The rising cost of living is a hot topic lately and groceries are among the primary culprits that can put a dent in your wallet. If you live in Canada, you've likely experienced the feeling of shock when seeing the total cost of your weekly food haul.
But what are the grocery prices like just across the border? Narcity has been comparing grocery costs at several stores in Ontario lately, such as No Frills and Food Basics, Loblaws and Farmboy, and Metro and Sobeys, so, on a recent trip to Buffalo, we decided to check out the cost of food in the U.S. to see just how it compares to Canada.
We visited Target in Buffalo, New York, and shopped for everyday items like milk, eggs, and coffee. Then, we headed to Loblaws in Toronto, Ontario, and shopped for the same items, taking care to find the most similar brands and products to the Target items.
While the grocery hauls aren't an exact reflection of food prices across both countries, they do offer a little peek into the cost of food just across the border, and we were pretty surprised by our final bills. It's also important to take into account that the price of groceries can be affected by things like the exchange rate and taxes.
White bread
White bread at Loblaws. Right: White bread at Target.Madeline Forsyth | Narcity, Ashna Bharkhada | Narcity
We started by comparing a classic cupboard essential — white sandwich bread. We grabbed a loaf of Market Pantry bread from Target and No Name bread from Loblaws to see just how these food items stacked up.
After converting the U.S. prices to Canadian dollars, we found that the Target loaf was more than a dollar cheaper.
- Loblaws: $2.79
- Target: US$1.19 (CA$1.60)
Chicken breasts
Chicken breasts at Loblaws. Right: Chicken breasts at Target. Madeline Forsyth | Narcity, Ashna Bharkhada | Narcity
Next stop — the poultry section. We looked for a pack of five chicken breasts that weighed the same. The Target chicken from Purdue weighed slightly more (1.5 lb) than the Loblaws chicken from President's Choice (1.4 lb) so we did the math and found that Target was quite a bit cheaper per pound of chicken.
- Loblaws: $16 ($11.42 per pound)
- Target: US$9.99 (CA$13.45) (CA$8.96 per pound)
1% milk
1 % milk at Loblaws. Right: 1% milk at Target.Madeline Forsyth | Narcity, Ashna Bharkhada | Narcity
With Target in the lead so far, it was time to see how milk products compared. We grabbed 1% milk at both stores. Target offered a gallon of milk from Dean's and the largest amount we could find at Loblaws was a two-litre carton of Neilson. We broke the cost of both down by litre to find the best value. Again, Target came out on top as the cheaper option.
- Loblaws: $5.19 ($2.59 per litre)
- Target: US$5.79 (CA$7.79) (CA$2.10 per litre)
Lay's Classic chips
Lay's Classic chips at Loblaws. Right: Lay's Classic chips at Target.Madeline Forsyth | Narcity, Ashna Bharkhada | Narcity
Just how expensive is snacking in Canada compared to the U.S.? We wandered down the chip aisle and picked up a munching favourite — Lay's Classic chips. The Loblaws bag was 235 grams while the Target bag was 226 grams, so there was a small difference in quantity. This time, it was Canada that proved cheaper by nearly a dollar.
- Loblaws: $4.99
- Target: US$4.29 USD (CA$5.77)
Grade A eggs
Carton of eggs at Loblaws. Right: Carton of eggs at Target.Madeline Forsyth | Narcity, Ashna Bharkhada | Narcity
This breakfast favourite is a staple in most households and it turns out that the cost is pretty similar in both Canada and the U.S. We grabbed a carton of 12 grade A eggs for just about the same price in both countries. The Target brand was Good & Gather and the Loblaws brand, No Name, was on sale, so we adjusted it to its standard price for the comparison.
- Loblaws: $3.79
- Target: US$2.69 (CA$3.62)
K-Cup coffee
Tim Hortons coffee pods at Loblaws. Right: Dunkin' coffee pods at Target.Madeline Forsyth | Narcity, Ashna Bharkhada | Narcity
Battle of the coffee chains! We compared the cost of Dunkin' K-Cup coffee pods at Target to Tim Hortons coffee pods at Loblaws. The Dunkin' pods came in a pack of 22 while the Tim Hortons cups came in a pack of 30, so we broke the cost down per cup. Target ended up being the pricier option.
- Loblaws: $24.99 (CA$0.83 per cup)
- Target: US$17.99 (CA$24.21) (CA$1.10 per cup)
Total
After tallying both grocery hauls, we were surprised that the results had a cost difference of only $1.31 CAD, before tax. It's important to note we received nearly double the amount of milk at Target (1 gallon as opposed to 2 litres) and eight more coffee cups at Loblaws (30 as opposed to 22).
- Loblaws: CA$57.75
- Target: CA$56.44