I love both Costco and Walmart (and Sam’s and Aldi, haha!) – but since Walmart is more convenient for me locally, I’ve been breaking down some specifics to see which has better prices!
This questioning all started in December when we brought another new baby home from the hospital. As a result of having a sweet newborn, I wasn’t able to make my typical monthly Costco run in January. Instead, I did all of our grocery shopping that month with Walmart Pick-Up. It made me wonder:
Since Walmart has its own store brand that is much cheaper than name brands, is Walmart cheaper overall compared to Costco? We know Costco has high-quality foods and offers great bulk deals. But are they the best deals?
I spent some time doing the math because I really want to do everything I can to save as much money as possible since our big family goes through so much food every month. Here’s what I discovered in March 2023…
Costco or Walmart: Which Has Better Prices?
Of course, I didn’t break down every single item, and beyond that, each store has features that the other doesn’t. Therefore, no matter what I will still need to shop at both. But here are some of the obvious prices I could compare to see what makes the most sense as I shop for my big family.
Chicken Legs at Walmart: $1.42/pound
Chicken Legs at Costco: $0.98/pound
48-ounces Daisy Sour Cream at Walmart: $6.28
Daisy Sour Cream at Costco: $5.29
Great Value Graham Crackers at Walmart: $1.98
Nabisco Honey Made Graham Crackers at Costco: $2.20 per box within a 4-count case
Great Value Salted Butter at Walmart $3.88 per pound within a 2-pound package
Kirkland Salted Butter at Costco: $3.07 per pound within a 4-pound package
Great Value Nitrite-Free Turkey Lunchmeat: $7.96/pound
Hillshire Farm Nitrite-Free Turkey Lunchmeat at Costco: $7.49/pound
Great Value Frozen Pepperoni Pizza: $3.98
Kirkland Frozen Pepperoni Pizza: $3.62/pizza in a 4-count box (and in my opinion, these taste so much better!)
Walmart Rotisserie Chicken: $6.98
Costco Rotisserie Chicken: $4.98
1-Pound Organic Spring Mix at Walmart: $4.98
1-Pound Organic Spring Mix at Costco: $5.49
Walmart NON-Organic Pears: $1.65/pound
Costco Organic Pears: $1.60/pound
Walmart Cantaloupe: $3.12
Costco Cantaloupe: $2.75
Walmart OFF-BRAND Rotel: $0.88
Costco Rotel: $0.87 (each can in a case of 8)
Walmart NON-Organic Fruit and Veggies Applesauce Squeezies $11.36/2-12 packs
Costco (Kirkland) ORGANIC Fruit and Veggies Applesauce Squeezies $11.99/24 count
Walmart Brand Shredded Cheese: $17.68/5 pounds
Costco Brand Shredded Cheese: $15.99/5 pounds
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At this point, after diving in and running numbers of so many of the items I usually get at Costco, and comparing them to the prices I find at Walmart, I stopped doing the math. Why?
Because almost across the board, Costco prices are better. And/or the price is very comparable but the quality is better at Costco (organic options at Costco for the same or close to the same price as non-organic options at Walmart).
Will I still shop at Walmart? Absolutely. I have to because I can only make it to Costco once per month at the most and I always need to supplement other grocery items throughout the month until I can make it again – especially when it comes to fresh produce!
And overall, while Costco prices are better, Walmart still has very good prices. For me, though, shopping in bulk at Costco allows me to do not only saves money but also time and energy since I can buy cases and big bags all at once!
What’s your grocery shopping preference? Have you found a local store to feature better prices than others?
I’ve been wondering the same for some time now. Thank you for taking the time to break it all down so succinctly. I’ll keep doing my shopping at Costco, for sure – even figuring in the membership fee every year, I’m sure we’re still saving over Walmart of the local grocery store (our Walmart doesn’t have fresh produce)! And yes, Costco’s frozen pizzas are so very good – the best ones we’ve come across to date (a statement seconded by my 19yo who ONLY eats pizza, chicken, and french fries).
Yes thank you so much for taking the time to do that. I’ve been wanting to get a Costco membership again mainly because they carry organic whereas Sam’s club doesn’t. That was encouraging. We still have a Sam’s club membership and a BJ’s membership so I guess Costco should join my bulk store party! Lol
Very interesting. I have been considering a Costco membership, but every time I check their prices online, the prices are higher than WalMart.
Do you know if the in store prices are cheaper than the online prices? As an example, when I look online, butter is $4 per pound, not the $3.07 that you said. Is that normal?
Yes, prices are higher online at Costco. Shopping in store is cheaper. I know because I do both and sometimes the cost of something online is 2-3 dollars more than in store. Also in Costco’s ad in the fine print it says prices are lower in store. Hope this helps. To me shopping in store is cheaper!
Have you ever shopped at Hy-Vee — I hear their specials on their TV ads and they sound like they are cheaper than other stores around here — I haven’t been there as I think the closest one is Grand Island. Here is a link to the Grand Island store you could check out at home.
https://www.hy-vee.com/stores/detail.aspx?s=506
Good analysis. I used to live near a Costco and took advantage of it. Now we live close to a WalMart. Costco has become a special occasion trip. It will be nice to have one built nearby one day but, for now, I think of it as saving money because my options are limited to the goods in one store.