What is the Cheapest Grocery Store?

Advertising Disclosure: When you buy something by clicking links on our site, we may earn a small commission, but it never affects the products or services we recommend.

A woman reads food boxes while grocery shopping in a supermarket
Hananeko_Studio / Shutterstock.com

Want help finding cheap grocery stores? We can do one better, as this report has found the single cheapest grocery store for you to shop at.

Finding good cheap food is not a new concept, but knowing exactly where to go will save you time and money. Your best bet might be to shop at discount chain Aldi. according to a recent report, it’s the cheapest place to grocery shop.

Cheapism analyzed the prices of 41 grocery products and foods sold at three grocery chains: Aldi, Kroger and Walmart. The website recorded prices at three stores all in the same western Ohio community to find the cheapest grocery store.

According to the website:

“Our final tally produced a clear overall winner: Aldi, where the grocery bill came to $67.34, about 14% cheaper than the Walmart total of $78.23 and more than 20% cheaper than Kroger (even with a store savings card). Aldi outpriced Walmart on 33 of 41 items. Kroger was never the cheapest choice.”

For example, 1 pound of 80/20 ground beef cost $3.29 at Aldi. That compares with $3.94 at Walmart and $4.49 at Kroger (or $4.29 with a Kroger loyalty card).

Aldi didn’t win the price fight in every category, but it came out on top often enough to be the clear winner, Cheapism says.

There is one big caveat, though: Cheapism notes that Aldi carries few national brands. In fact, more than 90% of the products there are private labels, as we note in “My 7 Favorite Things to Buy at Aldi.”

If that’s a deal-breaker, your best bet is to turn to Walmart, Cheapism notes, which had the best prices on national brands.

But don’t forget to consider Kroger. Cheapism says the large grocery store chain is tops for “sheer variety of products (both packaged and fresh), abundant sale items, and shopping convenience.”

More ways to trim your grocery bill

Shopping at Aldi locations can save you money — but you shouldn’t stop there.

As we have noted, estate sales — yes, you heard us right — also are great places to get an excellent deal on groceries:

“Estate sales are generally everything-must-go sales that take place soon after someone dies and the house needs to be cleaned out. Since ‘everything’ means everything, you may find some swell deals on items from the cupboard and pantry.”

For more out-of-the-box ways to save on groceries, check out “13 Unusual but Effective Ways to Lower Your Grocery Bill.” Make where you currently shop the cheapest place to buy groceries!

Which grocery store do you consider best or cheapest? Share your tips in comments below or on our Facebook page.

Get smarter with your money!

Want the best money-news and tips to help you make more and spend less? Then sign up for the free Money Talks Newsletter to receive daily updates of personal finance news and advice, delivered straight to your inbox. Sign up for our free newsletter today.