Kroger vs Meijer: Who is Cheaper?
Kroger is a very large supermarket chain of about 1348 stores all over the US. Meijer is a smaller grocery store chain with about 253 stores in 6 states.
To determine if Kroger or Meijer is cheaper for groceries, we will price compare a meal plan for a whole week. Scroll to the end to see the final verdict!
Is Kroger cheaper than Meijer?
For this price comparison, I have made a meal plan for a family of 4 using “25 Cheap food that fills you up when you are broke!” as a guide. Our plan is to get groceries for a week that are healthy and cheap!
Here is our meal plan:
Breakfasts
- Pumpkin Smoothies
- Swiss Cheese and Tomato Toast w/ Scrambled Eggs with a Banana
- Ham and Cheese on English Muffins with a Banana
- Overnight Pumpkin Pie Oats
- Yogurt Parfait with Banana and Homemade Granola
Lunches
- Mexican Dip (refried beans, salsa, sour cream) with Homemade Tortilla Chips
- Cuban-ish Quesadillas (leftover pork, sliced ham, Swiss cheese, and pickles) and Carrot Sticks
- Fried Egg Grilled Swiss Cheese Sandwich with Leftover Soup
- Spinach Salad with Sliced Ham, Tomatoes & Cucumbers
- Dinner Leftovers
Dinners
- Beef Tamale Casserole with Sliced Cucumbers
- Brown Sugar Chicken Thighs with Potato Wedges and Green Beans
- Beef, Vegetable, & Rice Soup with Spinach Salad
- Chicken, Squash, and Carrot Rice Bowls
- Crockpot Ranch Pork Loin with Mashed Potatoes & Carrots
- Leftover Pork Pasta with Spinach & Tomatoes in Creamy Sauce
Snacks
- Carrot Sticks
- Popcorn
- Homemade Granola
Sweet Treat
- Banana Oatmeal Cookies
For this price comparison, I am using prices available in Columbus, Ohio. I will be selecting items for our meal plan that are the absolute cheapest.
This means mostly generic store brand options and the smallest size needed. This may not be the best value, but we are going for the cheapest option.
We are assuming that we already have kitchen basics like cooking oil, seasonings, salt/pepper, and baking powder at home. Everything else needed for the meal plan will need to be purchased.
For a more in depth break down on how I would make this meal plan work, check out “Healthy Grocery List for Family of 4 on a Budget #8“
Produce Section
This is all the fresh vegetables and fruits we need for the week.
| Item | Kroger Price | Meijer Price |
| Bananas x6 | $0.25 each= $1.50 | $0.28 each= $1.68 |
| Tomatoes x3 | Beefsteak $1.12 each= $3.36 | Greenhouse $1.00 each= $3.00 |
| Spinach | Kroger 10oz b ag= $1.99 *on sale* | Popeye 10oz bag= $2.49 *on sale* |
| Cucumber | $0.79 each | $0.69 each |
| Carrots | 1lb baby carrots=$1.19 | $1.00 a lb= $1.00 |
| Potatoes | 5lb Idaho potatoes= $2.99 | 5lb Russets= $3.75 |
| Yellow Squash | $0.75 each | $0.75 each |
| Total: (7 items) | $12.57 | $13.36 |
In the produce section, Kroger came out cheaper with a total of $12.57. This was $0.79 cheaper than Meijer’s total of $13.36.
Deli/Meats
This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.
| Item | Kroger Price | Meijer Price |
| Ground Beef (1lb) | Kroger 73% roll= $4.79 | National Beef 81% roll= $4.99 |
| Chicken Thighs (6-8) | $1.99 a lb (5.5lbs) =$11.02 | $1.59 a lb (4.47lb) = 7.11 *on sale* |
| Pork Loin | Smithfield 1.7lb= $6.99 *on sale* | Smithfield 1.7lb= $7.79 |
| Ham Lunchmeat | Bar S 12oz= $3.49 *on sale* | Meijer 8oz =$3.69 |
| Total: (4 items) | $26.29 | $23.58 |
In the meat section, Meijer came out cheaper with a total of $23.58. This was $2.71 cheaper than Kroger’s total of $26.29.
It is worth noting that we got a little bit more meat at Kroger. About 1 lb. more of chicken thighs and 4oz of ham lunchmeat. So, Kroger was the better deal as far as the amount of meat.
Dry Goods
This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.
| Item | Kroger Price | Meijer Price |
| Pumpkin Puree | Kroger 29oz can= $2.79 | Meijer 29oz can= $3.49 |
| Brown Sugar | Kroger 2lb bag= $1.79 | Meijer 2lb bag= $1.49 |
| Sandwich Bread | Kroger 20oz white= $1.50 *on sale* | Meijer 20oz white= $1.79 |
| English Muffins | Kroger 6ct= $1.79 | Meijer 6ct= $1.69 |
| Quick Oats | Mom’s Best Oats 18oz= $1.79 | Meijer 18oz= $2.79 |
| Refried beans | Kroger 16oz can=$1.00 | Meijer 16oz= $1.09 |
| Tortillas | Kroger 8ct= $1.49 *on sale* | Meijer 20ct= $1.99 |
| Pickle Slices | Kroger 16oz jar= $2.49 | Vlasic 16oz jar= $2.15 *on sale* |
| Salsa | Kroger 16oz jar= $1.79 | Meijer 16oz= $1.49 |
| Canned Corn | Kroger 15.25oz can= $0.89 | Meijer 15oz can= $0.59 |
| Cornbread Mix | Jiffy 8.5oz box= $0.65 | Jiffy 8.5oz box= $0.49 |
| Enchilada Sauce | A La Orden 10oz can= $1.19 | Meijer 10oz can= $1.99 |
| Taco Seasoning | Kroger 1.25oz pack= $0.39 | Meijer 1oz pack= $0.49 |
| Canned Green Beans | Kroger 15.25oz can= $0.89 | Meijer 15oz can= $0.59 |
| Beef Boullion | Kroger 3.25oz jar= $1.99 | Meijer 25ct=$1.89 |
| Diced Tomatoes | Kroger 14.5oz can= $0.69 *on sale* | Kroger 14.5oz can= $0.75 |
| White Rice | Kroger 2lb bag= $1.79 | Riceland 2lb bag= $1.89 |
| Soy Sauce | Kroger 10oz bottle= $1.69 | Meijer 10oz= $1.59 |
| Ranch Powder | Kroger 1oz pack= $0.69 | Meijer 1oz pack= $0.69 |
| Microwave Popcorn | Cousin Willie’s 3bags= $1.00 *on sale* | Meijer 3bags= $1.99 |
| Honey | Simple Truth 12oz bottle= $4.29 *on sale* | Meijer 12oz bottle= $4.19 |
| Raisins | Kroger 6oz mini boxes= $1.25 *on sale* | Meijer 6oz mini boxes= $1.65 |
| Cinnamon | Smidge and Spoon 2.25oz jar= $1.25 | Meijer 2.37oz jar= $3.19 |
| Pasta | Kroger 16oz shells= $1.33 *on sale* | Meijer 16oz shells= $1.00 |
| Total: (23 items) | $36.41 | $40.95 |
In the dry goods section, Kroger came out cheaper with a total of $36.41. This was $4.54 cheaper than Meijer’s total of $40.95.
Frozen Foods
These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.
| Item | Kroger Price | Meijer Price |
| Mixed vegetables | Kroger 12oz bag= $1.25 | Meijer 12oz bag= $0.89 |
| Total: (1 items) | $1.25 | $0.89 |
In the frozen section, Meijer came out cheaper with a total of $0.89. This was $0.36 cheaper than Kroger’s total of $1.25.
Dairy Section
These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.
| Item | Kroger Price | Meijer Price |
| Vanilla Yogurt | Kroger 32oz tub= $2.00 *on sale* | Meijer 32oz tub= $2.79 |
| 2% Milk | Kroger gallon= $2.99 | Meijer gallon= $2.86 |
| Sliced Swiss Cheese | Kroger 16ct = $2.29 | Meijer 10ct= $2.39 |
| Eggs | Kroger 12ct white= $2.49 | Meijer 12ct white= $2.69 |
| Shredded Cheddar Cheese | Kroger 8oz bag= $2.49 | Meijer 8oz bag= $2.39 |
| Cream Cheese x2 | Kroger 2-pack= $3.29 | Meijer $1.99 each= $3.98 |
| Total: (6 items) | $15.55 | $17.10 |
In the dairy section, Kroger came out cheaper with a total of $15.55. This was $1.55 cheaper than Meijer’s total of $17.10.
Is Kroger more expensive than Meijer?
There was a lot of back and forth on who was cheaper in each section. Let’s look at the overall totals.
| Section | Kroger Price | Meijer Price |
| Produce | $12.57 | $13.36 |
| Deli/Meats | $26.29 | $23.58 |
| Dry Goods | $36.41 | $40.95 |
| Frozen Foods | $1.25 | $0.89 |
| Dairy | $15.55 | $17.10 |
| Overall Total: (41 items) | $92.07 | $95.88 |
Overall, Kroger was cheaper than Meijer with a total of $92.07. This was $3.81 (about 4%) cheaper than Meijer’s total of $95.88.
Both Kroger and Meijer had very good prices overall. I would mainly shop at Kroger for my basics, and then use the sales ads to stock up on good deals.
For more grocery store price comparisons, check out “Tops vs Wegmans: Who has Cheaper Groceries?” and “Kroger vs Giant Eagle: Who is Cheaper?“
