The Cheapest Grocery Chain In The US Isn't Walmart Or Aldi

For decades, Walmart and Aldi have been considered the places to shop for people who need to pinch pennies.  However, a February 2, 2026, report published by Consumer Reports actually proves that neither of these grocery chains are the cheapest after all. The report shed light on the country's most and least expensive supermarkets — and it found that Costco Wholesale is actually the cheapest grocery chain in the United States.

Consumer Reports partnered with the Strategic Research Group to collect prices at stores in Boston, Massachusetts; Chicago, Illinois; Dallas and Fort Worth, Texas; Denver, Colorado; Los Angeles, California; and Virginia Beach, Virginia in late summer 2025. They then compared the prices against prices at Walmart stores across all locations. The results showed that at a national average, Costco prices are 21.4% lower than those recorded at Walmart for comparable items.

Following close behind Costco is another wholesale club: BJ's. Consumer Reports found that BJ's prices were 21% lower than Walmart's at the time the data was collected. The third and fourth least expensive grocery chains are, unsurprisingly, Lidl and Aldi, which come in at 8.5% and 8.3% cheaper than Walmart, respectively. The fifth on the list is WinCo, found to be 3.3% less expensive than Walmart, followed by fan-favorite grocery store chain H-E-B, which is only 0.2% cheaper.

The 2026 report also offers data on the most expensive grocery chains in the U.S., and Whole Foods was determined to have the highest prices compared to Walmart at the time the data was collected. On average, its groceries are 39.7% higher than Walmart's. A representative of Whole Foods responded to Consumer Reports after the study was published and said, "In the last 18 months, Whole Foods Market has reduced prices on 25 percent of items in our stores, including private label items, without compromising our industry-leading quality standards."

Shaw's, which operates over 100 grocery stores across New England, was found to be the second most expensive grocery chain. Its groceries are 31.9% pricier than Walmart, while El Rancho, which only has 29 locations across Texas and one in Kansas, followed in third at 30.1% more expensive. Jewel-Osco, a retail grocer and pharmacy with 188 stores across the Midwest, is the fourth-most expensive store at 29.7% more expensive than Walmart's prices. Another Midwest player, Mariano's, which has 40 locations throughout Illinois, was found to be 27.6% more expensive. 

To gather data for Consumer Report's study, the Strategic Resource Group — a New York consultancy group — compared prices on commonly-purchased grocery items, building shopping baskets that were comparable in the type and quantity of food at each retail grocer. Each basket contained produce, meat, and packaged groceries. Researchers visited national grocery chains in six major U.S. cities or regions to compare prices in person over 48 hours. While there, they recorded shelf prices as well as sale and discount prices offered through free customer loyalty cards, but not manufacturer coupons or offers that were only accessible through smartphone apps.

When reviewing this report, however, it is important to note that although Costco and BJ's are reportedly the cheapest grocery chains compared to Walmart, both require a membership for entry. For those who can't afford that membership, the lower prices at these stores are out of reach. The lowest level of membership at Costco is $65 per year, and BJ's least expensive membership level is $60 per year. It appears from the data that Sam's Club, the membership-based retail warehouse owned by Walmart, Inc., was not used in the comparison.