We shopped for 11 essentials at grocery stores in Canada to find the cheapest basket
We went to grocery stores in Canada and shopped for the same food products at each retailer.
Then, we added up the totals to find out if the cheapest basket is at Costco, Loblaws, Walmart or Sobeys.
There is a difference of almost $83 between the most and least expensive totals!
We selected items that are typically essentials and must-buys when grocery shopping, like fruit, vegetables, bread, water, and others.
Since products can be different sizes between retailers, we also broke down the "price per" costs.
Now, let's get into the price comparison for these 11 essential grocery products and the total costs for each store.
Bread
Costco: $6.99 for three 675-gram loaves of Dempster's bread — $0.34 per 100 grams
Loblaws: $4.49 for a 675-gram loaf of Dempster's bread — $0.66 per 100 grams
Walmart: $3.34 for a 675-gram loaf of Dempster's bread — $0.49 per 100 grams
Sobeys: $3.99 for a 675-gram loaf of Dempster's bread — $0.59 per 100 grams
Blueberries
Costco: $8.99 for a 510-gram pack of blueberries — $1.76 per 100 grams
Loblaws: $7 for a 340-gram pack of blueberries — $2.05 per 100 grams
Walmart: $4.97 for a 312-gram pack of blueberries — $1.59 per 100 grams
Sobeys: $5.99 for a 340-gram pack of blueberries — $1.76 per 100 grams
Raspberries
Costco: $5.69 for a 340-gram pack of raspberries — $1.93 per 100 grams
Loblaws: $9.50 for a 340-gram pack of raspberries — $2.79 per 100 grams
Walmart: $2.84 for a 170-gram pack of raspberries — $1.67 per 100 grams
Sobeys: $3.97 for a 170-gram pack of raspberries — $2.33 per 100 grams
Potatoes
Costco: $7.99 for a 4.54-kilogram bag of yellow potatoes — $0.17 per 100 grams
Loblaws: $6 for a 4.54-kilogram bag of Farmers Market yellow potatoes — $0.13 per 100 grams
Walmart: $4.97 for a 2.27-kilogram bag of Your Fresh Market yellow potatoes — $0.21 per 100 grams
Sobeys: $5.99 for a 2.27-kilogram bag of Compliments yellow potatoes — $0.26 per 100 grams
Tomatoes
Costco: $7.99 for a 749-gram pack of strawberry tomatoes — $1.06 per 100 grams
Loblaws: $8 for a 567-gram pack of cherry tomatoes — $1.41 per 100 grams
Walmart: $6.97 for a 681-gram pack of grape tomatoes — $1.02 per 100 grams
Sobeys: $9.99 for a 680-gram pack of grape tomatoes — $1.46 per 100 grams
Butter
Costco: $5.79 for a 475-gram block of Natrel butter — $1.21 per 100 grams
Loblaws: $7.99 for a 475-gram block of Lactancia butter — $1.68 per 100 grams
Walmart: $5.48 for a 475-gram block of Neilson butter — $1.15 per 100 grams
Sobeys: $7.99 for a 475-gram block of Gay Lea butter — $1.68 per 100 grams
Water
Costco: $27.99 for a case of 24 500-millilitre bottles of San Pellegrino carbonated water — $0.23 per 100 millilitres
Loblaws: $9.49 for a case of six 500-millilitre bottles of San Pellegrino carbonated water — $0.31 per 100 millilitres
Walmart: $8.98 for a case of six 500-millilitre bottles of San Pellegrino carbonated water — $0.29 per 100 millilitres
Sobeys: $2.99 for a one-litre bottle of San Pellegrino carbonated water — $0.29 per 100 millilitres
Olive oil
Costco: $22.99 for a two-litre bottle of Kirkland Signature extra virgin olive oil — $1.14 per 100 millilitres
Loblaws: $10 for a 750-millilitre bottle of No Name extra virgin olive oil — $1.33 per 100 millilitres
Walmart: $5.97 for a 500-millilitre bottle of Great Value extra virgin olive oil — $1.19 per 100 millilitres
Sobeys: $28.99 for a two-litre bottle of Compliments extra virgin olive oil — $1.44 per 100 millilitres
Dried pasta
Costco: $12.99 for a pack of nine 500-gram bags of Antonio Amato pasta — $0.28 per 100 grams
Loblaws: $2.99 for a 410-gram box of Barilla pasta — $0.72 per 100 grams
Walmart: $2.44 for a 410-gram box of Barilla pasta — $0.59 per 100 grams
Sobeys: $2.99 for a 410-gram box of Barilla pasta — $0.72 per 100 grams
Granola bars
Costco: $14.99 for a 1.54-kilogram box of Kirkland Signature chocolate chip granola bars — $0.97 per 100 grams
Loblaws: $11.49 for a 576-gram box of President's Choice chocolate chip granola bars — $1.99 per 100 grams
Walmart: $6.97 for a 630-gram box of Great Value chocolate chip granola bars — $1.10 per 100 grams
Sobeys: $9.99 for a 630-gram box of Compliments chocolate chip granola bars — $1.58 per 100 grams
Coffee
Costco: $27.99 for a 1.13-kilogram bag of Kirkland Signature French roast coffee — $2.47 per 100 grams
Loblaws: $30.99 for a 793-gram bag of Starbucks French roast coffee — $3.90 per 100 grams
Walmart: $14.47 for a 340-gram bag of Starbucks French roast coffee — $4.25 per 100 grams
Sobeys: $15.49 for a 340-gram bag of Starbucks French roast coffee — $4.55 per 100 grams
TOTALS
Now that we've compared prices for each product, here are the total basket costs, before tax:
- Costco: $150.39
- Loblaws: $107.94
- Walmart: $67.40
- Sobeys: $98.37
Costco has the most expensive total for these 11 essential items, and Walmart has the cheapest basket total.
There is an $82.99 difference between the most expensive and least expensive totals!
Walmart is also way cheaper than Sobeys, the store with the third most expensive total. There's a $30.97 difference.
But the difference is smaller when you look at the "price per" totals, so you can see how much bang for your buck you get.
- Costco: $11.56
- Loblaws: $16.97
- Walmart: $13.55
- Sobeys: $16.66
Loblaws has the most expensive "price per" total, followed by Sobeys, then Walmart.
Even though Costco has the biggest basket — well, cart, since there are only big carts at Costco — total for these 11 essential products, it actually has the cheapest "price per" total.
That's because Costco has bigger price tags since the products are bulk-sized and bigger than many items at grocery stores.
There's only a $5.41 difference between the most expensive and least expensive "price per" totals.
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.
