The cost of a traditional kevili table for the Sinhala and Tamil New Year has risen by 7%in 2026 compared to 2025.

A kevili table, a customary feature during New Year celebrations in Sri Lanka, includes an assortment of traditional sweetmeats symbolising prosperity and happiness.

In 2026, prices increased for six of the eight items included in the kevili table. The sharpest rise was recorded in aluwa which increased by 25.8% driven by a 43.6% increase in cashew prices. The steepest decline was recorded for milk rice, which fell by 14.1%, primarily due to a 17.5% reduction in coconut prices from the historically high levels recorded in 2025.

Beyond item-level changes, the overall increase in the kevili table 2026 was driven primarily by higher coconut oil and rice flour prices, which together accounted for nearly 80% of the total increase.

Furthermore, compared with 2019 (pre-crisis period) the cost of a kevili table has more than doubled (2.5 times in 2026.  (see Exhibit 1)

Exhibit 1: Change in Kevili item prices over time (prices in LKR)

Note:

1. Although kevili tables vary across households, the typical assortment includes milk rice, kokis, banana, aluwa, kevum, dodol, mun kevum, and butter cake.

3. The analysis is based on recipes from the popular YouTube channel Appe Amma, scaled for a household of four to five persons.
4. Only the main ingredients were included in the costing; utility costs (e.g. electricity or gas) and spices were excluded.

Sources: Price data were sourced from the Department of Census and Statistics, specifically from the Open Market Weekly Average Retail prices in the Colombo District for the years 2019 (April, Week 1), 2025 (March, Week 3), and 2026 (March, Week 4).