger or hotdog, plain |
| Papri or plain crackers | Crackers, standard snack-type, regular |
| Samosa or spring roll sheets (patti) | Wonton wrappers (includes egg roll wrappers) |
| Whole wheat flour (atta) | Wheat flour, whole-grain, soft wheat |
| Plain flour (maida) | Wheat flour, white, all-purpose, enriched, bleached |
| Gram flour (besan) | Chickpea flour (besan) |
| Semolina (sooji) | Semolina, unenriched |
| Cornflour | Cornstarch |
| Rice flour | Rice flour, white, unenriched |
| Maize flour (makki ka atta) | Cornmeal, whole-grain, yellow |
| Baking powder | Leavening agents, baking powder, low-sodium |
| Baking soda (meetha soda) | Leavening agents, baking soda |
| Instant yeast | Leavening agents, yeast, baker's, active dry |
| Red lentils (masoor daal, washed) | Lentils, pink or red, raw |
| Whole brown lentils (sabut masoor) | Lentils, raw |
| Yellow moong daal (washed) | Mung beans, mature seeds, raw |
| Whole green moong | Mung beans, mature seeds, raw |
| Whole black urad (sabut mash) | Mungo beans, mature seeds, raw |
| White urad daal (mash, washed) | Mungo beans, mature seeds, raw |
| Split chickpeas (chana daal) | Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, raw |
| White chickpeas (kabuli chana, dried) | Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, raw |
| Black chickpeas (kala chana, dried) | Chickpeas (garbanzo beans, bengal gram), mature seeds, raw |
| Red kidney beans (lobia/rajma, dried) | Beans, kidney, red, mature seeds, raw |
| Black-eyed beans (safed lobia, dried) | Cowpeas, common (blackeyes, crowder, southern), mature seeds, raw |
| Onions | Onions, raw |
| Tomatoes | Tomatoes, red, ripe, raw, year round average |
| Potatoes | Potatoes, flesh and skin, raw |
| Garlic | Garlic, raw |
| Ginger | Ginger root, raw |
| Ginger-garlic paste | Garlic, raw |
| Green chillies | Peppers, hot chili, green, raw |
| Capsicum (shimla mirch) | Peppers, sweet, green, raw |
| Carrots | Carrots, raw |
| Green peas | Peas, green, raw |
| Spinach (palak) | Spinach, raw |
| Mustard greens (sarson) | Mustard greens, raw |
| Cauliflower (gobhi) | Cauliflower, raw |
| Cabbage (band gobhi) | Cabbage, raw |
| Okra (bhindi) | Okra, raw |
| Aubergine (baingan) | Eggplant, raw |
| Bottle gourd (lauki) | Gourd, white-flowered (calabash), raw |
| Bitter gourd (karela) | Balsam-pear (bitter gourd), pods, raw |
| Turnip (shaljam) | Turnips, raw |
| Pumpkin (halwa kaddu) | Pumpkin, raw |
| Taro root (arvi) | Taro, raw |
| Round gourd (tinda) | Squash, summer, all varieties, raw |
| Lotus stem (bhee / kamal kakri) | Lotus root, raw |
| Cucumber (kheera) | Cucumber, with peel, raw |
| White radish (mooli) | Radishes, oriental, raw |
| Sweet potato (shakarkandi) | Sweet potato, raw, unprepared (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program) |
| Sweetcorn kernels (makai) | Corn, sweet, yellow, raw |
| Spring onions (hara pyaz) | Onions, spring or scallions (includes tops and bulb), raw |
| Mushrooms | Mushrooms, white, raw |
| Lemon (lemon juice) | Lemon juice, raw |
| Tamarind (imli) | Tamarinds, raw |
| Raw green mango (kairi) | Mangos, raw |
| Bananas | Bananas, raw |
| Apples | Apples, raw, with skin (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program) |
| Guava (amrood) | Guavas, common, raw |
| Oranges or kinnow | Oranges, raw, all commercial varieties |
| Grapes | Grapes, red or green (European type, such as Thompson seedless), raw |
| Pomegranate seeds (anar) | Pomegranates, raw |
| Ripe mango | Mangos, raw |
| Dates (khajoor) | Dates, deglet noor |
| Dried dates (chuhara) | Dates, deglet noor |
| Dried plums (aloo bukhara) | Plums, dried (prunes), uncooked |
| Raisins (kishmish) | Raisins, dark, seedless (Includes foods for USDA's Food Distribution Program) |
| Fresh coriander (hara dhania) | Coriander (cilantro) leaves, raw |
| Fresh mint (podina) | Spearmint, fresh |
| Fresh dill (soya) | Dill weed, fresh |
| Salt | Salt, table |
| Black salt (kala namak) | Salt, table |
| Red chilli powder | Spices, pepper, red or cayenne |
| Kashmiri or deggi chilli powder (for colour) | Spices, paprika |
| Crushed red chilli (kutti lal mirch) | Spices, pepper, red or cayenne |
| Whole dried red chillies | Spices, pepper, red or cayenne |
| Turmeric (haldi) | Spices, turmeric, ground |
| Coriander powder | Spices, coriander seed |
| Coriander seeds (sabut dhania) | Spices, coriander seed |
| Cumin seeds (zeera) | Spices, cumin seed |
| Ground cumin | Spices, cumin seed |
| Black caraway (shahi zeera) | Spices, caraway seed |
| Ground black pepper | Spices, pepper, black |
| Ground white pepper | Spices, pepper, white |
| Whole black peppercorns | Spices, pepper, black |
| Green cardamom (choti elaichi) | Spices, cardamom |
| Black cardamom (bari elaichi) | Spices, cardamom |
| Cloves (laung) | Spices, cloves, ground |
| Cinnamon stick (darchini) | Spices, cinnamon, ground |
| Bay leaf (tez patta) | Spices, bay leaf |
| Star anise (badiyan) | Spices, anise seed |
| Nutmeg (jaifal) | Spices, nutmeg, ground |
| Mace (javitri) | Spices, mace, ground |
| Fennel seeds (saunf) | Spices, fennel seed |
| Mustard seeds (rai) | Spices, mustard seed, ground |
| Fenugreek seeds (methi dana) | Spices, fenugreek seed |
| Sesame seeds (til) | Seeds, sesame seeds, whole, dried |
| White poppy seeds (khashkhash) | Spices, poppy seed |
| Melon seeds (char magaz) | Seeds, watermelon seed kernels, dried |
| Vinegar (sirka) | Vinegar, distilled |
| Soy sauce | Soy sauce made from soy and wheat (shoyu) |
| Tomato ketchup | Catsup |
| Chilli sauce | Sauce, ready-to-serve, pepper or hot |
| Mayonnaise | Salad dressing, mayonnaise, regular |
| Almonds (badam) | Nuts, almonds |
| Pistachios (pista) | Nuts, pistachio nuts, raw |
| Cashews (kaju) | Nuts, cashew nuts, raw |
| Walnuts (akhrot) | Nuts, walnuts, english |
| Peanuts (moongphali) | Peanuts, all types, raw |
| Desiccated coconut (khopra) | Nuts, coconut meat, dried (desiccated), not sweetened |
| Pine nuts (chilgoza) | Nuts, pine nuts, dried |
| Sugar | Sugars, granulated |
| Jaggery (gur) | Sugars, brown |
| Honey (shehad) | Honey |
| Rose or red sherbet syrup | Syrups, table blends, corn, refiner, and sugar |
| Custard powder | Cornstarch |
| Jelly crystals | Gelatin desserts, dry mix |
| Plain sponge cake or rusk | Cake, sponge, commercially prepared |
| Dark chocolate or cocoa | Chocolate, dark, 70-85% cacao solids |
| Vanilla ice cream | Ice creams, vanilla |
| Lemon-lime soda (clear fizzy drink) | Beverages, carbonated, lemon-lime soda, no caffeine |
Questions
Why is the cost an estimate?
Because prices differ by shop, quality and week, and because the official SPI list does not include spices, herbs and most vegetables. We leave those out (or use the price you enter), so the real cost is usually a little higher.
How often are prices updated?
PBS publishes the SPI every week. A scheduled job checks for the new week each Friday and Saturday, and the site is rebuilt with the new prices.
Is the nutrition information accurate?
It is a reasonable estimate, not a lab measurement. It uses raw-ingredient values, counts only part of the deep-frying oil (an assumption) and does not subtract bones or water lost in cooking, so bone-in and fried dishes can read high. Do not use it for medical diets.