And selecting produce out of the crates they came in rather than from aesthetically stacked displays is a small price to pay for cheap groceries. This four-letter German company also operates on a low-cost model, but it's not the same as Aldi. Lidl has been offering affordable groceries since the s and is actively expanding across the East Coast of the U.

Although there are fewer locations than Aldi, they're constantly in close competition for stocking the cheapest groceries. The selection of items is curated to keep the essentials in stock, instead of the added expense of keeping every variety and brand on the shelf.

Their private label brands also have a Love It Guarantee , which means if a product doesn't meet your standards you can get your money back and exchange the item for something else. This big-box store has all of the appeal of members-only clubs like Costco or Sam's Club , but without the expensive fees.

WinCo Foods boasts locations across the West Coast, and is almost entirely employee-owned—which means their staff receive better wages and benefits. And yet the prices are still low.

WinCo purchases directly from farmers and manufacturers and has a large quantity of bulk foods, which means their prices undercut many other low-cost retailers.

Another way to cut costs is by not accepting credit cards for payment. But fear not: they do allow payment with debit cards and federal food assistance cards.

Market Basket is one of the smaller chains on this list, but their savings make it one of the most affordable places to shop in the U. A recent study provided by the customer data firm dunnhumby revealed that the New England-based chain was the "top grocery retailer for inflationary times.

For over years, Market Basket has maintained the fierce loyalty of their customers for the high quality food at low prices. You can find anything from international cheeses, freshly squeezed juices, to even handmade sushi without racking up a massive grocery bill.

Trader Joe's is one of our go-to spots for affordable essentials, some of the best frozen food around, and unique snacks. Beyond the adorably kitschy decor and friendly staff, it's also one of the best grocery stores to visit when you're on a budget.

And they stock all their stores with almost the same products, meaning they streamline purchasing for their stores and pass on the savings to the customer. If you go to Market Basket, you have to try the local New England goods.

Check out Rhode Island clams, maple syrup, and their unique regional produce like apples from Maine and pears from New Hampshire.

With an average footprint of 90, square feet, employee-owned WinCo Foods is a physically huge grocery store with massive bulk sections. Anyone can shop there! The Idaho-based chain passes on those savings to you, and their strategy seems to be working since they are at stores and growing.

Lidl rhymes with beetle , not idle wants to be your favorite affordable, high-quality grocery store. Lidl made the cheapest grocery store list with their intentional efficiency standards. Their stores are designed to get shoppers in and out quickly—meaning they can sell more products to more shoppers.

Instead, they just put a new box of produce on the stand. Good news for families trying to eat healthy on a budget: Lidl has a reputation for top-shelf produce. Budget-savvy shoppers know the most important part of saving on your groceries is to meal plan, so check out their myLidl app to find great sales ahead of time.

This petite grocery store is more than just a store to its fans—shopping there is an adventure. Not a bad uniform if you ask me! Most of their products are store brand , so they can say yes to low prices and no to the middleman.

They also put supplier shelving fees on the chopping block, and in exchange, vendors provide their merchandise at a discount. But there is good news: Everything is always priced as low as possible.

I use my Costco membership every week thanks to all the wonderful things they offer. Trust me. Costco is on a never-ending quest for efficiency. And have you ever seen a Costco commercial? They do almost no traditional advertising, passing the savings on to customers. Plus , their Kirkland Signature brand is a great way to save—and still enjoy the quality of your favorite name brands.

Made by Starbucks. And at Christmastime, did you know you can even buy real American Girl dolls at a discount? Today, thanks to its huge global footprint, Walmart can get lower prices from its vendors, then pass those savings on to customers. You can clearly see that Aldi has the most lowest prices and Kroger has the least.

There are a few categories where all 4 stores have prices within a nickel, but only a few. Aldi had the lowest prices on two-thirds of the items on my master comparison list.

That is a lot! Years ago, Meijer used to be my go-to store to stock up at everything at a low price — but not anymore! I was truly surprised by how few of the lowest prices Meijer had. Meijer really does not have the best deals on very many things at all. Aldi was the cheapest in almost a third of the categories.

What I found interesting was that they had the lowest prices on over items but the second lowest on only Also, since Aldi does not carry everything, there were several items on the list that could not be compared at Aldi.

As for Walmart? Walmart is giving Aldi a run for their money. Many of the times when Aldi had the lowest price, Walmart was pennies behind. The advantage to Walmart is that they have everything that Aldi does not. To some people, this is worth paying a couple more cents on items to not have to go to a different store.

Kroger is definitely the most expensive if you shop without sales! This chart does not take sales into account so it is difficult to see that represented. Kroger also has gas rewards and more digital coupons, both of which Aldi and Walmart do not. That definitely is worth considering when you are comparing prices.

If you are going by the everyday low prices at the store, the clear winner to the cheapest grocery store in is Aldi. Walmart is a runner up, with Meijer and Kroger trailing behind. Walmart is probably the cheapest grocery store available nationwide with overall low grocery prices. I say probably, because Walmart does not have sales, so that is a factor because sale shopping can save you a lot of money on groceries.

To find the cheapest grocery store near you, do your own quick price comparison at your local grocery stores. Here is how you can do this project in less than an hour. Start by making a list of 20 to 25 items you buy on a regular basis.

Trust me. Pick the top 2 dozen items you use every week and start there. Then, make a list of the grocery stores nearest to you. Maybe you will be surprised by your findings! Next, take your list and price those 25 products at your local grocery store and the grocery chains nearest you.

Quick tip. Many grocery stores now have great websites or apps where you can view the prices from the comfort of your own home. For Aldi, unfortunately, you have to venture into the store to see the actual prices. Aldi uses Instacart to fulfill online orders so prices online are slightly higher than in store.

If you want a true price comparison, go in person to Aldi to compare prices. Once you have compared prices at your closest stores, hopefully it will be clear who has the cheapest groceries near you. I did it in , and While prices have definitely increased in the past year, Aldi is still the winner as it was back in Here are the results.

I did the original research in when Walmart was the cheapest. This is a huge difference from what we see now! What can we take away from this? It is important to continually monitor prices because they do change. I will always go where the prices are lowest to get the best value for my every dollar in my grocery budget.

That is why I am shopping at Aldi more. Remember, these price comparisons do not factor in sales. Shopping at different grocery stores to take advantage of sales is a great way to save money. At the same time, with gas prices increasing as much as they are, we need to be smart shoppers.

Gone are the days of running to one store just because. We need to combine errands and be wise about how we shop. For me, I shop the amazing sales at Kroger because their sale prices usually beat the every day low price at Aldi and Walmart.

Then, I do a stock up trip once or twice a month at Aldi where prices are the lowest to fill in the gaps. This is what it currently looks like for me, but I am constantly reevaluating to be a smart shopper. After this price comparison, I have a list of what I should buy at Aldi and what items I should buy elsewhere.

I also used these prices to create a stock-up list of the best prices for each item — so you can watch for sales at any store to beat those every day prices.

That list is included in my printable grocery ebook. See below for more on that. If you are going to mainly shop at one store — make Aldi your go-to grocery store. But if you really want to save money? Start shopping at more than one store.

Knowing the cheap prices on the staples you buy, allows you to stock up your pantry staples, knowing these are the lowest food costs available. The best way to use this information is to combine every day cheap food items with great sale purchases. Stacking every day low prices with amazing sales is a great way to stretch your food budget.

My plan? I plan to grocery shop at Aldi more regularly, stocking up on their cheap groceries, and supplement with sales at Kroger. I will occasionally shop the meat sales especially ground beef! at Meijer. Walmart will still be my go to when I need a low price pick-up because their prices are close to Aldi on quite a few things.

I will shop where the prices are the lowest to save me money. Fortunately, I have all these stores very close to me, allowing me to take advantage of the different deals.

I will also be using the store apps more regularly to check prices. That is incredibly helpful and convenient! I compiled way too much information to share in one blog post.

This blog post is already quite long, but there is still more I could share. If you want a copy of all my charts with prices and statistics, you are welcome to it!

I compiled all my research into a 51 page printable PDF ebook — with lots of detailed lists! I hope this price comparison helps you save money next time you are shopping!

Will it change where you shop? What is the cheapest grocery store near you?