We went shopping at three Ontario grocery stores and compared prices so you don't have to.
Here's what you need to know about which store has the cheapest products and the cheapest total bill right now!
You might not realize that there are a few grocery stores that are only in Ontario and a lot that aren't national chains.
So, we chose to shop at Metro, Longo's and Fortinos for that reason.
Then, we put products that are the same or similar sizes and brands into our basket.
Let's get into the price comparison for these 17 grocery items and the total bill for each store.
Strawberries
Strawberries at Metro, Longo's and Fortinos.
At Metro, it costs $5.99 for a 340-gram pack of strawberries, which works out to $1.76 per 100 grams.
The non-member price is $4.99 for a 454-gram pack of strawberries at Longo's, which means you pay $1.09 per 100 grams.
At Fortinos, it costs $4.99 for a 454-gram pack of strawberries, which breaks down to $1.09 per 100 grams.
Blueberries
Blueberries at Metro, Longo's and Fortinos.
It costs $3.99 for a 340-gram pack of blueberries at Metro.
That works out to $1.17 per 100 grams.
It costs $5.99 for a 510-gram pack of blueberries at Longo's.
That's $1.17 per 100 grams.
It costs $6.99 for a 278-gram pack of blueberries at Fortinos.
That price breaks down to $2.51 per 10 grams.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers at Metro, Longo's and Fortinos.
Metro has English cucumbers for $2.99 each.
Longo's has two English cucumbers for $4, which means you pay $2 per cucumber.
Fortinos has English cucumbers for $1.99 each.
Cherry tomatoes
Cherry tomatoes at Metro, Longo's and Fortinos.
It costs $7.49 for a 341-gram pack of cherry tomatoes at Metro.
That price breaks down to $2.19 per 100 grams.
At Longo's, it costs $3.99 for a 341-gram pack of cherry tomatoes.
That's $1.17 per 100 grams.
It costs $3.99 for a 150-gram pack of cherry tomatoes at Fortinos.
That works out to $2.66 per 100 grams.
Potatoes
Potatoes at Metro, Longo's and Fortinos.
You can get a five-pound bag of russet potatoes for $4.99 at Metro, which means you pay $0.99 per pound.
It costs $3.99 for a 10-pound bag of russet potatoes at Longo's, which works out to $0.39 per pound.
At Fortinos, you can get a five-pound bag for $5.99, which breaks down to $1.19 per pound.
Bread
Dempster's bread at Metro, Longo's and Fortinos.
You can get two 675-gram loaves of Dempster's bread for $6 at Metro.
That works out to a cost of $0.44 per 10 grams.
It costs $3.99 for a 675-gram loaf of Dempster's bread at Longo's.
That means you pay $0.59 per 100 grams.
You can get a 675-gram loaf of Dempster's bread at Fortinos for $4.49.
That price breaks down to $0.73 per 100 grams.
Deli meat
Mastro Genoa salami at Metro, Longo's and Fortinos.
It costs $5.99 for a 150-gram pack of Mastro Genoa salami at Metro.
At Longo's, you pay $7.49 for a 150-gram pack of Mastro Genoa salami.
You can get a 150-gram pack of Mastro Genoa salami for $6.99 at Fortinos.
Eggs
Eggs at Metro, Longo's and Fortinos.
It costs $4.79 for a carton of 12 large eggs at Metro.
It costs $5.99 for a carton of 12 large eggs at Longo's.
It costs $7.29 for a carton of 12 large eggs at Fortinos.
Cheese
Cheese at Metro, Longo's and Fortinos.
You can get a 400-gram block of Black Diamond cheese for $4.99 at Metro.
It costs $7.99 for a 400-gram block of Cracker Barrel or Black Diamond cheese at Longo's.
At Fortinos, a 400-gram block of Cracker Barrel cheese costs $7.99.
Orange juice
Simply Orange juice at Metro, Longo's and Fortinos.
At Metro, it costs $7.99 for a 1.54-litre bottle of Simply Orange juice.
It costs $7.49 for a 1.54-litre bottle of Simply Orange juice at Longo's.
At Fortinos, you can get a 1.54-litre bottle of Simply Orange juice for $6.99.
Ground coffee
Tim Hortons ground coffee at Metro, Longo's and Fortinos.
You can get an 875-gram canister of Tim Hortons original blend ground coffee at Metro for $32.99.
That breaks down to a cost of $3.77 per 100 grams.
At Longo's, an 875-gram canister of Tim Hortons original blend ground coffee costs $31.99.
That means you pay $3.65 per 100 grams.
It costs $26.99 for a 930-gram canister of Tim Hortons original blend ground coffee at Fortinos.
That works out to $2.90 per 100 grams.
Tea bags
Tetly tea at Metro, Longo's and Fortinos.
At Metro, it costs $16.99 for a 681-gram box of Tetly orange pekoe tea with 216 tea bags.
At Longo's, it costs $14.99 for a 681-gram box of Tetly orange pekoe tea with 216 tea bags.
At Fortinos, it costs $14.99 for a 681-gram box of Tetly orange pekoe tea with 216 tea bags.
Peanut butter
Kraft peanut butter at Metro, Longo's and Fortinos.
Metro has a two-kilogram jar of Kraft peanut butter for $14.99, which means you pay $7.49 per kilogram.
Longo's has a one-kilogram jar of Kraft peanut butter for $7.99.
Fortinos has a one-kilogram jar of Kraft peanut butter for $7.99.
Cereal
Honey Nut Cheerios cereal at Metro, Longo's and Fortinos.
It costs $3.49 for a 430-gram box of Honey Nut Cheerios at Metro.
That works out to $0.81 per 100 grams.
It costs $7.99 for a 725-gram box of Honey Nut Cheerios at Longo's.
That means you pay $1.10 per 100 grams.
It costs $7.99 for a 725-gram box of Honey Nut Cheerios at Fortinos.
That breaks down to $1.10 per 100 grams.
Granola bars
Quaker Chewy chocolate chip granola bars at Metro, Longo's and Fortinos.
You can get a 960-gram box of Quaker Chewy chocolate chip granola bars for $14.99 at Metro.
At Longo's, it costs $16.99 for a 960-gram box of Quaker Chewy chocolate chip granola bars.
Fortinos has a 960-gram box of Quaker Chewy chocolate chip granola bars for $14.99.
Pop-Tarts
Pop-Tarts at Metro, Longo's and Fortinos.
It costs $3.49 for a 384-gram box of Pop-Tarts at Metro.
It costs $3.99 for a 384-gram box of Pop-Tarts at Longo's.
It costs $3.99 for a 384-gram box of Pop-Tarts at Fortinos.
Sparkling water
Bubly sparkling water at Metro, Longo's and Fortinos.
It costs $11 for two cases of Bubly flavoured sparkling water at Metro. Each case comes with a dozen 355 millilitre cans.
That works out to a cost of $0.45 per can and $0.12 per 100 millilitres.
At Longo's, it costs $13 for two cases of Bubly. Each case has a dozen 355 millilitre cans.
That means you pay $0.54 per can and $0.15 per 100 millilitres.
It costs $6.99 for a case of Bubly sparkling water with a dozen 355 millilitre cans.
That breaks down to $0.58 per can and $0.16 per 100 millilitres.
TOTAL
Here are the totals before taxes at each store:
- Metro — $153.15
- Longo's — $152.85
- Fortinos — $129.65
There's only a $0.30 difference between the totals at Metro and Longo's, but a $23.50 difference between Metro and Fortinos.
Here are the "price per" totals:
- Metro — $32.81
- Longo's — $32.24
- Fortinos — $34.81
So, even though Fortinos had the cheapest total, when it's broken down by the cost of how much product you get, it's actually the most expensive store.
It's $2.57 more expensive than Longo's and $2 more expensive than Metro.
Here are the products that are cheapest at each store:
- Metro — bread, salami, eggs, cheese, Pop-Tarts, cereal, peanut butter, and sparkling water
- Longo's — tomatoes and potatoes
- Fortinos — cucumbers, orange juice, and coffee
Then, strawberries and tea bags are cheapest at both Longo's and Fortinos, blueberries are cheapest at both Metro and Longo's, and granola bars are cheapest at both Metro and Fortinos.
Metro has the highest number of cheapest products, but it's not the cheapest store, no matter how you break down the total price.
If you want the cheapest total bill, Fortinos is the store for you. If you want the most bang for your buck, Longo's has the cheapest "price per" total!
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.