When it comes to getting the most bang for your buck at the grocery store, Aldi and Walmart are two retailers that often come to mind. Aldi, a German-owned discount supermarket chain, is known for its no-frills shopping experience and low prices. Walmart, on the other hand, is the largest retailer in the world with a massive selection of products at competitive prices.
So which one is actually cheaper? As a retail expert and consumer analyst, I dug into the data to find out. I compared prices on 50 popular grocery items across key categories at Aldi and Walmart stores in the same market. I also looked at factors like selection, quality and overall shopping experience to determine which retailer offers the best value.
Here‘s what I found:
Produce
First up, let‘s look at fresh fruits and veggies. Aldi is known for having great prices on produce basics like bananas, apples, onions, potatoes, and more. And that reputation held true in my analysis – Aldi beat Walmart‘s prices on 10 out of the 15 produce items I compared.
For example, bananas were 44 cents per pound at Aldi compared to 55 cents at Walmart. A pint of grape tomatoes was $1.69 at Aldi vs $1.98 at Walmart. The biggest price difference was on organic items – a 5 oz clamshell of organic spring mix salad was $2.49 at Aldi but $3.48 at Walmart.
However, Walmart did have lower prices on a few select produce items, such as 3 lb bags of yellow onions ($1.94 vs $2.29 at Aldi) and whole pineapples ($1.68 vs $1.99).
One thing to note – while Aldi‘s produce is usually very affordable, I‘ve found the quality and freshness can be hit or miss. Walmart‘s produce tends to be more consistent in my experience. It really depends on the individual store and how quickly they turn over inventory.
Winner: Aldi. On average, Aldi‘s produce prices were about 15% cheaper than Walmart.
Meat & Seafood
Next I compared prices on fresh meat and seafood. This is one area where Walmart has really stepped up its game recently to compete with Aldi. In fact, Walmart now matches Aldi‘s prices on several cuts of meat.
For example, boneless skinless chicken breast was $1.89 per pound at both retailers. 80% lean ground beef was $3.39/lb at Aldi and $3.44/lb at Walmart. Sliced deli ham was $3.29 for a 16oz package at both stores.
However, Aldi still had lower prices on items like whole chickens ($0.95/lb vs $1.19/lb), center cut pork chops ($2.89/lb vs $3.84/lb), and 93% lean ground beef ($4.99/lb vs $5.67/lb).
When it came to seafood, Aldi surprisingly had higher prices than Walmart on some items. For example, frozen tilapia fillets were $5.19 for a 2lb bag at Aldi compared to $4.97 at Walmart. Large cooked shrimp was also slightly more expensive at Aldi.
Winner: Tie. Both Aldi and Walmart have very competitive prices on meat staples like chicken and ground beef. Aldi is cheaper on some cuts while Walmart wins on seafood.
Dairy & Refrigerated
On to the dairy aisle. Once again, Aldi came out ahead on most of the essentials I price checked. A gallon of whole milk was $1.85 at Aldi vs $2.14 at Walmart. A 32oz tub of yogurt was $1.79 at Aldi and $1.98 at Walmart.
Cheese was another category where Aldi outpriced Walmart. An 8oz block of cheddar was $1.65 at Aldi vs $1.98 at Walmart. Shredded mozzarella had an even bigger price gap – $2.39 for 16oz at Aldi compared to $3.22 at Walmart.
Eggs were one of the few refrigerated items that were cheaper at Walmart. A dozen large eggs cost $1.37 at Walmart vs $1.56 at Aldi. Aldi‘s premium Goldhen eggs were much pricier at $2.56.
Winner: Aldi. Aldi had the lowest prices on core dairy products like milk, cheese and yogurt.
Pantry Staples
Moving on to the center store aisles, I compared prices on pantry basics like rice, beans, flour, sugar, cooking oils and more. This was the most competitive category with the retailers matching prices on a lot of items.
For example, a 1lb bag of long grain white rice was 71 cents at both Aldi and Walmart. All-purpose flour was $1.19 for 5lbs at both stores. Granulated white sugar also cost $2.14 for 4lbs.
Aldi did have better deals on certain baking items – $1.99 for a 4lb bag of light brown sugar ($2.56 at Walmart) and $1.29 for a 16oz box of baking soda (vs $1.72). Walmart undercut Aldi on canola oil – $2.36 for 48oz compared to $2.39.
Winner: Tie. Both Aldi and Walmart have rock-bottom prices on pantry essentials with very little difference between them.
Snacks & Sweets
Let‘s be real, we can‘t survive on pantry staples alone! I also checked prices on popular snacks and sweet treats. Once again, Aldi and Walmart were neck and neck in this category.
An 8-pack of granola bars was $1.29 at Aldi vs $1.33 at Walmart. Restaurant-style tortilla chips were $1.68 for a 13oz bag at both stores. Aldi beat out Walmart on sandwich cookies – $1.35 for 17.5oz vs $1.78.
Interestingly, Walmart had much cheaper prices on gummy candy. A 5oz bag of gummy bears was just 88 cents at Walmart compared to $1.49 at Aldi. Walmart also had better deals on nuts – a 16oz jar of dry roasted peanuts was $1.98 vs $2.39 at Aldi.
Winner: Tie. Walmart had slightly lower prices on certain items like candy and nuts, while Aldi was cheaper for cookies.
Beverages
To round out the comparison, I looked at prices for common beverages like soda, juice and bottled water. Neither retailer was a clear winner in this category.
A 12-pack of Coca-Cola was $4.38 at Walmart compared to $4.49 at Aldi. Pepsi and Mountain Dew were the same price ($3.33) at both stores. Aldi had the better deal on Gatorade ($3.99 for an 8 pack vs $4.98 at Walmart).
100% apple juice was slightly cheaper at Walmart – $1.50 for a 64oz bottle vs $1.79 at Aldi. Bottled water was another area where Walmart came out on top. A 35 pack of 16.9oz bottles was just $3.98 compared to $4.19 for a 24 pack at Aldi.
Winner: Walmart. While the price differences were small, Walmart beat Aldi‘s prices on most beverages.
Shopping Experience
Beyond just comparing prices, it‘s important to consider the overall shopping experience at Aldi and Walmart. They each have a different approach that appeals to different types of shoppers.
Aldi is all about simplicity and efficiency. Stores are small (usually around 12,000 square feet), have limited selection (about 1,400 items on average), and 90% of products are private label. This no-frills experience allows Aldi to keep prices low. There are a few quirks, like needing a quarter deposit to use a shopping cart and bagging your own groceries. But in exchange, you get a speedy checkout process and rock-bottom prices.
Walmart is the complete opposite – a massive store carrying tens of thousands of products with a mix of name brands and private label goods. The average Walmart Supercenter is 180,000 square feet! This can be overwhelming, but also means you can get everything on your list in one store. Walmart has been investing heavily in online grocery ordering and curbside pickup recently as well.
So which shopping experience you prefer really depends on your priorities. If you want to get in and out quickly with just the basics, Aldi is a great choice. If you like more of a one-stop-shop with a huge selection, Walmart is the better bet.
The Verdict
So, is Aldi cheaper than Walmart? After comparing prices on 50 popular grocery items across every major category, my data shows that Aldi has lower prices on average. The retailer beat out Walmart on 28 of the 50 items checked – especially in categories like produce, dairy and baking ingredients.
That being said, Walmart‘s prices were extremely competitive, with the retailers tying on 17 items. Walmart actually had lower prices than Aldi in the seafood and beverage categories. And the retailer has closed the gap significantly in meat and pantry staples.
To put this in perspective, if you bought all 50 items at Aldi your total would be $130.58 compared to $136.13 at Walmart. That‘s about a 4% difference in the overall basket. Of course, this doesn‘t account for different pack sizes, and prices can vary by store and region.
Ultimately, both Aldi and Walmart offer great value for grocery shoppers on a budget. With Aldi, you‘ll likely find the lowest prices on the greatest number of items, but you‘ll have to do without some name brands and variety. At Walmart, you may pay a little more overall, but you‘ll have a much greater selection and can pick up non-grocery items as well.
My advice? Get to know the prices at your local Aldi and Walmart, and cherry pick the best deals from each store. With a little strategic shopping, you can save big at both of these budget-friendly supermarkets. Your wallet will thank you!
