We have obtained a closed-form expression for the threshold of Risken-Nummedal-Graham-Haken (RNGH) multimode instability in a Fabry-Pérot (FP) cavity quantum cascade laser (QCL). This simple analytical expression is a versatile tool that can easily be applied in practical situations which require analysis of QCL dynamic behavior and estimation of its RNGH multimode instability threshold. Our model for a FP cavity laser accounts for the carrier coherence grating and carrier population grating as well as their relaxation due to carrier diffusion. In the model, the RNGH instability threshold is analyzed using a second-order bi-orthogonal perturbation theory and we confirm our analytical solution by a comparison with the numerical simulations. In particular, the model predicts a low RNGH instability threshold in QCLs. This agrees very well with experimental data available in the literature.