Christmas dinner costing less

The cost of Christmas dinner will be slightly less than last year but a few dollars more than two years ago, according to Statistics New Zealand.

And if you can't decide whether to go traditional or barbecue then don't worry because the cost is about the same.

The estimated cost of both options for a family of two adults and two children has come out exactly the same, at $48.80, says government statistician Geoff Bascand.

This makes the traditional dinner $1.80 cheaper than last year, and the barbecue 90 cents cheaper.

The cost of each meal has been estimated using prices collected for the November 2009 food price index, and costs have been compared with prices for November 2008, 2007, and 1999.

The traditional Christmas dinner has increased by $13.50 (38.3 percent) since 1999 and the barbecue by $11.10.

The biggest savings this year for the traditional Christmas dinner come from whole chicken prices, which have fallen by about 50 cents, and kumara, which has fallen by about 40 cents.

Savings for the barbecue dinner come from cheaper potatoes, which have fallen by about 30 cents since last year, and cheaper steak, which has dropped by nearly 40 cents.

- NZPA