Additional Coverage:
- Walmart vs. Costco: Which Store Actually Has Better Prices? (marketrealist.com)
Walmart has long been recognized as one of the most affordable grocery stores in the U.S., offering everyday essentials and popular food items at budget-friendly prices. Other retailers like Aldi, Lidl, and Kroger also compete in this space, with Kroger’s coupons and rewards program making some of their prices quite comparable to Walmart’s.
However, there’s another player in the mix that might surprise you: Costco. Known primarily for bulk sales and lower per-unit costs, Costco turns out to offer better prices on certain items compared to Walmart.
Savannah Born from Business Insider conducted a price comparison of 32 grocery products and found that overall, Costco’s prices were about 26% lower than Walmart’s. Let’s break down some of her key findings.
While not every product at Costco beats Walmart’s price, many do-especially when looking at cost per pound or ounce. For example, milk was only slightly cheaper at Costco by 3 cents per gallon, but cheese showed a bigger gap: Costco’s price was about $2.60 per pound compared to Walmart’s $3.46. Butter followed a similar trend, priced at $2.12 per pound at Costco versus $3.23 at Walmart, both for private label brands.
Snacks also showed significant savings at Costco. Lesser Evil popcorn cost $0.43 per ounce at Costco, compared to $0.72 at Walmart.
Simple Mills crackers were $0.50 per ounce at Costco, more than half the $1.08 price at Walmart. Even Nabisco graham crackers were cheaper per ounce at Costco, though Walmart’s off-brand options may sometimes offer lower prices.
Name-brand cereals like Cheerios also came out cheaper at Costco, with prices at $0.17 per ounce for a larger box compared to Walmart’s $0.25 per ounce for a smaller package. Other items that were less expensive per ounce at Costco included mac and cheese, jasmine rice, pasta sauce, and olive oil, which was about 11 cents cheaper per ounce.
Overall, the comparison showed that shopping at Costco could save nearly a quarter on grocery costs when considering price per unit.
That said, Walmart still holds advantages for some items. Eggs, for instance, were less expensive at Walmart-$1.65 per dozen compared to $1.80 at Costco.
Chicken prices were also lower at Walmart, with a difference of about 42 cents per pound. Staples like flour and sugar might be better purchased at Walmart as well, especially for those who don’t need large quantities, since Costco’s bulk sizes may lead to excess or spoilage.
Ultimately, savvy shoppers may find the greatest savings by splitting their grocery trips between stores, buying the items that are best priced at each. While this requires a bit more planning upfront, it can pay off in lower overall grocery bills.
Read More About This Story:
- Walmart vs. Costco: Which Store Actually Has Better Prices? (marketrealist.com)