Festive feast a bit cheaper

The price of the traditional Christmas feast and the classic Kiwi barbecue will be a little cheaper than last year, but much dearer than 10 years ago.

Just in time for the festive season, Statistics NZ has calculated the cost of a Christmas meal for a family of two adults and two children from the November food price index.

The traditional seasonal fare of roast chicken, lamb, veges and pavlova is expected to cost about $48.80, down $1.70 from last year. The biggest savings are in chicken and kumara, which fell about 50c and 40c in price.

But compared with prices in 1999, the meal is $13.50 more expensive.

Those after an outdoor meal can expect a slight fall in the price of a barbecue - down 93c on last year because of cheaper potatoes and steak, but $11.13 dearer than 10 years ago.