We Compared Steak Prices Across 9 Grocery Stores – Here's Where You Can Find The Cheapest Cuts

Steak is sometimes thought of as a special treat, a fancy dinner, or simply out of reach. Since the price of steak has risen more than 40% since 2020, according to Visual Capitalist, that may seem like a safe assessment. But one reason prices are so high is simple supply and demand — people still want steak for dinner, special treat or not. But even though beef is increasingly in demand, U.S. cattle herds have diminished in size and drought has hurt supply — thus driving higher prices.

The gold standard is to support your local farm or rancher. Buying from the source means reinvesting in growing herds, boosting supply, and ultimately, driving down costs. That said, if you're unable to source from your local farmer, there are a multitude of options at the grocery store. You can still snag quality steaks if you know where to look.

The national average for steak in U.S. grocery stores is $12.26 per pound, but of course, this averages higher-end cuts like ribeye and strip with lower-end cuts like chuck and round and doesn't account for regional differences. So we did a deep dive and checked out prices across several popular grocery stores to find the cheapest cuts of steak. We looked at price per pound across each store's regional locations, factored each store's national average, and then compared them to see where you can get the cheapest cuts.

Prices are as of the date of publication and may vary based on region.

Aldi began as the world's first discount store and still remains one of the best places to find affordable items. So perhaps it's no surprise that Aldi comes in as the store with the cheapest cuts of steak when strictly comparing prices, though its prices are a little higher than the national average for U.S. supermarkets. The biggest drawback is that Aldi doesn't offer many steak cuts, so your options are fairly limited. But you'll find basic cuts like ribeye, strip, sirloin, round, and skirt, and if you think the lower prices are indicative of lower quality meat, you would be mistaken. We think these are some of the best steak cuts you can buy at Aldi.

Take, for instance, the almighty ribeye, one of the most coveted pieces of meat. A little higher than the overall supermarket national average for ribeye (about $10), you can score this most scrumptious cut for about $13 per pound, which is the cheapest ribeye on our list. Likewise, Aldi offers the cheapest New York strip (but on par with Trader Joe's) for $14.44. However, if you're looking for cheaper cuts than those, Aldi also offers top round and eye of round for about $8, and we think that's a valuable find.

Similar to Aldi, Trader Joe's revolutionized discount food shopping by offering customers lower prices on specialty brands and private-label products. Its unique offerings could be one of the reasons you tend to buy more than what's on your shopping list when you visit a Trader Joe's. It may not be as cheap as Aldi, but you can certainly find affordable items, including cuts of steak. But like Aldi, your steak options are somewhat limited.

You'll pay more for ribeye at Trader Joe's — the national average for the chain is $15.49 per pound. This is a few dollars more than Aldi and about $5 over the national supermarket average. New York strip is about the same price as Aldi, between $14 and $15, but sirloin comes in about a dollar cheaper than Aldi, making it your best option for this cut. If you're looking for a fancier cut of steak, maybe for a truly special dinner, then you're in luck. Trader Joe's features some of the most affordable filet mignon at $21.99, which is pretty close to the national average for all supermarkets.

Walmart is well-known for its giant Supercenters, which feature endless aisles of food and drink, plus sprawling produce and deli sections. The iconic store is also known for its low prices and wide range of products, including name brands and private labels. If we were choosing an overall best option for variety and reasonable prices, Walmart would come out on top. It's easy to find a cut that you can both afford and enjoy.

But comparing price to price, you'll pay more for ribeye, strip, and sirloin than you would at Aldi or Trader Joe's. However, in relation to the other stores on our list, you'll get the best deal on skirt steak at just over $10 per pound, porterhouse for $13.47, and flank for about $12 — all of which are a couple of dollars over the national supermarket average.

Walmart is one of the few stores on our list to offer the most steak choices — from upscale cuts like ribeye, strip, and porterhouse to tougher cuts like chuck and various cuts of round. You can even source Wagyu ribeye and strip at Walmart for just under $28 per pound.

Costco has come under fire from customers for rising beef prices, though, as stated previously, prices have risen just about everywhere. But when you pay for a store membership in order to, hopefully, cut bottom-line costs, it's disappointing when prices are actually higher than at stores that don't require a membership. The membership fee itself only equates to between $5 to $10 per month (before tax), but what's the point if it doesn't save you money in the long run? You just might be better off shopping for steak elsewhere. But Costco sells in bulk, and that's an obvious benefit over smaller, non-wholesale grocery stores.

Even though prices are increasing at Costco, you'll find some of the cheapest ribeye (after Aldi), as well as some of the most affordable top round, tri-tip, and flank steak. So if you have a Costco membership, no worries; there are still plenty of options to choose from while sticking to a tight budget. And if you feel like splurging on a special cut of beef, consider the filet mignon, which is the cheapest on our list at $19.99 — on par with the national supermarket average. Bonus: Get Costco ground beef in bulk during the holiday season if you're after high-quality beef.

Sam's Club is another wholesale, membership-based grocer with fees ranging from a couple of bucks to $10 per month, depending on the level you choose. It's also one of the best supermarkets to find certain cuts of steak at incredibly affordable prices. Though you'll pay more at Sam's Club for cuts like ribeye and strip than you would at Walmart and Costco (about $3 to $6 per pound more for ribeye and $1 more for strip), you'll pay less for chuck and round.

Sam's Club also offers skirt, flank, and tri-tip at excellent prices: about $11, $11.50, and $10.50 per pound, respectively. Though you may not be as familiar with these cuts as ribeye, strip, or chuck, this could be a good time to practice your cooking skills. Buying in bulk at low cost is a less risky way to learn how to make a restaurant-worthy tri-tip steak or master the best way to serve up skirt steak. And don't forget to impress your friends and family with a grilled balsamic flank steak at your next gathering. Cheap steak doesn't have to mean bland steak.

Publix is a well-loved Southern supermarket chain that has earned its reputation as a shopper's delight with its commitment to fresh food, in-house butchery, and BOGO deals that turn higher prices into instant bargains. Of course, it's also loved for specialty items like its Supreme Cakes and fried chicken. 

When it comes to steak cuts, Publix lands somewhere in the middle with its prices and options. After Aldi and Trader Joe's, Publix offers some of the cheapest New York strip at about $17 per pound, which is on par with Costco and Walmart. But unlike Aldi and Trader Joe's, Publix has a wider range of cuts to choose from.

You'll find cuts like porterhouse and T-bones for around $17, sirloin, flat iron, and tri-tip for between $14 and $15, and chuck and round for roughly between $12 and $13. However, Publix is known for its sales, especially around the holidays, when standing rib roasts are marked down to $6.99 per pound. But instead of roasting the entire piece of meat, you can slice it into individual cuts of steak, and voilà, you've got yourself some seriously cheap ribeye.

Albertsons was founded in 1939 as a one-stop market that focused on offering quality items at competitive prices. Today, it has continued that legacy by stocking a wide array of steak cuts, from premium ribeye and strip to the more affordable chuck and round. Albertsons caters to budget-conscious shoppers by offering frequent promotions. While it may not undercut deep-discount rivals like Walmart or Costco with its everyday pricing, the chain holds its own with mid-price steak cuts. The fact that it offers such a wide range makes it a great choice for those looking for variety.

Comparatively speaking, Albertsons has some of the cheapest porterhouse and T-bone steaks for between $12 and $14, more affordable than Kroger, Publix, or Whole Foods. It also offers up some of the cheapest flat iron and tri-tip at about $11 per pound, giving you more ways to expand your meaty expertise. These under-the-radar cuts open up opportunities to create dishes like herby grilled flat iron steak and smoky tri-tip tacos, keeping both your stomach and wallet happy.

Kroger got its start as the pioneer of in-house grocery store bakeries in 1883, and eventually expanded to thousands of locations. It has a long history of competing with the biggest supermarkets in the U.S. and still offers low prices on everyday selections. However, it's not one of the cheapest stores on our list when it comes to steak.

Kroger may not shine when it comes to inexpensive, higher-quality cuts. Ribeye, strip, filet mignon, and sirloin are priced pretty high, with ribeye and strip costing an average of more than $20 per pound — but it does stock a handful of other cuts that are much more reasonably priced. So though you may not be rushing to grab the ribeye, Kroger features top and bottom round and eye of round, with price ranging from $9 to $12. Kroger stocks flat iron, skirt, flank, and tri-tip for under $15, which is comparable to Sam's Club, Costco, and Albertsons.

Whole Foods isn't really a supermarket that comes to mind when you're talking about cheap cuts of steak, but it lands on our list for offering customers some of the cheapest cuts of round. For under $10 per pound, you can get eye of round steaks or the entire round. Top round is about $12 while tri-tip and sirloin hover around $15 or $16. Like most grocery stores, ribeye and strip are on the higher end at over $20 per pound.

Whole Foods is mostly known for its sky-high standards for sourcing. That makes it tough to compare its flat iron steak to the run-of-the-mill version found at discount stores like Walmart or Costco. That said, the chain occasionally drops deals on premium cuts, matching the lower prices seen at the other stores on our list. Amazon Prime members receive discounts on selected items, but these may vary.

To research steak prices for some of the most popular grocery stores in the U.S., we assessed the prices of 17 different cuts of steak across nine stores. We gathered prices for each cut at each store using multiple locations. To determine each store's national average, we compiled data from every region (if the store was located there). It was interesting to note that each store was pretty consistent with its pricing of steak across its locations. That's to say that the ribeye at Aldi generally costs the same at its locations in Florida and Oregon. 

We pulled the prices for the national average price per pound for retail steak across all supermarkets using the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) 2024 National Beef Retail Report as a baseline. We also noted the various styles and grades available at each store on our list, which created a price range for many cuts.