This Is the No. 1 Cheapest Grocery Store in the U.S.

5. WinCo Foods

WinCo Foods was founded in 1967 as a no-frills warehouse-style store with low prices, and it still offers exceptional value. “They have a unique positioning in the marketplace,” Lempert says. “They’re all about value, but they’ve also done a great job on remodeling the stores, so you’re not really giving up anything to be able to have those great prices.”

Just how great are those prices? Nationally, they average 3.3% cheaper than Walmart, and in Los Angeles, shoppers can save 4.3%.

There are a few other standout factors that make it one of the best grocery stores. To start, the company and its 145 stores are employee-owned, and Lempert says that any time there’s an employee-owned retailer, you’ll find that the staff usually likes their jobs: “You’re not going into a store where everyone hates working there, and that comes across to you as a shopper,” he says.

While year-round prices remain affordable at this 24-hour grocery store, you can also find coupons online, as well as a “Wall of Values.” Another perk: A bulk-bin food department with hundreds of items (like rice, dried beans, pasta and more) allows shoppers to buy as little or as much as they like. But when it’s time to check out, be aware: To keep prices low, WinCo Foods doesn’t accept credit cards.

4. Aldi

Howard says Aldi is hard to beat when it comes to cheap groceries. The chain was founded in 1961 as the first discount grocery store in Germany before expanding to Iowa in 1976, and it has evolved into a monster among deal-conscious shoppers. Today, the mega-chain operates more than 2,400 stores in 38 states and employs more than 45,000 people.

We can only assume those employees buy groceries at Aldi too, as the Consumer Reports analysis found that shopping at Aldi saves 8.3% on average compared to Walmart. (If you happen to live in Virginia Beach, you can save 16.3%.) It’s also one of the most efficient grocery stores, with customers able to get in and out quickly, thanks to its famed fast checkout process.

3. Lidl

Another German import, this East Coast staple (190 stores and counting) stands out for its specialized service and premium products at an affordable price. Instead of offering everything under the sun, Lidl prides itself on serving up an expertly curated selection from local purveyors, regional farms and European brands. About 80% of its products are private-label.

To keep prices low—8.5% lower than Walmart—Lidl offers a no-frills experience designed to reduce overhead. Products are stocked in the boxes they arrived in, and it maintains a BYOB (bring your own bag) policy rather than adding the cost of bags into food prices.

Speaking of food, it’s also a great place to shop for prepared delights that make dinnertime a cinch. “When you go into a Lidl, you’ll likely be surprised by how great the prepared foods and the wines are,” Lempert says. And every Monday, it brings in new surprises that go beyond food, including cookware, clothing and other great deals.

2. BJ’s Wholesale Club

Coming in at No. 2 is BJ’s Wholesale Club, a Costco and Sam’s Club competitor with hundreds of locations across the eastern United States. Shopping here instead of going to Walmart saves an average of 21%, which coincides with the savings in Boston, the only major metro in the Consumer Reports analysis that has a BJ’s.

With dramatic savings like that, it’s no surprise that BJ’s is one of the best cheap grocery stores in the nation, but it’s also the club with the biggest selection, according to Clayman. BJ’s is the only warehouse club that offers supermarket-style products in smaller quantities too. “You can go there and save money and not have to buy those gigantic sizes,” Lempert says.

The superstore offers loads of promotions and rewards as well. It accepts manufacturers’ coupons (which you can stack with BJ’s coupons) and offers discounts on special services like travel, home improvement and insurance. You can even get free maintenance on car tires!

1. Costco Wholesale

Was there ever any doubt? When it comes to hefty savings on bulk items, Costco reigns supreme. Shopping at this warehouse giant can save the average shopper 21.4% over Walmart, and in some cities, like Boston (–37%), Chicago (–28.5%) and Denver (–23.7%), the savings are even more stark.

Plus, Costco has one of the strongest private-brand perceptions around. People love Kirkland, which offers everything from household supplies to frozen meals to clothing. “Costco is one of the best places to buy meat in the country,” Lempert says. “They do more inspections than the whole federal government does for all the other supermarket chains.”

Customer-friendly perks are also a highlight. Costco has a generous return policy, with a risk-free, 100% satisfaction guarantee. You can return almost anything (with some exceptions, like electronics), at any time, no questions asked—including food you’ve already opened! Costco also honors its sale prices: If you notice that the price of something you bought has gone down within 30 days of your purchase, you can put in a request online to get the difference refunded.

Which grocery stores were surprisingly expensive?

Fans of Kroger, Trader Joe’s and Publix, which are known as solid, dependable stores with great deals, might be in for a surprise. The Consumer Reports researchers found that these popular grocery stores were way more expensive than not only Walmart (which might not be a huge shock) but also Target, H-E-B and even Safeway.

Why would this be? One possibility is that Kroger (+14.8%) and Publix (+20.3%) are both traditional grocery stores that rely heavily on promotions and digital coupons—the latter of which the Consumer Reports analysts did not take into account—rather than bulk-buying. Trader Joe’s (+24.6%), meanwhile, has a niche customer base and product selection, which puts it into a category of its own even though prices are often considered reasonable for the quality.

One thing is for sure, customers prefer “one low price” options over having to use coupons and promos to save money. A 2026 report on the decline of traditional grocery stores from AlixPartners found that among consumers who thought their go-to stores were about the same or pricier than others, only 16% said promotions made up for the everyday higher prices.

In a statement, AlixPartners Managing Director Matt Hamory summed it up like this: “Our take would be that, unless your name is Walmart, Costco, BJ’s, Lidl or Aldi, the dominant theme of your marketing should not be ‘low prices.'”

Which grocery store is the most expensive, according to this report?

Whole Foods shoppers, you might want to sit down. The Consumer Reports analysis found that a full shopping cart from this beloved store, which offers healthier unprocessed and organic foods, was, on average, 39.7% more expensive than a cart at Walmart.

A representative from Whole Foods Market, which is owned by Amazon, said that the Consumer Reports analysis “did not account for other factors that could be important to shoppers, such as ingredient standards and sourcing.” The source went on to tout the fact that the store has recently lowered prices on 25% of its products and that Amazon Prime members “have access to a number of benefits year-round, including deep discounts on select popular products each week and an additional 10% off hundreds of in-store sale items.”

Additional reporting by Rachel LeWinter.

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Sources:

• Clark Howard, consumer advocate and author of Clark Howard’s Living Large in Lean Times; interviewed, 2024
• Phil Lempert, consumer analyst and founder of Supermarket Guru; interviewed, 2024
• Michael G. Clayman, editor of Warehouse Club Industry Guide; interviewed, 2024
• Consumer Reports: “Most and Least Expensive Supermarkets”
• AlixPartners: “2026 Grocery Shopper Perspectives”