Guess what was the price of coffee, masala dosa in 1971? Hint: Service charge only 10 paise

Old bills of things that are now expensive often go viral. Many old viral posts pick up steam on social media again. The main reason for this is the nostalgia value of such articles. These posts of old bills show us how much India has grown over the last few decades. Now an old bill of coffee and masala dosa. The bill is from 1971, which seems like an eternity ago. It isn't clear where the bill was made but the restaurant's name is Moti Mahal. Moti Mahal is now a massive restaurant chain but it can't be said for certain that it is the same restaurant.

It was tweeted by an account named Indian History by Vishnu Sharma. It was tweeted in 2017. The bill appears to be authentic.

Why is the bill a matter of surprise for netizens? Well, a dosa and a coffee can easily set you back nowadays by Rs 400. But over 50 years ago, the prices were low. Per the bill, the cost of coffee and dosa was in total Rs 2. Both came for Re 1 each.

The service charge wasn't 10 percent as it is now. They only charged 10 paise as service charge and 6 paise as the sales tax.

Overall, the cost of the meal was just Rs 2.16.

Since 1991, the Indian economy has been growing at a rapid pace and the results are visible now with the rise of the great Indian middle-class. But such relics of the past show us how things have changed for the entire country. 

Moti Mahal restaurant, Delhi's bill receipt of 28.06.1971. 2 Masala Dosa & 2 Coffey, 16 paise tax and Bill is Rs 2.16 only.....! pic.twitter.com/YllnMWQmTD

— indian history with Vishnu Sharma (@indianhistory00) February 1, 2017

Recently, a 1986 bill of Royal Enfield Bullet went viral that showed that the price of the bike was just Rs 18,000. Today, the bike costs 10 times more.