noun
cost price; original cost
Refers to the price a seller originally paid for goods, or the base cost before markup. Common in business and retail contexts.
この商品の元値は500円です。
The cost price of this product is 500 yen.
元値を下回る価格で売るわけにはいかない。
We can't sell it below cost.
Compound of 元 (もと, 'origin') and 値 (ね, 'price'). The reading もとね is a straightforward combination of the kun'yomi readings of the two kanji.