I Compared Grocery Prices Across US: 11 Cheapest Stores Near You

If you’re looking for the cheapest grocery stores in 2026, Costco and BJ’s are among the cheapest overall, according to a Consumer Reports price study.

They were about 21% cheaper than Walmart, while Lidl and ALDI were about 8% cheaper.

But there’s a catch:

The cheapest grocery store depends on where you live, what you buy, and whether you pay a membership fee.

The same store can even charge different prices for the same product at different locations.

I compared national price data, regional grocery chains, 2026 prices, and my own local price checks to find which grocery stores are actually cheapest, where they beat Walmart, and which ones only look cheap.

Read on to find the cheapest grocery store in each state, SNAP and WIC information, membership math for Costco and other warehouse clubs, and simple ways to save money on groceries without changing stores.

The cheapest grocery store near you, state by state

So, which grocery store is cheapest in your state?

A July 2026 state-by-state analysis of the Consumer Reports study I mentioned earlier, answers that question.

The analysis left out warehouse clubs because their membership fees and bulk sizes make them harder to compare with regular grocery stores.

That leaves four chains covering the entire country:

Cheapest chain	States
ALDI (31 states)	AL, AZ, AR, CA, CT, FL, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MD, MA, MI, MN, MS, MO, NE, NV, NH, ND, OH, OK, RI, SD, TN, TX, VT, WI
Lidl (8 states)	DE, GA, NJ, NY, NC, PA, SC, VA
Walmart (5 states)	AK, CO, HI, NM, WY
WinCo Foods (5 states)	ID, MT, OR, UT, WA

Whole Foods is the most expensive chain in 41 states. No surprise there.

But state rankings don’t always match what shoppers expect.

If you’re in New England, for example, you might be thinking about Market Basket. It ranks second out of 81 chains in dunnhumby’s national grocery ranking. Still, Consumer Reports found it 1.2% more expensive than Walmart. People love it, but it’s not the cheapest.

And if your state’s cheapest chain is one you’ve never seen, that’s normal. This list tells you which brand tends to be cheapest statewide, not which store is actually closest to you. That’s what the next section helps you figure out. And if none of them are close, the cheapest online grocery stores deliver to most of the country.

How I picked these 11 stores

I didn’t pick these stores because they feel cheap. Every chain on this list either beat Walmart in real-world price checks or operates on a discount business model engineered for low prices.

I used four sources of pricing evidence:

• Consumer Reports Basket Study (2025): Standardized basket comparison of 35 chains across six major U.S. metro areas, using Walmart as the price baseline.
• The Kitchn (July 2026): Field test tracking ground beef prices across six major grocers in Nashville.
• Tasting Table (June 2026): Price check on 15 everyday essentials across four major chains in the Boston area.
• My Local Field Test (August 25, 2026): Direct price comparison on 7 staple items across four stores in St. Louis.

Across different cities, shopping lists, dates, and researchers, the studies found the same basic pattern: Costco and BJ’s were the cheapest overall, while ALDI and Lidl were among the cheapest stores without a membership fee. Walmart was still one of the lowest-priced options, but Trader Joe’s cost more for a full grocery basket, even though some individual items were cheaper.

The Full Price Ranking: 35 Grocery Stores vs. Walmart

Consumer Reports hired Strategic Resource Group to track shelf prices at 35 chains across six U.S. cities.

They gathered all the data within a 48-hour window in each city so prices wouldn’t shift mid-study.

They included loyalty-card sale prices, but left out app coupons and manufacturer promos.

They used Walmart as baseline because most Americans already shop at Walmart. So “21.4% cheaper than Walmart” tells you what you would save against what you are most likely paying right now.

Only 6 of the 35 chains came in cheaper than Walmart.

Store	Price vs Walmart
Costco Wholesale	21.4% cheaper
BJ’s Wholesale Club	21.0% cheaper
Lidl	8.5% cheaper
ALDI	8.3% cheaper
WinCo Foods	3.3% cheaper
H-E-B	0.2% cheaper
Walmart	baseline
Market Basket	1.2% more
Target	5.9% more
Wegmans	7.6% more
King Soopers	7.9% more
Safeway	8.8% more
Food 4 Less	9.0% more
Meijer	9.9% more
Food Lion	12.5% more
Hannaford	13.2% more
Kroger	14.8% more
Stater Bros.	15.6% more
Save A Lot	19.3% more
Publix	20.3% more
Fiesta	21.7% more
Ralphs	21.9% more
Stop & Shop	22.2% more
Piggly Wiggly	22.6% more
Harris Teeter	23.5% more
Trader Joe’s	24.6% more
Albertsons	24.8% more
Tom Thumb	25.4% more
Big Y	26.2% more
Vons	26.6% more
Mariano’s	27.6% more
Jewel-Osco	29.7% more
El Rancho	30.1% more
Shaw’s	31.9% more
Whole Foods	39.7% more

What’s not surprising is that you pay about 39.7% more for the exact same stuff at Whole Foods. But the interesting thing is that in every city Consumer Reports studied, the cheapest and most expensive stores were at least 33% apart.

Prices vary even by store location

Remember that online and in-store prices don’t always match.

And prices can be different depending on your location.

For example, a Consumer Reports study found that ALDI was 16.3% cheaper than Walmart in Virginia Beach but only 4% cheaper in L.A.

I saw this myself when I checked ALDI prices near me on August 25, 2026.. The same gallon of Friendly Farms milk had different prices at two nearby ALDI stores:

That’s why it’s worth checking prices at your local store before assuming a chain is the cheapest option.

Cheapest grocery stores in America

Here are the 11 cheapest grocery stores in America, ranked by how much cheaper they actually measured than Walmart, not by reputation.

1. Costco: best overall bulk savings

If you’re looking for the cheapest grocery store in America, Costco is hard to beat on price. Consumer Reports found its grocery prices 21.4% lower than Walmart, the biggest savings of any store in the study.

But Costco is a warehouse club so you have to pay a yearly fee to shop there. While I don’t have Costco membership (I have Sam’s Club), everyone I talked to (including a friend who’s a manger at the local Costco) say the membership is absolutely worth it and that it pays for itself very quickly.

Key takeaways

• Price vs Walmart: 21.4% cheaper
• Locations: 629 warehouses in the US and Puerto Rico
• Membership: $65 a year, or $130 for Executive
• SNAP: Yes in stores, not online
• WIC: No

How cheap Costco really is

Consumer Reports found Costco was the cheapest store in every metro area they checked.

• Boston: 37.0% under Walmart
• Chicago: 28.5% under
• Denver: 23.7% under
• Los Angeles: 20.0% under
• Dallas–Fort Worth: 18.0% under
• Virginia Beach: 16.8% under

Even Costco’s “worst” city beats ALDI’s national average.

What Costco membership costs

• Gold Star or Business: $65 a year
• Executive: $130 a year and pays back 2% (up to $1,250)

Sam’s Club and BJ’s both sell cut-price memberships to people on SNAP and other benefits. But “Costco doesn’t offer free or discounted memberships.”

By the way, while Costco takes SNAP, you can not use your EBT card to pay for Costco membership.

What’s actually cheap at Costco

Costco wins on volume, not the small everyday stuff.

When Tasting Table priced 15 essentials in the Boston area in June 2026, Costco had the cheapest salad mix at 28 cents an ounce and the cheapest olive oil at 29 cents an ounce.

But ALDI beat it on milk, eggs, bread, pasta, beans and canned tuna in that same check, and Costco’s Greek yogurt was $7.49 and its salt $2.99, both in bulk sizes you’re stuck with. Picking the right departments is most of how to save money at Costco.

What Costco shoppers complain about

Online complaints through July 2026 often focused on billing, refunds, membership auto-renewals, order problems, and big-item delivery.

The most common Costco complain is memberships auto-renewing after people thought they had cancelled, so set a reminder before your renewal date.

Now, I wouldn’t use review-site ratings to judge a grocery chain, though, because they tell you little about the specific store you’d actually shop at.

A broader survey gives us a better benchmark. Costco scored 81 out of 100 in the American Customer Satisfaction Index, based on 31,293 respondents. ALDI also scored 81.

Bottom line: Costco offers the biggest measured grocery savings in this study, but you’ll get the most from it if you can justify the membership and actually use the stuff you buy in bulk instead of tossing ’em in trash. And if you’re not ready to pay the fee yet, there are a few ways to shop at Costco without a membership first.

2. BJ’s Wholesale Club: Best warehouse for SNAP

BJ’s is a warehouse club like Costco. You pay a yearly fee and buy in bulk, but BJ’s mainly runs on the East Coast.

Key takeaways

• Price vs Walmart: 21.0% cheaper
• Locations: 267 clubs in 22 states
• Membership: $60 Club, $120 Club+
• SNAP: Yes in club and online
• WIC: No

How cheap BJ’s really is

Consumer Reports measured BJ’s at 21.0% under Walmart, almost identical to Costco’s 21.4%. That tiny difference (four‑tenths of a percent) won’t change a real grocery bill.

BJ’s claims members save “up to 25%,” but the measured number is 21.0%. Go with the measured one.

The real separator is reach. Costco has 629 US warehouses. BJ’s has 267 clubs in 22 states. For most of the country, BJ’s isn’t even an option.

What BJ’s membership costs

• Club: $60 a year
• Club+: $120 a year

Club+ pays 2% back on eligible BJ’s purchases and 1.5% on everything else, but that reward stops at $500 in any 12-month period.

Club+ also takes 5 cents a gallon off gas and includes two free same-day deliveries a year on orders over $50.

And according to BJ’s own membership page if you receive SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, WIC, or a Federal Pell Grant, BJ’s sells discounted memberships through ID.me:

• Club: $25 instead of $60, plus a $10 reward
• Club+: $50 instead of $120, plus a $20 reward

It’s for new members only and runs through January 30, 2027. Costco has nothing like this.

BJ’s is the most flexible warehouse club for SNAP

All three major warehouse clubs accept EBT, but BJ’s gives you the most ways to use it.

Here’s how BJ’s, Sam’s Club, and Costco compare for using EBT in the club, through their apps, and for pickup and delivery:

EBT option	BJ’s	Sam’s Club	Costco
In-Club	Yes	Yes	Yes
App / Express Checkout	Yes (ExpressPay)	Yes (Scan & Go)	No
Curbside Pickup	Yes	Yes	No
Same-Day Delivery	Yes	Yes	No
Ship-to-Home	Yes	No	No

BJ’s says every club takes SNAP EBT, labels eligible items right next to the price, and lets you split one order between EBT and another card. You can also pay with SNAP EBT through ExpressPay in the BJ’s app.

There’s one important limitation: SNAP cash benefits only work at an in-club register or self-checkout, not on online orders.

And just like Costco, EBT doesn’t replace the membership. You still need a paid BJ’s membership to shop.

BJ’s takes manufacturer coupons

BJ’s also has an advantage if you like stacking discounts. It accepts manufacturer coupons along with BJ’s own club coupons.

That’s different from ALDI, which doesn’t accept manufacturer coupons, and Costco, which uses its own coupon book.

So if you’re the kind of shopper who actually clips, BJ’s gives you somewhere to use the coupons from the grocery coupon sites you already check.

3. Sam’s Club: Beats Walmart on bulk staples

Sam’s Club is Walmart’s warehouse club, with bulk groceries, a yearly membership, and its own Member’s Mark store brand.

Consumer Reports didn’t include it in its price study, so there’s no measured percentage to rank it against Walmart.

Key takeaways

• Price vs Walmart: Not measured
• Locations: 601 clubs across the US
• Membership: $60 Club, $120 Plus (often on sale)
• SNAP: Yes in club, pickup, and delivery from club
• WIC: No

Is Sam’s Club cheaper than Walmart?

The evidence suggests Sam’s is often cheaper than Walmart, but not across the board.

A January 2026 GOBankingRates comparison found Sam’s cheaper on several staples, including russet potatoes, chicken thighs, and bulk rice. Walmart was cheaper on other items, including whole milk, hot dogs, onions, apples, and Tide detergent.

That matches my experience.

I have a Sam’s membership and shop there regularly, and I find it much cheaper than Walmart and local grocery stores such as Schnucks and Dierbergs. That’s my personal experience, not a claim that every item is cheaper everywhere.

A Washington Consumers’ Checkbook comparison of 150 grocery items also found Sam’s prices were 33% lower than Safeway’s.

The takeaway is simple: Sam’s can offer excellent prices, especially on bulk staples, but compare individual items rather than assuming everything is cheaper.

Sam’s has some especially good bulk prices

A February 2026 WRAL comparison found Sam’s had the lowest price among the three warehouse clubs for basic peanut butter at 9 cents an ounce and ground coffee at $6.79 a pound.

Sam’s also matched Costco and BJ’s at 88 cents a pound for white rice. Its Member’s Mark eggs cost $2.27 a dozen, butter was $2.11 a pound, and organic olive oil was $17.48 for 2 liters.

That doesn’t mean Sam’s is cheaper on everything. BJ’s had cheaper chicken and beef in the same comparison, while Costco had cheaper milk and eggs.

What Sam’s Club membership costs

Regular prices are:

• Club: $60
• Plus: $120

I have Plus but I have never paid that price, because catching a membership deal is the easiest of the ways to save money at Sam’s Club.

Here are the current promotions:

• Public promo, first year: $25 Club, $55 Plus, running through September 30, 2026
• On government assistance, through ID.me: $20 Club

The ID.me offer has real fine print. It’s new members only, you can’t have held a membership in the past 24 months, and it auto-renews unless you cancel at least 24 hours before the renewal date. It runs through January 31, 2027.

How SNAP works at Sam’s Club

Sam’s Club accepts SNAP EBT at all of its clubs, including through Scan & Go, so you can use your EBT card from your phone while you shop.

Online, there are a few limits. According to Sam’s Club’s help page, you can use EBT for Curbside Pickup and Delivery from Club, but not for regular SamsClub.com orders shipped to your home.

And no, you can’t use EBT to pay for the membership itself!

What Sam’s Club shoppers complain about

Most complaints from June and July 2026 focus on the website and app, not the clubs themselves.

Shoppers report crashes, items disappearing from orders, unexpected cancellations, slow refunds, and advertised items being out of stock.

That can make online ordering frustrating when you need something by a certain day. For weekly shopping, I’d avoid relying on the website when you can easily get the item in the club.

My approach: Use Scan & Go when you’re shopping in the club and need something that week. I’d treat SamsClub.com as a backup for items that are hard to find in the store or when you don’t need them right away.

4. ALDI: Cheapest grocery chain

ALDI is a hard-discount grocery store. Its stores are small, the selection is limited, and more than 90% of its products are ALDI’s own brands.

That helps keep prices low, but it also comes with a few trade-offs.

Key takeaways

• Price vs Walmart: 8.3% cheaper
• Locations: Nearly 2,800 stores by end of 2026 (40 states)
• SNAP: Yes at every store
• WIC: No

How cheap ALDI really is

Consumer Reports measured ALDI at 8.3% under Walmart.

ALDI’s ads say a family of four can save “nearly $4,000 a year,” but the math doesn’t match that.

Using the USDA’s grocery budget for a family of four ($1,018.20 a month), an 8.3% savings is about $1,000 a year.

That’s still real money. Just don’t expect your entire grocery bill to suddenly drop by 40%.

Where ALDI’s savings actually come from

On August 25, 2026 I priced seven items at Walmart and ALDI in the St. Louis area, using each store’s own website with a local store set.

ALDI came out 4.4% cheaper. That’s below the 8.3% Consumer Reports found. A 7-item basket on one day moves around more than a big study does.

Item	Walmart	ALDI
Large eggs, 12 ct	$1.67	$1.66
Whole milk, 1 gallon	$4.18	$3.77
White bread, 20 oz	$1.48	$1.45
Bananas, per lb	$0.50	$0.49
Chicken breast, per lb (on sale at both)	$2.23	$2.19
80/20 ground beef, per lb	$6.93	$6.19
Russet potatoes, 5 lb	$2.82	$3.19
Basket total	$19.81	$18.94

ALDI won 6 of the 7 items.

Now look at how it won them: eggs by a penny, bananas by a penny, bread by 3 cents and chicken by 4 cents.

The two real gaps were milk and ground beef. ALDI’s milk was $3.77 versus $4.18 at Walmart, and its ground beef was $6.19 a pound versus $6.93.

Take milk out of the basket and ALDI is 2.9% cheaper than Walmart across the other six items. Walmart actually beat ALDI on potatoes by 37 cents.

That’s why the real-world savings can feel smaller than the big claims. ALDI can be especially cheap on certain categories, rather than every item in your cart.

First‑timer rules (the quarter, the bags, and coupons)

ALDI keeps prices low by cutting costs that traditional supermarkets often absorb, and knowing the house rules is a big part of how to save money at ALDI.

A few of those savings mean a little extra work for shoppers:

• Carts need a quarter: You get it back when you return the cart.
• Grocery bags cost money: Bring your own or buy theirs.
• No manufacturer coupons: ALDI doesn’t accept them. Instead, it says it negotiates lower prices with suppliers.

Bag prices vary by location. At my local ALDI, paper bags cost about 7 to 12 cents. Reusable heavy-duty and insulated bags are about $1.09, and recycled totes are about $1.99.

The quarter is my favorite part, and not because of the money. Sometimes a shopper loading their car offers you their cart, you hand them the quarter, and plenty of times they wave it off. When that happens to me, I pass my cart on to whoever’s walking toward the corral looking for one, so they don’t have to dig for a quarter either. It’s a small pay-it-forward thing, and I really love it.

Why the ALDI shelf is empty sometimes

The most common ALDI complaint, and it was all over shopper reports in April 2026, is basic items being gone.

One shopper put it this way: “Last time I went, they didn’t have 3/4 of the items on my list.” Another described the stores as bare.

The cause is the same thing that makes ALDI cheap:

• ALDI carries no backstock and takes fresh produce daily, so when a truck runs late the store opens with an empty shelf and nothing in the back to fill it.
• Also, ALDI has no universal purchase limits, so restaurant owners and other business buyers can clear out the cheap items early in the day.

What to do about it: shop ALDI earlier in the day, and don’t plan a whole week’s meals around finding one specific item there.

Why ALDI doesn’t take WIC

ALDI accepts SNAP EBT at every store, including participating pickup and delivery locations.

But ALDI doesn’t accept WIC. Its product selection, including its Little Journey infant formula, doesn’t fit the national-brand formula requirements used by WIC programs.

So if you’re on WIC and ALDI is the cheap store near you, plan on two trips: ALDI for the groceries you pay for yourself, and a WIC-approved store for the items on your benefit.

5. Lidl: Cheapest regular chain on the East Coast

You’ve probably heard of ALDI. Lidl is its German rival, and it works almost the same way: a small store, a short list of brands, mostly its own labels, and low prices.

Key takeaways

• Price vs Walmart: 8.5% cheaper
• Locations: 190+ stores in 9 states and Washington DC
• SNAP: Yes in stores, not online
• WIC: No

How cheap Lidl really is

Lidl and ALDI are basically tied on price.

Consumer Reports put Lidl at 8.5% below Walmart and ALDI at 8.3%.

So, on a $150 grocery trip, that’s about 30 cents between them. So don’t drive past one to reach the other.

If you have both nearby, pick the one with better parking, and buy your milk wherever it’s cheaper that week.

Where Lidl is the cheapest store

Lidl is the cheapest chain in eight states: Delaware, Georgia, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, and Virginia. It also has stores in Maryland and Washington, DC.

As you can see, Lidl mainly operates on the East Coast, so if you live in one of those states or areas, the usual advice to “just go to ALDI” may not be the best choice.

How to pay at Lidl

Lidl takes all the major cards, cash, EBT, Apple Pay, Google Pay, and its own gift cards.

It doesn’t take checks, over-the-counter benefit cards, or WIC.

Two things to watch:

• Cash doesn’t work at self-checkout: That’s Lidl’s rule, so use a staffed lane if you’re paying with cash.
• EBT is in-store only: You can’t use it for online orders or delivery, so if you’re on SNAP you have to shop in person.

Just like ALDI, Lidl doesn’t take WIC either. That’s because stores that mostly sell their own brands can’t accept WIC, because WIC only pays for the name‑brand items on each state’s approved list.

What Lidl shoppers complain about

Lidl has relatively few complaints with the Better Business Bureau, just 23 over three years, but they follow a clear pattern.

Seven complaints filed between November 2025 and June 2026 involved advertised prices or product availability.

Some shoppers said an advertised item was out of stock, while others found that the shelf price didn’t match the price at the register. Checkout errors and difficulty reaching customer service were the next most common complaints.

That makes Lidl’s complaints similar to what shoppers report at ALDI. Both stores keep their selection and inventory lean to help keep prices low, which can mean advertised items sell out quickly.

Bottom line: If you live near a Lidl, it’s worth a try. It matches ALDI on price and it’s the cheaper pick in several East Coast states. But if you don’t live out east, you can’t shop there yet.

6. WinCo Foods: Cheapest employee-owned grocer

WinCo is an employee-owned grocery chain known for bulk bins, low prices and a no-frills shopping experience.

Employees have owned the company through an employee stock plan since 1985.

Key takeaways

• Price vs Walmart: 3.3% cheaper
• Locations: 140+ stores across 10 western and southern states
• SNAP: Yes
• WIC: Yes

Is WinCo cheaper than ALDI?

Nationally, yes, but the difference is small.

Consumer Reports found WinCo prices 3.3% below Walmart, compared with 8.3% below Walmart for ALDI. But WinCo beats ALDI in some markets.

In Los Angeles, for example:

• WinCo: 4.3% cheaper than Walmart
• ALDI: 4.0% cheaper than Walmart

Where WinCo is the cheapest store

WinCo is also the cheapest grocery chain in Idaho, Montana, Oregon, Utah and Washington.

So if you live in one of those states, a national ranking may not tell you which store is actually cheapest for you.

Does WinCo take credit cards?

No. WinCo does not accept credit cards at any of its stores.

The company says avoiding card processing fees helps it keep prices low.

WinCo does accept:

• Cash
• Checks
• PIN debit
• SNAP/EBT
• WIC

A lot of complaints I read online about WinCo is from shoppers who didn’t know this and went to the store with a credit card which they don’t use so they had to put their groceries back. So remember that if it’s your first time going to WinCo.

How shopping at WinCo works

The reason WinCo can keep prices low is its stripped-down approach to grocery shopping.

There are no baggers, so you bag your own groceries. In the company’s words, “by bagging their own savings,” customers help the store cut costs enabling the company pass on the savings to the shoppers.

Bulk bins are another big part of the model. You can scoop rice, beans, oats, flour, nuts, spices and candy into your own bag and pay by weight. Buying only what you need can cost less per pound than buying the same food in a package.

WinCo also takes manufacturer coupons. The rules are one coupon per item, no mass-cut coupons, and nothing worth more than $5.

WinCo takes WIC & EBT

WinCo takes both EBT and WIC.

If your family is on WIC, that changes the whole math. Instead of splitting your week between a discount store and a WIC-approved store, you can do it all in one trip, at a store that’s still cheaper than Walmart.

But WIC stores are approved state by state. So check your state’s list to make sure your local WinCo is on it. But WinCo’s own payment policy says it takes WIC.

What do shoppers complain about at WinCo?

WinCo’s Better Business Bureau score is low, 1.52 out of 5 across 29 reviews, but the complaints themselves explain more than the number.

The biggest issue people mention is price mismatches. In one April 2025 complaint, a shopper was charged $2.50 for an item labeled $1.99. The manager said the item was the only one in the display that wasn’t part of the sale.

Other complaints focus on customer service, interactions with loss prevention, and the store layout.

None of that is unusual for a low‑cost grocery chain. But the price mismatch is worth paying attention to. Since you’re already bagging your own groceries, you’re standing right in front of the screen, so just watch the prices as you scan.

Bottom line: WinCo isn’t much cheaper than Walmart overall. But in its western home states, it is the cheapest store around, and it’s one of the few discount chains that accepts both WIC and EBT. So if you live near one, it’s absolutely worth shopping at.

7. Grocery Outlet: Best closeout deal store

Grocery Outlet sells food that other companies need to get rid of (extra stock, closeouts, and items with changed packaging) at cheap prices.

Each store is run by a local family, not by a manager sent from head office.

Key takeaways

• Price vs Walmart: Not measured by Consumer Reports
• Locations: 547 stores in 16 states
• SNAP: Yes
• WIC: Varies by location; check your state’s WIC-approved retailer list

Is Grocery Outlet really 40% cheaper?

Maybe, but the only source for that number is Grocery Outlet itself.

In its 2026 report to investors, the company says a typical basket is about 40% cheaper than a regular supermarket and 20% cheaper than a discount store.

A report filed with the government is a serious document, so that claim carries more weight than an ad. But it’s still the company describing its own prices.

An independent July 2026 price check gives us a useful reality check.

A 20-item basket at Grocery Outlet cost $53.74, compared with $57.32 at Walmart, making Grocery Outlet 6.2% cheaper in that Portland comparison. The tracker collected prices during the third week of July.

That’s nowhere near 40% below Walmart, but it doesn’t contradict Grocery Outlet’s claim either. The company’s 40% figure compares its basket with a regular supermarket, while the Portland comparison was specifically against Walmart.

The bigger takeaway is that Grocery Outlet can be meaningfully cheaper than Walmart, but the savings vary by store, product and the deals available that week.

Why the shelves change every week

That unpredictable selection is actually part of the reason Grocery Outlet can sell food so cheaply.

Grocery Outlet only stocks what it can buy at a deal. If a manufacturer overproduced pasta sauce this month, you’ll see pasta sauce this month.

That’s why this isn’t a “buy the same 20 items every week” store. It’s a treasure-hunt store. You go in, see what’s good, stock up, and finish the rest of your list somewhere else.

People who treat Grocery Outlet as a second stop love it.

People who treat it as their only store usually get frustrated.

What about the dates on the packages?

Some shoppers report finding food close to its expiration date, and a few complaints from 2025 and 2026 name product quality. So it’s fair to ask.

But most people have this backwards. The USDA says those dates aren’t safety dates:

• Best if Used By is about taste.
• Sell By is for the store, not for you.
• Baby formula is the one true safety date.

So check the date, inspect the package and use your judgment, just as you would at any other grocery store.

Is Grocery Outlet closing stores?

Grocery Outlet closed 36 stores in March 2026, about 6% of all its stores, spread across California, Maryland, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Idaho.

The CEO’s own explanation was that the company “expanded too quickly.” It is not leaving any state and is opening 30 to 33 new stores this year, so this was a trim and not a collapse.

Still, if you found a location on an old list or an old blog post, look it up on the store finder before you get in the car.

Bottom line: Grocery Outlet can be one of the cheapest places you shop, but only if you use it right. Go in with a loose list, treat it as a second stop, and check the store is still open before you drive. If you’re on SNAP, it’s absolutely worth a look.

8. Ruler Foods: 11.4% Cheaper than Walmart in local field tests

Ruler Foods is Kroger’s version of ALDI. Kroger bought the chain in 1999 and still runs it as a small, bare‑bones discount store stocked mostly with Kroger’s own brands.

Key takeaways

• Price vs Walmart: 11.4% cheaper on my own 6-item price check
• Where it is: Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee
• Takes SNAP/EBT: Yes
• Takes WIC: Not published, so check your state’s approved store list

Ruler Foods is still an active chain, despite Kroger closing some stores across its grocery brands. Kroger is closing 60 stores across nine chains by the end of 2026, but Ruler Foods is not one of them.

In fact, Ruler is still investing in its stores. It reopened its Lima, Ohio location after a remodel in July 2026 and did the same in Henderson, Kentucky the year before.

Ruler is also a good example of why national rankings can miss local options.

It doesn’t appear in the major national grocery-price studies, yet if you live in one of its six states, it may be one of the cheapest stores near you. For example, the Fairview Heights, Illinois location is about 20 minutes from downtown St. Louis (I live close by).

That made me want to see how Ruler actually compares with the stores that do appear on those national lists.

My price check: Ruler Foods vs Walmart

Nobody has ever published a price comparison for Ruler Foods, so I ran one myself.

On August 25, 2026, I priced six everyday items on Ruler’s website (Fairview Heights, Illinois store selected) and compared them to Walmart’s prices the same day.

So is Ruler Foods cheaper than Walmart?

In my six-item price check, yes.

Item	Walmart	Ruler Foods
Large eggs, 12 ct	$1.67	$1.65
Whole milk, 1 gallon	$4.18	$2.22
White bread, 20 oz	$1.48	$1.45
Bananas, per lb	$0.50	$0.50
Chicken breast, per lb	$2.23 (on sale)	$1.99
80/20 ground beef, 3 lb roll, per lb	$6.28	$6.66
Six-item total	$16.34	$14.47

Ruler came out 11.4% cheaper than Walmart.

Ruler came out 11.4% cheaper in my six-item price check. It even beat Walmart on chicken that Walmart had on sale.

But almost all of that $1.87 savings came from milk:

• Milk at Ruler: $2.22
• Milk at Walmart: $4.18
• Milk savings: $1.96

Here’s the catch: Ruler was actually 9 cents more expensive on the other five items combined. Those five items cost $12.25 at Ruler versus $12.16 at Walmart.

So the math is simple: Ruler saved $1.96 on milk but cost 9 cents more on everything else, leaving a total savings of $1.87. In this particular price check, the cheap milk was responsible for more than all of Ruler’s overall savings.

Is Ruler Foods cheaper than ALDI?

I also ran the same six-item test against ALDI, using the exact same products and prices from my comparison.

Ruler’s total was $14.47, compared with $15.75 at ALDI, making Ruler about 8% cheaper.

That’s almost all milk. Ruler’s gallon was $2.22 against ALDI’s $3.77. Strip milk out and ALDI is actually about 27 cents cheaper across the other five items.

So on everything except milk, Ruler and ALDI are basically even. Both run on nearly the same discount model. And milk prices move week to week, so that gallon gap may not hold.

Price isn’t everything: package sizes matter

There’s another thing worth keeping in mind when comparing Ruler with Walmart or ALDI: the cheapest price isn’t always the most convenient price.

For example, Ruler’s russet potatoes come in a 10-pound bag for $3.99, or about 40 cents per pound. Walmart’s 5-pound bag was 56 cents per pound.

That’s a better price at Ruler, but only if you actually want 10 pounds of potatoes.

And that’s pretty much the Ruler Foods model in a nutshell. The prices can be excellent, but package sizes and selection may not always fit what you need.

How Ruler Foods works (it’s basically ALDI)

If you’ve shopped ALDI, you already know how to shop here.

• You need a quarter to use shopping carts.
• You have to bag your own groceries
• Bags cost extra, so bring your own
• Mostly Kroger store brands, not name brands

The main difference is those store-brand labels. ALDI’s private-label products are made specifically for ALDI, while Ruler sells Kroger brands you’d recognize from regular Kroger stores.

The basic idea is the same, though: smaller stores, fewer frills and lower operating costs.

Bottom line: If there’s a Ruler Foods near you, the best way to find out whether it’s actually cheaper is to take your normal shopping list there once and compare the total with what you usually spend.

9. H-E-B: Best customer satisfaction for low prices

H‑E‑B is a Texas grocery chain, but I included it because it’s one of the few chains that combines Walmart-level prices with much higher customer satisfaction.

Key takeaways

• Price vs Walmart: 0.2% cheaper
• Where it is: More than 440 stores, almost all in Texas, plus 70 in Mexico
• Takes SNAP/EBT: Yes, in store and for pickup and delivery
• Takes WIC: Yes, in store only, at approved stores

Is H-E-B cheaper than Walmart?

Technically, yes, but the difference is tiny.

Consumer Reports measured H‑E‑B at 0.2% cheaper than Walmart. On a $150 grocery run, that’s 30 cents.

So if the lowest total is all you care about, H‑E‑B isn’t a reason to switch. But if you already shop there, you’re not paying extra for it. You’re getting Walmart prices at a store people enjoy.

Why shoppers rate H-E-B so highly

H‑E‑B has finished first for four years straight in the same national ranking that puts Market Basket second.

It also scores 83 out of 100 on the customer satisfaction survey mentioned earlier, well above the supermarket average of 78.

Here’s the part that matters:

Trader Joe’s scores higher on satisfaction (86) but costs 24.6% more than Walmart.

Walmart matches H‑E‑B on price but has the lowest satisfaction score of the nine chains measured.

H‑E‑B is the only chain that is both cheap and well liked.

So if you’re in Texas, that’s H-E-B’s real advantage: you can get a better-rated shopping experience without paying more.

Want H-E-B prices even lower? Try Joe V’s Smart Shop

H‑E‑B also runs a cheaper chain called Joe V’s Smart Shop. The stores are plain, the product selection is smaller, and the prices are lower.

There are 14 Joe V’s stores, all in the Houston and Dallas areas, with two more planned for 2027 in Humble and south Houston.

H‑E‑B advertises prices like:

• 3 pounds of bananas for $1
• Eight bolillo rolls for $1
• Bundle boxes of groceries starting at $20

Three pounds of bananas for $1 is 33 cents a pound. At every store I priced myself, bananas were 49 or 50 cents a pound. Joe V’s is where H‑E‑B gets genuinely cheap.

10. Woodman’s Markets: 4.6% Cheaper than Walmart on name brands

Woodman’s is an employee-owned grocery chain with 20 stores in Wisconsin and Illinois.

If you live near one, it’s worth checking. Recent price comparisons show it can beat Walmart, especially on name-brand groceries.

Key takeaways

• Price vs Walmart: 4.6% cheaper (according to a June 2026 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel price comparison)
• Where it is: 20 stores, 14 in Wisconsin and 6 in Illinois
• Takes SNAP/EBT: Yes, in store and online
• Takes WIC: Yes

Is Woodman’s cheaper than Walmart?

Sometimes, but not on everything!

A June 2026 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel price tracker compared the same 18-item basket at Woodman’s and Walmart.

Woodman’s cost $66.20 compared with $69.39 at Walmart, making Woodman’s 4.6% cheaper.

The tracker checked prices on June 1 and did not include limited-time deals or discounts.

A separate May 2026 Green Bay comparison found a similar result for name-brand groceries: $66.03 at Woodman’s vs. $68.65 at Walmart, making Woodman’s 3.8% cheaper.

But Walmart won when the comparison used store brands, with a basket price of $49.54.

What this means for you as a shopper?

Don’t assume Woodman’s will always be cheaper.

It’s a particularly good option if you buy name-brand groceries, but compare prices if you’re buying mostly store brands.

Woodman’s ranks No. 3 among U.S. grocery chains

Woodman’s also scores well beyond price.

It ranked No. 3 out of 81 grocery retailers in Dunnhumby’s 9th annual Retailer Preference Index, behind H-E-B and Market Basket.

The study surveyed more than 11,000 U.S. grocery shoppers and combined customer opinions with financial data. Woodman’s scored especially well for price, promotions and rewards, quality, and operations.

Woodman’s takes WIC and coupons

Woodman’s accepts SNAP/EBT in stores and online and WIC.

You can also use manufacturer coupons and Woodman’s own coupons, unlike at ALDI and Lidl, so the coupon apps on your phone are actually worth opening here.

Its coupon policy has these limits:

• Nothing worth more than $5
• No free-item internet coupons
• Three printed internet coupons per identical item per day
• Digital coupons in the app have no limit
• No cash back on coupons

Watch out for its credit-card policy

Woodman’s stores do not accept Visa or Mastercard credit cards.

At the register, it accepts Discover, PIN debit, cash, checks, EBT and WIC.

Woodman’s says this helps it keep credit-card processing costs down and pass savings on to shoppers.

Online is different. ShopWoodmans.com accepts all major credit cards, along with debit, EBT and Woodman’s gift cards.

Is Woodman’s worth trying?

Yes, if you have one nearby. The available price checks show that Woodman’s can beat Walmart, especially on name-brand groceries, but Walmart may be cheaper for store brands.

11. Walmart: The low-price baseline

Walmart sits at the bottom of this list only because everything else is measured against it.

In real life, it is still the cheapest option for millions of people. In the Consumer Reports study, 29 of the 35 chains cost more than Walmart, and only six chains beat it on price.

Walmart is also the cheapest grocery store in five states: Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, New Mexico, and Wyoming.

Key takeaways

• Where it is: 5,215 stores in all 50 states
• Takes SNAP/EBT: Yes, in store and for pickup and delivery
• Takes WIC: Yes in store, and online in Washington and Massachusetts

How cheap is Walmart’s groceries

Only six chains beat Walmart on price, and three of those require a paid membership.

That leaves ALDI, Lidl, and WinCo as the only regular grocery stores that come in cheaper, and none by more than 8.5 percent.

Now the tradeoff is that Walmart scored 75 out of 100, the lowest of the nine chains ranked, while ALDI and Costco scored 81.

And if you have ever shopped at Walmart, As someone who shops regularly at Walmart, I am not really surprised by that!

Walmart does not price match

If you remember Walmart price matching, you’re remembering an older policy. Walmart’s current policy says it does not match competitors’ prices, including ALDI, Kroger or other grocery stores.

It also won’t match a lower Walmart.com price after you make an in-store purchase. Plenty of other stores still price match, but Walmart is no longer one of them.

The confusion comes partly from Walmart’s old Savings Catcher program, which automatically refunded the difference when it found a lower advertised price elsewhere. That program ended years ago.

So don’t count on a price match. If you’re trying to find the cheapest cart, compare prices on the two stores’ websites before you shop.

Does Walmart take SNAP and WIC?

Walmart accepts most payment methods you’d expect, including major credit and debit cards, SNAP/EBT, and WIC. The rules are a little different depending on which one you use.

Using your EBT card at Walmart is pretty simple.

You can use your EBT card to pay for eligible groceries:

• In-store checkout
• Pickup
• Delivery

To use your EBT card, add it to your Walmart wallet, shop for eligible items, and enter your PIN at checkout.

Just keep in mind that you can not use SNAP to pay for delivery fees or other non-food costs, so you’ll need a second payment method for those.

And yes, Walmart takes WIC at participating Walmart stores, but using WIC online is more limited. Right now, Walmart accepts WIC online only in Washington and Massachusetts.

If you’re shopping in store, use your WIC card first and enter your PIN. Then use another payment method to pay for anything WIC doesn’t cover.

Is Walmart+ worth $98 a year?

If you regularly order groceries from Walmart, the membership can pay for itself pretty quickly.

Walmart+ costs $98 a year or $12.95 a month and includes free delivery on orders of $35 or more.

Without Walmart+, Express Delivery can cost $17.95 to $19.95 per order, which is steep next to most grocery delivery services.

At those rates, just five or six deliveries a year can cover the annual membership fee.

And if you receive SNAP or another qualifying government benefit, the deal gets even better. Walmart+ Assist costs $49 a year or $6.47 a month, making it one of the cheapest grocery-delivery options.

What to know before shopping at Walmart

Walmart’s prices are hard to beat, but my research through August 2026 found a few recurring complaints from shoppers: fresh-food quality, incorrect or late orders, and slow refunds.

I’ve noticed one of these issues myself.

When I shop at Walmart, I prefer to pick out my own fruits and vegetables. I buy a lot of produce, and I’d rather choose each item myself than leave the selection to someone filling an online order.

That makes Walmart’s shopping options worth considering. If you want someone to bring your groceries to your door, Walmart+ can make delivery much cheaper. But if you don’t need that convenience, shopping in the store gives you more control over fresh food and avoids delivery fees altogether.

For a middle ground, Walmart’s curbside pickup is free on orders of $35 or more. Orders below $35 can incur a $6.99 service fee.

My approach is simple: I shop in the store when I can, especially for produce, and use pickup when I want to save time without paying for delivery. If you shop there every week, a few Walmart savings hacks are worth knowing too.

Grocery Stores People Think Are Cheap (But Aren’t)

We don’t think of Whole Foods (“Whole Paycheck” ) as a cheap grocery store.

But what surprised me after all the research and price studies I analyzed for this guide was how many stores we do think of as low-cost actually aren’t that cheap compared with Walmart.

I’m talking about stores that look like discount grocers but, when you check the numbers, really aren’t.

Is Save A Lot cheaper than Walmart?

No. Save A Lot costs 19.3% more than Walmart.

With about 650 stores in 29 states, Save A Lot looks like a discount grocer, but most stores are run by independent owners under license. Those smaller operators don’t have Walmart’s purchasing power, which helps explain the higher prices.

The chain is shrinking too. It closed about 100 stores in 2026 and exited Texas, Louisiana, and Rhode Island.

Shoppers in 2026 reported expired items, food quality issues, and poor value. At nearly 20% more than Walmart, those complaints make sense.

Is Trader Joe’s actually cheap?

No. Trader Joe’s costs 24.6% more than Walmart nationally.

It’s even more expensive in some cities, like more than 33.0% in Dallas, 30.0% in Denver and 26.8% Chicago.

But here’s the interesting part…

Expensive overall doesn’t mean every item is expensive.

In a Boston-area comparison, Trader Joe’s milk and eggs both cost more than twice ALDI’s price: $5.99 vs. $2.89 for milk and $5.99 vs. $1.47 for eggs. Yet its bananas were the cheapest in the test at just 23 cents a pound, compared with about 48 to 50 cents at ALDI, Costco and Walmart.

That helps explain why Trader Joe’s is so popular.

It scored 86 out of 100 for customer satisfaction, the highest of any U.S. grocery chain. So shop there for what you like, use the tricks that cut your Trader Joe’s bill, and don’t mistake a few great deals for low prices across your whole cart.

Is Food 4 Less cheaper than Walmart?

No. Food 4 Less costs 9.0% more than Walmart nationally, and 10.3% more in Los Angeles.

With 97 stores in three states, this Kroger chain looks like a discount grocer: warehouse-style stores, plain shelves and no baggers. But the prices don’t match the look.

If you’re going to bag your own groceries, you might as well do it where the savings are real.

Food 4 Less looks cheap but costs more than Walmart.

Are dollar stores cheaper for groceries?

Not usually!

Dollar General’s own CEO told investors on a 2025 earnings call that the company’s prices stay “within 3 to 4 percentage points on average of mass retailers.” In other words, Dollar General’s grocery prices aren’t necessarily below Walmart and Target.

Dollar Tree has a different problem: smaller packages can mean a higher price per ounce! That’s why saving money at Dollar Tree comes down to checking the unit price, not the sticker.

In a March 2026 comparison of a $50 grocery haul by Money Lion, ALDI beat Dollar Tree on items including peanut butter, canned food, bread, chips and cereal.

Bottom line: Personally I don’t buy groceries at dollar stores, but I do buy cleaning supplies, paper goods, personal care stuff, etc. They are also great for travel size products, and the online dollar stores carry the same kind of thing if you don’t have one nearby.

How to Find the Cheapest Grocery Store Near You

National rankings can miss local bargains. Ruler Foods, for example, showed up in my St. Louis search but rarely appears on national cheap-grocery lists.

1. Check the cheapest chain in your state

Start with ALDI, Lidl, Walmart or WinCo, based on the state-by-state list above. Then check what else is nearby.

2. Search your local stores

Search “grocery stores near me” on Google Maps and look beyond the top results. Regional and independent stores can be cheaper than national chains. If you use SNAP, the USDA SNAP retailer locator shows nearby EBT-accepting stores.

3. Compare what you actually buy

Price 8 to 10 items you buy every week on each store’s website. A grocery list app makes that easy to repeat instead of starting over each time. I did this with Walmart, ALDI, Schnucks and Sam’s Club and found that just a couple of items drove most of ALDI’s savings. Walmart also warns that online prices can differ from in-store prices.

4. Compare unit prices

Package sizes can hide the real deal. ALDI’s 5-pound potatoes cost 64¢ per pound, versus 41¢ for the 10-pound bag. Walmart’s 1-pound ground beef costs $6.93 per pound, versus $6.28 for the 3-pound roll. Check the small unit price, not just the package price.

5. Check weekly sales

Flipp is free and pulls weekly ads from more than 2,000 stores. Enter your ZIP code to compare local deals. Then run your receipt through a grocery rebate app to get money back on what you already bought.

6. Ask about markdowns

Don’t trust generic lists claiming every store marks down meat on a certain day. Ask your meat, produce or bakery department when they mark down food. Store schedules vary.

3 Ways to save more on groceries than switching stores

Switching from Walmart to ALDI saves 8.3%. But you can do 3 other things that can save you way more on groceries.

What you do	Potential savings
Use a SNAP produce match	100% on matched fruits and vegetables
Buy store brands	25% to 30%
Buy the larger package	Up to 36% on some items
Switch Walmart to ALDI	8.3%

1. Buy store brands and save 25% to 30%

Consumer Reports found that store brands typically cost 25% to 30% less than comparable name brands.

That’s about three times the savings from switching Walmart to ALDI.

And store brands aren’t automatically lower quality. Reynolds, Taylor Farms and BrucePac all make products sold under retailers’ private labels, and Consumer Reports taste tests found Kroger’s ranch beat Hidden Valley while ALDI’s condensed chicken noodle soup beat Campbell’s.

Try one store-brand swap a week. Keep the ones your family likes and ditch the ones you don’t. Most chains also run a free grocery rewards program worth joining while you’re at it.

2. Buy the bigger package when the unit price is lower

At ALDI, the 10-pound bag of potatoes works out to 36% less per pound than the 5-pound bag.

The same idea works for rice, pasta, flour, meat, paper products and other things you can store or freeze.

But don’t assume bigger means cheaper. Check the unit price, usually shown per pound or ounce, because that’s the number that lets you compare different package sizes.

3. Double your SNAP produce money

If you receive SNAP, this can beat every grocery-store switch in this guide. Double Up Food Bucks matches SNAP spending on eligible fruits and vegetables 1:1. Spend $10 of SNAP on produce and get another $10 worth through the program.

The program operates in 25 states, including more than 240 locations in Michigan. About 190,463 SNAP households used it in 2025.

It’s funded through the USDA’s Gus Schumacher Nutrition Incentive Program, which has funded more than $330 million in projects since 2019.

Search “Double Up Food Bucks” plus your state to find participating stores. If your state doesn’t use that name, search for “SNAP produce incentive” instead.

Is a warehouse club membership worth it?

A warehouse club membership can be worth it if you spend enough to cover the annual fee.

You need to spend about $300 a year at Costco or $286 at BJ’s, or roughly $25 a month, for the savings to pay for the membership.

Costco prices were 21.4% lower than Walmart in Consumer Reports’ comparison, which works out to about $21 saved per $100 spent.

How much can a warehouse club save you?

The USDA estimates that a family of four on its thrifty food plan spends $1,018.20 a month, or about $12,218 a year.

If you could get those groceries for 21.4% less, you’d theoretically save about $2,600 a year.

Obviously, you won’t buy everything at a warehouse club, but it shows how quickly the savings could outweigh the membership fee.

Do you need the upgraded membership?

All three clubs offer a higher tier that pays 2% back.

Membership	Extra cost	Break-even spending	Reward cap
Costco Executive	$65	$3,250/year	$1,250
Sam’s Club Plus	$60	$3,000/year	Not published
BJ’s Club+	$60	$3,000/year	$500

If you aren’t sure you’ll spend that much, start with the basic membership and upgrade later.

Check for Sam’s Club or BJ’s promotions first

Before paying full price, check for a promotion.

For example, if Sam’s Club offers $25 Club and $55 Plus, the upgrade costs only $30 more. That cuts the Plus break-even point to about $1,500 a year.

I bought my Sam’s Club membership for about $55 and see these deals often. If you’d rather look around the club before paying anything, there are a couple of ways of shopping at Sam’s Club without a membership.

Unfortunately, Costco doesn’t offer promotional membership pricing.

Discounted memberships if you get SNAP or other benefits

If you receive SNAP or certain other benefits, you may qualify for a discounted Sam’s Club or BJ’s membership through ID.me:

• Sam’s Club: $20 instead of $60 through January 31, 2027
• BJ’s: $25 instead of $60, or $50 instead of $120 for Club+, through January 30, 2027

The offers are for new members and automatically renew at the regular price unless you cancel.

Sam’s Club’s qualifying programs include SNAP, Medicaid, SSI, TANF, LIHEAP, Head Start, school meal programs, Pell Grants, veterans benefits, and certain housing programs.

What should groceries cost per month?

The USDA’s Thrifty Food Plan puts a family of four at $1,018.20 a month as of May 2026.

This is the cheapest of the USDA’s four food plans and the one used to calculate SNAP benefits.

Household	Thrifty plan
Family of four	$1,018.20
One adult woman, age 20 to 50	$252.40
One adult man, age 20 to 50	$317.10

That doesn’t mean you need to hit the Thrifty number. The USDA’s other plans range from $274.80 to $427.90 a month for one adult woman, depending on how much you spend on food.

So use the Thrifty figure as a benchmark, not a spending limit. If you’re well above it, that’s when it’s worth looking at your store, brands, package sizes and shopping habits. If you’re under it and still coming up short some months, the food pantries near you can fill the gap for free.

Why groceries still feel expensive in 2026

Even though some foods are getting cheaper, the USDA expects food-at-home prices to rise 2.7% in 2026.

The changes vary a lot by food:

• Eggs: down 30.7%
• Beef: up 10.7%
• Fresh vegetables: up 6.8%
• Fresh fruit: up 2.0%

I saw the egg drop myself at ALDI. A dozen went from $2.19 in early summer to $1.66 on August 25, a 24.2% drop.

But beef is moving in the opposite direction, which makes it one of the foods worth comparing across stores before you buy. It’s also a good month to lean on cheap foods that stretch a tight budget.

That’s also where choosing the right grocery store can make a bigger difference.

Where else to buy food cheap

The grocery stores above aren’t your only options. If you want to cut your food bill even further, salvage grocery stores and food co-ops are worth checking.

Salvage grocery stores can save you 30% to 70%

• Find a salvage grocery store near you

Salvage stores sell food that regular supermarkets can’t or don’t want to sell, including overstock, discontinued products, dented packages and items close to their best-by dates.

That can mean savings of 30% to 70% off regular retail prices.

Shop them like Grocery Outlet, meaning bring a loose list, grab the best deals you find, and buy the rest somewhere else.

Are dented cans safe to buy?

Slightly dented cans are generally safe if they’re otherwise in good condition, according to the USDA. Skip cans that are deeply dented, leaking, bulging, badly rusted or have sharp dents along a seam.

Also remember that best-by dates are generally about quality, not safety, although baby formula is an exception.

Food co-ops can offer member discounts

• Find a food co-op near you

Food co-ops are another option, especially if you shop at the same store regularly.

Most are open to everyone, and membership is usually a one-time buy-in rather than an annual fee.

Depending on the co-op, members may get 1% or more back on purchases, case discounts, 10% off shopping days, senior discounts or a share of profits. Some also offer cheaper memberships for low-income shoppers.

Don’t expect Walmart-level prices on everything. The better savings usually come from member discounts, buying by the case and other store-specific perks.

Bottom line: If you want the lowest possible grocery bill, don’t limit yourself to traditional supermarkets. Check salvage stores for deep discounts and local co-ops for member savings. And when money is tight, there are ways to get free groceries too.

Frequently asked questions

What is the cheapest grocery store in the US?

Costco is the cheapest nationally among the 35 chains measured by Consumer Reports, at 21.4% below Walmart. But if you don’t want a membership, ALDI is the cheapest regular grocery chain, at 8.3% below Walmart.

Is ALDI or Walmart cheaper?

ALDI is cheaper, by about 8.3%. In my August 2026 price check, ALDI also beat Walmart on 6 of 7 items, although four of those wins were only 1 to 4 cents.

What is the cheapest grocery store in my state?

It depends on where you live. ALDI is the cheapest chain in 31 states, Lidl in 8, Walmart in 5 and WinCo Foods in 5. Local chains can still beat them, so compare nearby stores using your own shopping list.

Which grocery store has the cheapest meat?

ALDI, based on two 2026 price checks. It had the cheapest ground beef at $5.99 a pound in a July Nashville comparison and $6.19 a pound in my August St. Louis check. In both tests, ALDI’s winning price came on a multi-pound package.

Which grocery store has the cheapest produce?

ALDI is a strong choice for everyday produce, but it isn’t cheapest on everything. In a Boston-area comparison, Costco had the cheapest salad mix at 28 cents an ounce, while Trader Joe’s had the cheapest bananas at 23 cents a pound.

Which grocery store has the cheapest eggs?

ALDI and Walmart are essentially tied. My August 2026 check found ALDI at $1.66 and Walmart at $1.67 for a dozen. Ruler Foods was slightly cheaper at $1.65.

What is the most expensive grocery store?

Whole Foods. It costs 39.7% more than Walmart nationally and was the most expensive chain in 41 states.

Where is the cheapest place to buy organic food?

Usually not an organic-focused store. Whole Foods costs 39.7% more than Walmart, while Trader Joe’s costs 24.6% more. For cheaper organic food, compare organic products at ALDI, discount grocers and warehouse clubs by price per ounce.

Can you shop at Restaurant Depot without a business?

No. Restaurant Depot is only open to qualified businesses and organizations. You need business or tax-exempt documentation to join.

How I researched this list

Grocery prices change by store, city and week, so I used multiple sources and price checks rather than relying on a single ranking.

• Price rankings: The 35-store comparison comes from a Consumer Reports study by Strategic Resource Group. Prices were collected across six U.S. metro areas within 48-hour windows, including loyalty-card sale prices, with Walmart as the baseline.
• Other price checks: I compared those results with a Nashville ground beef study from July 2026, a Boston-area comparison of 15 essentials from June 2026, and my own St. Louis price checks from August 2026.
• My price checks: I used each store’s website with a local store selected and checked prices on August 25, 2026. These are online prices, not in-store shelf prices, and Walmart says its online prices can differ from store prices.
• Store policies and fees: I used company websites and official filings for membership prices, SNAP/EBT and WIC rules, fees and other policies. Grocery Outlet’s 40% savings claim, for example, comes from its 2026 report to investors.
• Government data: USDA sources provided the food budgets, 2026 food-price forecasts, food-safety guidance and SNAP store-finder information.

Five stores don’t have a Consumer Reports percentage: Sam’s Club, Grocery Outlet, Ruler Foods, Woodman’s and Joe V’s Smart Shop weren’t included in that study. Where possible, I used separate price comparisons, including my own Ruler Foods comparison.

So, what is the cheapest grocery store?

There isn’t one cheapest grocery store for everyone. It depends on where you live, what you buy, and whether you’re willing to pay a membership fee.

• Want the lowest prices overall? Costco or BJ’s were about 21% cheaper than Walmart in the Consumer Reports comparison.
• Don’t want a membership? ALDI and Lidl were about 8% cheaper than Walmart.
• Live in the Northwest? Check WinCo if you have one nearby.
• Live in Texas? H-E-B is essentially tied with Walmart on price, while Joe V’s Smart Shop can be much cheaper in the Houston and Dallas areas.
• None of those are near you? Check local chains such as Ruler Foods, Grocery Outlet and Woodman’s, then compare your own shopping list.

But here’s the bigger takeaway from all this research:

Switching stores isn’t always the biggest way to cut your grocery bill!

Store brands can save 25% to 30%, buying larger packages can save up to 36% on some items, and SNAP shoppers may be able to double their produce budget through Double Up Food Bucks.

So don’t worry about finding the “cheapest grocery store” in America. Find the cheapest store for the 10 or 15 things you buy most often.

Price that list at two or three stores near you, compare the unit prices, and you’ll have a much better answer than any national ranking can give you.