September 2025: Palaw Preparation Costs Jump 20.1%.
In September 2025, the average cost of preparing palaw in Ashgabat, Turkmenistan, rose to 76.3 Turkmen manat, a 20.1% increase from 63.6 manat in September 2024, largely driven by higher meat prices. Compared with last month (August 2025), when the cost was 75.1 manat, this reflects a 1.6% month-on-month increase. Globally, food prices also climbed, with the FAO’s Food Price Index registering a 3.4% annual rise.
Annual Price Changes for Palaw Ingredients in Ashgabat
The prices of core palaw ingredients in Ashgabat saw notable shifts in September 2025. Rice fell 9.5% year-on-year, while wheat flour dropped 1.3%. Conversely, several ingredients experienced sharp increases: onions surged 70.4%, beef rose 36.3%, carrots increased 4.9%, and sunflower oil edged up 0.6% (see Figure 1).
How does it compare to salary increases in Turkmenistan?
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SUPPORT OUR WORKIn 2025, Turkmenistan’s minimum wage was raised by 10% to 1410 Turkmen manat, continuing a pattern of similar annual salary increases in previous years. Between January and September 2025, the Palaw Index (PI) prices have risen on average by 12.6%. However, recent months show an accelerating trend in PI prices, signalling that food costs are outpacing wage growth.
FAO Price Index: Global Trends by Product Category
- According to the FAO, the Vegetable Oil Price Index rose 18.0% year-on-year, hitting a three-year high amid tightening sunflower and rapeseed oil supplies in the Black Sea region and Europe.
- Meanwhile, the FAO Cereal Price Index dropped 7.5%, with wheat and other staples seeing lower international quotations.
- The FAO All Rice Price Index fell 0.5%, led by declining Indica rice prices due to fierce exporter competition.
- The FAO Meat Price Index increased 6.6%, with global bovine meat prices reaching record highs. Bovine meat prices climbed to an all-time high, supported by strong demand in the United States of America.
Methodology
Prices of ingredients in the Palaw Index are collected for 1 kg of onion, carrot, beef, rice, and flour, and 1 liter of cooking oil. Based on the methodology, in order to cook palaw for a family of four, we use 0.3 liters of cooking oil, 0.5 kg of onion, 1 kg of carrots, 0.6 kg of beef, 1 kg of rice, and 0.5 kg of flour in our formula. Please click here to learn more about the methodology of the Palaw Index.
