Mustard Oil Price Today: 1 Litre Price Compared (Sarson Ka Tel Price 2026)

In October 2026, 1 litre of mustard oil in India costs roughly ₹150 to ₹400, depending almost entirely on how it was pressed. Mass-market kachi ghani pouches sit at the bottom of that range, large 5-litre jars land in the middle, and small-batch wood pressed sarson ka tel sits at the top. The gap is not branding. It is mostly yield and process, and it is easy to check.

This guide lays out what each type costs per litre today, why mustard oil has been getting costlier, and the simple arithmetic that tells you whether a price is fair.

Mustard oil price per litre today

Prices below are as listed online on 26 October 2026. Mustard oil prices move with the seed market, so treat these as a snapshot rather than a fixed rate.

A note on weight: some brands sell mustard oil by weight, such as a 910 g bottle. Mustard oil weighs about 0.91 kg per litre, so 910 g is roughly one litre. Always compare per litre before deciding which pack is cheaper.

Why kachi ghani and wood pressed oil cost more

The biggest single factor is how much oil comes out of the seed.

• Mustard seed holds roughly 35–42% oil. A slow kachi ghani press recovers only part of it, typically around 30–33% of the seed weight. So 1 kg of seed gives roughly 300–330 ml of oil, and a litre needs around 3 kg of seed.
• High-heat expellers and solvent extraction recover far more. Refining then removes the colour, pungency and smell, which is why refined mustard oil is cheaper per litre.
• Wood pressing is slow by design. The kolhu turns slowly so the seed is crushed rather than ground, which keeps the temperature low. Less output per hour means more cost per litre.

That arithmetic also works as a check. Multiply the local price of a kilo of good black mustard seed by about three, add bottling and transport, and you have a rough floor for genuine cold pressed oil. A "wood pressed" oil priced well below that floor is worth a second look. More on the process in cold pressed oil vs refined oil.

Why is mustard oil getting costly?

Sarson ka tel prices follow the seed. Three things usually drive the movement:

1. The rabi crop. Mustard is a winter crop harvested around March. A smaller harvest, or a delayed one, pushes seed prices up through the year.
2. Edible oil import duties. India imports a large share of its cooking oil. When duties on imported oils change, the price of every edible oil, mustard included, tends to move with them.
3. Seasonal demand. Winter cooking, pickle season and festivals all lift demand for mustard oil in North and East India.

Cold pressed oils feel these swings more, because they use more seed per litre than refined oil does.

1 litre, 2 litre or 5 litre: which is better value?

Larger packs are almost always cheaper per litre. The catch with cold pressed oil is freshness: it has no preservatives and is best used within a few months of opening. For a household of four cooking daily in mustard oil, a 2 L pack is usually the sweet spot. It is cheaper per litre than 1 L and gets used up before it loses its pungency. Buy a 5 L jar only if mustard is your main cooking oil and you will finish it in two to three months.

How to tell if a cheap mustard oil is the real thing

• Read the front label carefully. "Blended edible vegetable oil" is a different product from mustard oil, and the label has to say so.
• Smell it. Genuine kachi ghani sarson ka tel is sharply pungent and can make you cough slightly when it hits a hot pan. Mild or odourless oil has usually been refined or blended.
• Look at the colour. Cold pressed mustard oil is deep golden to amber and can look slightly cloudy. Very pale, water-clear oil has usually been refined.
• Check the FSSAI licence number and the manufacturer's address on the pack.

Our full guide to buying and using it is in cold pressed mustard oil: buying and usage guide. If you came here wondering what sarson ka tel is called in English, see sarson ka tel in English.

FAQs

1. What is the price of 1 litre of mustard oil today?

As of October 2026, roughly ₹150–₹230 for mass-market kachi ghani brands and ₹250–₹400 for wood pressed or small-batch cold pressed oil. Rulife cold pressed kachi ghani mustard oil is ₹319 a litre.

2. What is the sarson ka tel price per kg?

Mustard oil weighs about 0.91 kg per litre, so a per-kg price is roughly 10% higher than the per-litre price for the same oil. Convert both to the same unit before comparing.

3. Why is mustard oil getting costly?

Mainly the seed price, which moves with the rabi harvest, edible oil import duties and seasonal demand. Cold pressed oil feels these changes more because it needs about 3 kg of seed per litre.

4. How much oil is in 1 kg of mustard seed?

Mustard seed contains around 35–42% oil. A traditional kachi ghani press recovers roughly 300–330 ml from 1 kg of seed.

5. Why is kachi ghani mustard oil more expensive than refined?

The slow, low-temperature press recovers less oil per kilo of seed, and nothing is refined out afterwards, so the oil keeps its pungency and colour. Refined oil gets more out of the seed, then strips that character away.

Prices quoted are as listed on the named platforms on 26 October 2026 and will change. Rulife prices are current at publication.