Where you buy your groceries can make a surprisingly large difference in what you pay.
A Consumer Reports comparison of 35 grocery chains found that several supermarkets averaged more than 20% above Walmart’s prices, while the most expensive was nearly 40% higher.
A Consumer Reports study compared grocery baskets across six U.S. metro areas. Prices were collected in stores in late summer 2025, with Walmart used as the baseline.
Whole Foods Was Nearly 40% More Expensive
Whole Foods had the highest national average in the comparison, with prices coming in 39.7% above Walmart.
To put that percentage into perspective, a comparable basket costing $100 at Walmart would cost about $139.70 at that price difference.
Whole Foods told Consumer Reports that price alone doesn’t account for factors important to its customers, including its ingredient and sourcing standards, and said it had lowered prices on many products.
Several Regional Chains Were Around 30% Higher
Whole Foods wasn’t the only supermarket with a sizable difference.
Shaw’s averaged 31.9% more than Walmart, followed by El Rancho at 30.1% and Jewel-Osco at 29.7%. Mariano’s was 27.6% higher.
Those are national averages from the stores included in the study, so they don’t mean every item or every location will carry the same price difference.
Trader Joe’s Was 24.6% Higher
Trader Joe’s may have a reputation for affordable private-label groceries, but it also landed toward the expensive end of this particular comparison.
Its prices averaged 24.6% higher than Walmart’s.
That number has an important limitation. Consumer Reports couldn’t compare as many identical products at specialty and private-label-heavy stores. For example, one Chicago comparison included 56 products across several mainstream supermarkets but only 23 when comparing Trader Joe’s with Walmart.
Plenty of Other Familiar Stores Cost More, Too
The price differences weren’t limited to the five most expensive chains.
Albertsons averaged 24.8% above Walmart, Harris Teeter 23.5%, Piggly Wiggly 22.6%, Stop & Shop 22.2%, Ralphs 21.9% and Publix 20.3%.
Kroger was 14.8% higher, while Safeway was 8.8% higher and Target was 5.9% higher.
Walmart Wasn’t Actually the Cheapest
The study also produced an interesting result on the other end of the list: Walmart wasn’t the cheapest place to buy groceries.
Among the chains studied, Costco averaged 21.4% below Walmart and BJ’s Wholesale Club was 21% lower. Lidl was 8.5% lower, Aldi 8.3% lower and WinCo 3.3% lower, while H-E-B was essentially even at 0.2% below Walmart.
Warehouse clubs aren’t a perfect comparison for every household because membership fees, package sizes and shopping habits can affect the actual savings.
Your Local Prices Can Still Look Different
The study included prices from Boston, Chicago, Dallas/Fort Worth, Denver, Los Angeles/Southern California and Virginia Beach, so these percentages shouldn’t be treated as a guarantee of what you’ll find at your neighborhood store.
Researchers collected prices within a 48-hour window in each metro area and included sale prices and discounts available through free loyalty cards. They didn’t include manufacturer coupons and discounts available only through smartphone apps.
The larger takeaway is how much store choice can affect the same grocery budget. A supermarket that feels convenient or inexpensive isn’t necessarily the cheapest once you compare an entire basket of groceries.
