We compared prices of 13 essentials at Loblaws, Sobeys & Walmart and the difference is huge
The total at one store is over $50 cheaper! 👀
Dempster's bread at Loblaws. Right: Tim Hortons coffee at Walmart.
Prices at grocery stores in Canada can be quite expensive when you're doing a big shop.
But what does a basket of just a few food essentials cost at some national chains?
Canadians recently told Narcity that they've stopped buying a bunch of products when grocery shopping because of how expensive prices are.
That includes meat, fruits, vegetables, coffee, cheese, bread, and more food staples.
So, we decided to compare how much a basket of essentials costs at Loblaws, Sobeys and Walmart to find the cheapest total and the cheapest products.
Narcity checked store flyers and used the regular prices — not sale prices — of grocery items for this comparison.
Here's a breakdown of prices for 13 essentials at Loblaws, Sobeys and Walmart, including which store has the cheapest products and basket!
Bread
Loblaws: $4.29 for a 675-gram loaf of Dempster's bread — $0.63 per 100 grams
Sobeys: $1.87 for a 675-gram loaf of Compliments bread — $0.27 per 100 grams
Walmart: $5 for two 675-gram loaves of Dempster's bread— $0.37 per 100 grams
Cheese
Loblaws: $6 for a 400-gram block of Black Diamond cheddar cheese — $1.50 per 100 grams
Sobeys: $4.87 for a 400-gram block of Armstrong cheddar cheese — $1.21 per 100 grams
Walmart: $5.97 for a 400-gram block of Cracker Barrel cheddar cheese — $1.49 per 100 grams
Butter
Loblaws: $7.99 for a 454-gram block of Lactancia butter — $1.75 per 100 grams
Sobeys: $7.99 for a 454-gram block of Gay Lea butter — $1.75 per 100 grams
Walmart: $7.98 for a 454-gram block of Gay Lea butter — $1.75 per 100 grams
Frozen berries
Loblaws: $19.49 for a two-kilogram bag of President's Choice frozen berry blend — $0.97 per 100 grams
Sobeys: $4.87 for a 600-gram bag of Compliments frozen berry blend — $0.81 per 100 grams
Walmart: $4.44 for a 600-gram bag of Great Value frozen berry blend — $0.74 per 100 grams
Cherry tomatoes
Loblaws: $5.50 for a 340-gram pack of cherry tomatoes — $1.61 per 100 grams
Sobeys: $5.99 for a 340-gram pack of cherry tomatoes — $1.76 per 100 grams
Walmart: $5.97 for a 341-gram pack of cherry tomatoes — $1.75 per 100 grams
Bell peppers
Loblaws: $8.99 for a 1.11-kilogram bag of No Name sweet bell peppers — $0.80 per 100 grams
Sobeys: $11 for a kilogram of bell peppers — $1.10 per 100 grams
Walmart: $8.75 for a kilogram of bell peppers — $0.87 per 100 grams
Sliced deli meat
Loblaws: $15.99 for a 375-gram pack of Maple Leaf sliced oven-roasted chicken breast — $4.26 per 100 grams
Sobeys: $20 for four 170-gram packs of Compliments sliced deli meats — $2.94 per 100 grams
Walmart: $5.98 for a 175-gram pack of Maple Leaf sliced deli meat — $3.41 per 100 grams
Cereal
Loblaws: $4.75 for a 430-gram box of Honey Nut Cheerios and other General Mills cereals — $1.10 per 100 grams
Sobeys: $11.99 for a 1.3-kilogram box of Honey Nut Cheerios and other General Mills cereals — $0.92 per 100 grams
Walmart: $10 for three 430-gram boxes of Honey Nut Cheerios and other General Mills cereals — $0.77 per 100 grams
Granola bars
Loblaws: $16 for a 1.34-kilogram box of President's Choice chocolate chip granola bars — $1.19 per 100 grams
Sobeys: $15.99 for a 960-gram box of Quaker Chewy chocolate chip granola bars — $1.66 per 100 grams
Walmart: $6.97 for a 630-gram box of Great Value chocolate chip granola bars — $1.10 per 100 grams
Ground coffee
Loblaws: $14.99 for a 300-gram bag of Tim Hortons ground coffee — $4.99 per 100 grams
Sobeys: $11.99 for a 300-gram bag of Tim Hortons ground coffee — $3.99 per 100 grams
Walmart: $23.97 for a 930-gram canister of Tim Hortons ground coffee — $2.57 per 100 grams
Olive oil
Loblaws: $37.99 for a two-litre bottle of Bertolli extra virgin olive oil — $1.89 per 100 millilitres
Sobeys: $14.99 for a 500-millilitre bottle of Berio extra virgin olive oil — $2.99 per 100 millilitres
Walmart: $10.97 for a one-litre bottle of Great Value extra virgin olive oil — $1.09 per 100 millilitres
Pasta
Loblaws: $2.29 for a 410-gram box of Barilla pasta — $0.55 per 100 grams
Sobeys: $3.49 for a 410-gram box of Barilla pasta — $0.85 per 100 grams
Walmart: $1.97 for a 410-gram box of Barilla pasta — $0.48 per 100 grams
Sparkling water
Loblaws: $13 for two 12-packs of 355 millilitres cans of Bubly flavoured sparkling water — $0.15 per 100 millilitres
Sobeys: $1.79 for a one-litre bottle of Compliments flavoured sparkling water — $0.17 per 100 millilitres
Walmart: $6.07 for 12 cans of Bubly flavoured sparkling water that are 355 millilitres each — $0.14 per 100 millilitres
TOTAL
When the prices for all of these products are added up, here's what it costs you at each store before taxes:
- Loblaws: $157.27
- Sobeys: $116.83
- Walmart: $104.04
The basket at Loblaws is $40.44 more expensive than Sobeys and $53.23 more expensive than Walmart.
Since some stores have bigger products with bigger price tags, here's the breakdown of the "price per" cost:
- Loblaws: $21.39
- Sobeys: $20.42
- Walmart: $16.53
Loblaws still has the most expensive basket, even when it's broken down by the cost of how much of a product you get.
But the price difference is smaller, just $0.97 more than Sobeys and $4.86 more than Walmart.
Sobeys is closer in cost to Loblaws when it's broken down by "price per" even though it has a much cheaper total basket price.
Seven products have a cheaper price tag at Walmart compared to four at Sobeys and two at Loblaws.
When it comes to the "price per" cost, seven items are cheaper at Walmart, three products are cheaper at Sobeys, and two are cheaper at Loblaws. One product has the same "price per" cost at all of these stores.
So, it seems like you get the most bang for your buck at Walmart stores in Canada!
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.