7 Grocery Items You Should Be Buying At Aldi Instead Of Costco, According To Shoppers

There's much that Aldi and Costco do not have in common. One was born in Germany, the other in Washington. One relies on compact stores, the other, huge warehouses. But despite their differences, there is a lot that they share, including low prices and a customer base full of bargain hunters. For that reason, many people split their loyalties between Aldi and Costco, and divide their shopping up between the two.

But what are the best items to buy from Aldi and skip at Costco? It turns out, there are quite a few, according to shoppers. We scanned social media to find out what customers think we should all be buying from Aldi instead of Costco, and spoiler alert, much of it involves things that will spoil really quickly. Costco is all about bulk, after all, which isn't a strong point when it comes to perishable goods. But it's not all about spoilage. Some customers think that Aldi just does certain products far better than Costco — keep reading to find out more.

Both Aldi and Costco offer fresh produce in stores, but the general consensus among many shoppers is that Aldi is the better choice. People note that the discount retailer usually offers cheaper options, and it often runs weekly specials, too. At the time of writing, for example, you can bag 25% off grape tomatoes and 24% off limes. The specific items are subject to change, but you'll often see produce crop up in these weekly special deals.

Another thing that people like about buying produce from Aldi is that it's easier to buy smaller amounts. Costco, by nature, is a bulk retailer, and you don't always want, say, 3 pounds of seedless grapes.

Lately, Costco produce hasn't been getting the best reviews, either. People say it spoils quickly or even has mold inside the store. Aldi's produce also has its fair share of critics, but many people say it's still one of their favorite places to buy fruit and vegetables, with reasonable prices and few disappointments.

Getting the best ice cream is important. Arguably, nothing is more disappointing than opening a tub you've been excited about, only to find the quality isn't quite up to scratch. To avoid this harrowing experience (okay, we're being dramatic, we know), many shoppers head to Aldi's freezer aisle over Costco's.

People particularly like that Aldi's Specially Selected Super Premium Vanilla Ice Cream is only made with a handful of ingredients, while Costco's Kirkland Signature Super Premium option has more fillers, like carob bean gum and guar gum. Many shoppers also like Aldi's chocolate ice cream, noting that the texture is superior to Costco's similar alternative.

If you're not sold yet, it's also worth pointing out that some people think that, as well as Costco, Aldi's Specially Selected ice cream is also better than some of the biggest name brands on the market."My wife who is never a vanilla person and always goes for the Ben and Jerry's types was amazed at how good this is and wants more now that we've finished it," wrote one Reddit user.

Aldi has a great reputation for chocolate, and it's not undeserved. The brand's chocolate is imported from Europe, and likely because of this, it has a creamier, richer, and smoother texture than many other options on the market. This might also be why, despite Costco's large selection of chocolate, many people choose to get their chocolate from Aldi instead of the warehouse retailer, especially if they can wait for a sale to stock up.

But chocolate is another product that people think Aldi does better than many name brands, not just Costco. For example, some think the discount retailer has better peanut butter cups than Reese's and better chocolate bars than Godiva. But the appeal for many consumers isn't just taste, it's also quantity. Some shoppers also prefer being able to buy smaller amounts of chocolate at Aldi. Sometimes, you just want a bar or two, rather than giant multipacks of candy that will take you weeks to munch through.

Costco isn't short on cheese options. If you want, say, 2 pounds of Arla cheese slices or 2½ pounds of Kirkland Signature Shredded Mexican Style Cheese, it's got you covered. But many people don't want that much cheese in one go. Instead, they opt for Aldi, where they can easily grab significantly smaller quantities.

Some shoppers say that even when smaller grocery items cost more per ounce, they can still be a better value if they help prevent food waste. For example, buying single cans or smaller bags of shredded cheese may make more sense for households that cannot finish bulk items before they spoil.

Many people say the same applies to cream cheese. While you can buy cream cheese at Costco, of course, it usually involves buying multiple tubs in one go. And for most people (unless you're making a rather large cheesecake), just one cream cheese at a time is enough.

If you're shopping for a large family, the quantities of milk you'll find at Costco might be perfectly suitable, but many believe it's far better to buy this grocery staple at Aldi. If you're living in a smaller household, it's simply harder to get through perishable goods like milk before they start to spoil.

But price is another key factor that drives many people to buy milk at Aldi. Some Redditors have noticed that Aldi often has cheaper milk than other stores, including Costco. There's actually an interesting reason for this: Aldi deliberately drops its prices on staples like milk, depending on region, to better compete with other stores in the area that are selling the goods at a certain price point. It's something to keep in mind when you choose which Aldi location you shop at.

Eggs have quite a long shelf life. If you keep them in the refrigerator, they may even last up to five weeks. If you're going through a lot of eggs, or you're shopping for a big family, it makes sense that people would buy their eggs at Costco. And many, many do. In fact, in 2015, the warehouse retailer sold as many as 3 billion eggs.

But let's be honest, for an individual or a couple, getting through five dozen eggs in five weeks is likely still a struggle. This is why many people opt to buy their eggs at Aldi instead, where you can buy a dozen at a time, depending on your needs.

But reducing waste isn't the only reason many people opt for Aldi eggs. Some shoppers prefer the price of Aldi's egg selection, too. Again, this can vary by region, but people have noticed that a dozen eggs at Aldi often works out cheaper than Costco's bulk-buying options.

While eggs can last several weeks before they start to go bad, bread has a significantly shorter shelf life. In fact, often, a store-bought loaf won't last much longer than seven days. For that reason, many shoppers say it's best to buy bread from Aldi rather than Costco, because you can buy it in much smaller quantities (and again, reduce waste). There's no point in stocking up if the loaves go moldy before you get the chance to eat them, unless you had plans to freeze the excess.

And don't worry, you're not sacrificing on quality when you buy bread at Aldi. But it helps to know which types to avoid. When we ranked several Aldi breads in 2025, we concluded that the Simply Nature Knock Your Sprouts Off Bread was best left on the shelf. That said, the L'Oven Fresh Artisan Style White Bread and Specially Selected Naan Flatbread were awarded second and first place on the list, respectively.