Diwali 2026: 7 Items Costing You ₹2,000 More

Diwali 2026 shopping is getting costlier. Dry fruits, sweets, and appliances are all more expensive due to poor harvests, higher raw material costs, and freight charges. Here's what's pricier and how to spend smarter.

Here's what happened: Dry fruit prices — pistachios, cashews, almonds — are up 20–35% due to poor harvests in producing regions and higher import freight costs.. Home appliance prices have risen 8–15% driven by elevated raw material costs including copper, aluminium, and steel used in manufacturing.. Traditional sweets and mithai are 15–25% costlier this Diwali as ghee, sugar, and maida prices remain elevated and labour costs have increased..

What you should do: Compare appliance prices across at least 3 platforms (Amazon, Flipkart, Croma) before buying — festive discounts vary widely and sale-day prices often undercut in-store quotes.. Buy dry fruits in bulk from wholesale or co-operative stores instead of branded retail packs — the same quality costs 20–30% less without the premium packaging markup.. If using a credit card EMI for appliances, read the fine print on processing fees — a 1–2% fee on a ₹60,000 purchase adds ₹600–₹1,200 to your actual cost despite the 'no-cost' label..

Book appliances during pre-Diwali sales in early October — prices often rise 5–8% in the final week before the festival as demand peaks and discounts shrink.