15 Costco Staples With Cheaper Alternatives At Sam's Club

We may receive a commission on purchases made from links.

While the Sam's Club and Costco rivalry dates back to the '80s, we have noticed a trend that goes beyond any silly differences. Sam's Club is consistently showing up with cheaper options for many of today's most popular items and staple goods than Costco. When we recently shopped for the same items at Sam's Club and Costco, Sam's Club came out cheaper by more than $30. Sometimes the difference in price was only a bit of change, but there are other times when the difference was considerable.

Now, there could be a reason for these large discrepancies: Costco only shows delivery prices. If you go onto the site, you will notice that prices cover 2-day delivery and same-day delivery with Instacart. All of these methods include added charges that you won't see reflected in the price if you physically go into the store. But until Costco shares those prices online with customers (or at least its loyal members), Sam's very well may keep beating the popular giant in the price game.

If you're looking for more affordable bulk buys, we have good news for you. We found 15 great staple items at Sam's Club that were cheaper than at Costco. If you were to purchase the entire list, the savings could come to over $50, depending on your location.

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

Applesauce is one food that can be enjoyed by all ages, and GoGoSqueeZ is a popular applesauce pouch that's carried by both Costco and Sam's Club. The variety pack boasts 24 pouches of the Apple Apple, Apple Banana, Apple Strawberry, and Apple Cinnamon flavors. You won't save yourself much by grabbing these at Sam's (about $0.50), but that still covers quite a few pennies in savings.

You can get the GoGo SqueeZ Organic Applesauce 24-count variety box at Sam's Club for around $17.50.

Folks in the U.S. consume a lot of peanuts, particularly from peanut butter. It's an easy source of protein and good fats, and, as a bonus, peanut butter lasts quite a while after opening, so you're more likely to finish a bulk purchase of it. Both Sam's and Costco carry Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter in a two-pack of 48-ounce jars. On sale, Sam's can come in considerably lower, but even at regular prices, Sam's is still about $2 cheaper than Costco.

Grab Skippy Creamy Peanut Butter 48-ounce jars at Sam's Club for around $8.

Both Sam's and Costco sell albacore white tuna in water (the kind we recommend). Costco's Kirkland Signature is more expensive than Sam's Member's Mark; however, the can size is two ounces bigger at Costco. This is where you need to look at your price per unit (which may be on the price tag) to make sure you're getting the best deal. Despite this, Sam's smaller cans offered a better value at $0.32 per ounce.

Buy Member's Mark White Albacore Tuna in Water (8-pack of 5-ounce cans) at Sam's Club for around $13.

Save some dough and grab your Quaker Oats from Sam's Club. Both the Old Fashioned Rolled Oats (two 5-pound bags) and the 52-packet instant variety pack are sold cheaper there. While the difference in savings with the rolled oats is less than $1, the variety pack of 15 Apples & Cinnamon, 15 Cinnamon & Spice, and 22 Maple & Brown Sugar is $3 for expensive at Costco.

Grab 10-pounds of Quaker Old Fashioned Rolled Oats for around $8 and a variety box of instant flavors for around $11 at Sam's Club.

Both Sam's and Costco carry 20-pound bags of traditional Royal basmati rice. Both also sell Bibigo Cooked Sticky White Rice, which comes in a box of 12 microwaveable servings. Sam's Club beats Costco on both the basmati rice and the Bibigo boxed rice prices by around $3 to $5 each. So, it's easy to see where you are going to get the best bargain.

Purchase a 20-pound bag of Royal Basmati Rice for around $20 and a 12-pack of Bibigo Cooked Sticky White Rice for around $12 at Sam's Club.

After our team tasted and ranked 14 jarred sauces by Rao's, we concluded that the marinara style was second only to the bolognese. So, if you're looking for a delicious pasta sauce at a bargain, buy Rao's in bulk from Sam's Club. The two-pack of 22-ounce jars is close to $5 cheaper at Sam's than at Costco, and that is a huge (and obvious) difference.

Buy Rao's Homemade Marinara Sauce at Sam's Club for around $9.75.

Both big box stores carry canned chicken breast under the Member's Mark and Kirkland Signature names. Both stores sell six-packs of 12.5-ounce cans, and both brands are ranked highly and well-liked by customers. So, there doesn't seem to be a bad way to go in this instance. But if you want to go cheaper, Sam's Club will save you around $4.50 over Costco.

Buy Member's Mark Chunk Canned Chicken Breast in Water for around $12.50.

According to Consumer Reports, Sam's Club rotisserie chicken is king based on taste, sodium levels, and plastic safety. The Member's Mark Rotisserie Chicken is also cheaper than those from Costco and BJ's. Although it's only by a bit of pocket change, nowadays minimal savings can add up fast — especially when it comes to such a simple and beloved meal.

You can get a Member's Mark Rotisserie Chicken at Sam's Club for $4.98.

Both Sam's Club and Costco carry branded mixed nuts that include cashews, pecans, and almonds. However, Member's Mark throws some pistachios into its "Deluxe" mix, while Kirkland Signature adds Brazil nuts and macadamia nuts to its "Extra Fancy" offering. The price difference is only a couple cents per ounce. So, while Sam's is still cheaper in this instance, choose your favorite blend.

Grab over 2 pounds of Member's Mark Deluxe Mixed Nuts for around $15.

Chicken broth is incredibly versatile. It's the staple base for so many good soups, like a quick chicken noodle, and can add savoriness to dishes just by substituting it for water. If you want to save a bit when stocking up on the classic Swanson's Chicken Broth, head to Sam's Club, where you can bulk buy a six-pack of 32-ounce cartons. Costco's price comes in at about $1.50 higher for just 12 14.5-ounce cans.

Grab 32-ounce cartons of Swanson's Chicken Broth at Sam's for around $10.

Kodiak Power Cakes Flapjack and Waffle Mix is a fan favorite at both Sam's Club and Costco. It provides 15 grams of protein and 5 grams of fiber per serving, which can be nutritionally beneficial. When purchased from Sam's Club, the savings on this are around $3 at regular price, but on a recent sale, it was an additional $4 cheaper than at Costco. It's hard to pass up on savings like that.

Grab a 4.5-pound box of Kodiak Power Cakes Flapjack and Waffle Mix at Sam's Club for around $13 regular price.

Extra Virgin Olive Oil is a healthy fat that adds richness and depth of flavor to both sweet and savory dishes. Tasting Table ranked EVOO from many different stores to find the best flavor at the best price. When comparing Sam's Club directly with Costco, the 3-liter Member's Mark bottle of EVOO comes in cheaper than several different varieties of Kirkland Signature EVOO by about $4.

Get Member's Mark Extra Virgin Olive Oil at Sam's Club for around $23.

Sugar in the Raw is minimally processed sugar. Its brown color is due to some natural molasses left in the grain, which helps dishes taste a bit richer. But this type of sugar is not healthier, as some believe, than any other sugar. However, if this is your preferred sugar, you can save a couple of dollars by grabbing a 6-pound bulk bag from Sam's Club. Costco costs a little over $2 more.

Get a 6-pound bag of Sugar in the Raw from Sam's Club for around $8.75.

The rotisserie chicken isn't the only Consumer Reports favorite to be found at Sam's Club. The popular and well-trusted organization also put Bounty Paper Towels through a very stringent battery of tests, as the brand came out on top over eight others. Now, you can get the same 12-pack of Bounty Advanced Paper Towels at both Costco and Sam's Club. However, when you pick them up at Sam's, you are going to save around $7. Talk about a quick picker upper!

Get a 12-pack of Bounty Advanced Paper Towels at Sam's Club for around $25.

Cascade Platinum dishwasher pods come with twice the Dawn and twice the scrubbing power than its old formula, allowing you to skip the rinse and soak before loading your machine. If you want a bulk tub of 82 ActionPacs, save some change by getting them from Sam's Club. Costco offers the same Cascade option at a $4 higher price tag.

Get a tub of 82 Cascade Platinum Plus ActionPacs at Sam's for around $25.