Albertsons vs Fry’s: Who is Cheaper?
Albertsons is the 2nd largest grocery store chain the US after Kroger and operates stores in 29 states. Fry’s is a small grocery chain with 123 stores in Arizona. (Fry’s is now part of the Kroger Company as of 1999)
To determine if Albertsons or Fry’s is cheaper for groceries, we will price compare a grocery list for a whole week. Scroll to the end to see the final verdict!
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Is Albertsons cheaper than Frys?
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 Glendale, Arizona. 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 | Albertsons Price | Fry’s Price |
| Bananas x6 | $0.24 each= $1.44 | $0.25 each= $1.50 |
| Tomatoes x3 | On the Vine $0.66 each=$1.98 | On the vine bunch= $2.67 |
| Spinach | Signature Farms 8oz bag= $2.50 | Kroger 10oz bag= $1.99 |
| Cucumber | $0.50 each | $0.50 each |
| Carrots | 1lb bag= $0.99 | 1 lb bag= $0.99 |
| Potatoes | 5lb bag of Russets= $0.97 *on sale* | 5lb bag of Idaho= $3.49 |
| Yellow Squash | $1.00 each | $0.65 each *on sale* |
| Total: (7 items) | $9.38 | $11.79 |
In the produce section, Albertsons came out cheaper with a total of $9.38. This was $2.41 cheaper than Fry’s total of $11.79.
Deli/Meats
This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.
| Item | Albertsons Price | Fry’s Price |
| Ground Beef (1lb) | 80% 1lb fresh = $4.99 | 93/7 1lb fresh= $3.97 *on sale* |
| Chicken Thighs (6-8) | $1.97 a lb (5.5lbs)= $10.83 *on sale* | $1.99 a lb (5.5lbs)= $11.02 |
| Pork Loin | Hormel 24oz = $7.49 *on sale* | Farmer John 27.2oz= $6.99 *on sale* |
| Ham Lunchmeat | Primo Taglio 8oz deli meat= $3.50 *on sale* | Bar S 12oz pack= $3.49 *on sale* |
| Total: (4 items) | $26.81 | $25.47 |
In the meat section, Fry’s came out cheaper with a total of $25.47. This was $1.34 cheaper than Albertsons’ total of $26.81.
Dry Goods
This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.
| Item | Albertsons Price | Fry’s Price |
| Pumpkin Puree | O Organics 15oz can $2.99 each= $5.98 | Kroger 29oz can= $2.79 |
| Brown Sugar | Signature Select 2lb bag= $2.79 | Kroger 2lb bag= $1.99 |
| Sandwich Bread | Signature Select 20oz white= $1.99 | Kroger 20oz white= $1.50 *on sale* |
| English Muffins | Signature Select 6ct= $2.50 | Kroger 6ct= $1.99 |
| Quick Oats | Open Nature 25oz container= $3.49 | Kroger 18oz container= $2.69 |
| Refried beans | Signature Select 16oz can= $1.25 | Kroger 16oz can= $1.00 |
| Tortillas | Mission 10ct= $2.49 *on sale* | Kroger 12ct= $1.99 |
| Pickle Slices | Signature Select 24oz jar= $2.79 *on sale* | Kroger 16oz jar= $1.99 |
| Salsa | Signature Select 24oz jar=$2.99 *on sale* | Kroger 16oz jar= $1.79 |
| Canned Corn | Signature Select 15.25 oz can= $0.99 | Kroger 15.25oz can= $0.89 |
| Cornbread Mix | Jiffy 8.5 oz box= $1.29 | Jiffy 8.5 oz box= $0.65 |
| Enchilada Sauce | Signature Select 10 oz can= $1.49 | A La Orden 10oz can= $1.09 |
| Taco Seasoning | Signature Select 1oz pack= $0.99 | Kroger 1.25oz pack= $0.39 |
| Canned Green Beans | Signature Select 14.5 oz can= $0.99 | Kroger 14.5oz can= $0.89 |
| Beef Boullion | Knorr 7.9oz jar= $2.49 *on sale* | Kroger 3.25 oz jar= $1.79 |
| Diced Tomatoes | Signature Select 14.5 oz can= $0.99 | Kroger 14.5oz can= $0.69 *on sale* |
| White Rice | Blue Ribbon 1lb bag= $2.09 | Kroger 2lb bag= $1.79 |
| Soy Sauce | Signature Select 10oz bottle= $2.99 | Kroger 10oz bottle=$1.69 |
| Ranch Powder | Hidden Valley 1oz pack = $2.49 | Kroger 1oz pack= $0.69 |
| Microwave Popcorn | Orville Redenbacher’s 3bag= $2.99 *on sale* | Cousin Willie’s 3bag= $1.00 *on sale* |
| Honey | Signature Select 12oz bottle= $3.99 *on sale* | Kroger 12oz bottle=$4.49 *on sale* |
| Raisins | O Organics 6oz mini boxes = $2.99 *on sale* | Kroger 6oz mini boxes =$1.00 *on sale* |
| Cinnamon | Signature Select 2.37oz jar= $2.99 *on sale* | Smidge & spoon 2.25oz jar= $1.25 |
| Pasta | Signature Select 16oz penne = $1.50 | Kroger 16oz penne= $1.33 *on sale* |
| Total: (23 items) | $51.06 | $34.88 |
In the dry goods section, Fry’s came out cheaper with a total of $34.88. That was $16.18 cheaper than Albertson’s total of $51.06.
Frozen Foods
These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.
| Item | Albertsons Price | Fry’s Price |
| Mixed vegetables | Signature Select 16oz bag= $2.49 | Kroger 12oz bag= $1.25 |
| Total: (1 items) | $2.49 | $1.25 |
In the frozen section, Fry’s came out cheaper with a total of $1.25. This was $1.24 cheaper than Albertson’s total of $2.49
Dairy Section
These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.
| Item | Albertsons Price | Fry’s Price |
| Vanilla Yogurt | Lucerne 32oz tub= $2.50 *on sale* | Kroger 32oz tub= $2.00 *on sale* |
| 2% Milk | Lucerne gallon= $2.77 *on sale* | Fry’s gallon= $3.39 |
| Sliced Swiss Cheese | Lucerne 10ct= $2.99 | Kroger 8ct= $2.49 |
| Eggs | Lucerne 12ct white= $3.99 | Kroger 12ct white= $2.99 |
| Shredded Cheddar Cheese | Lucerne 8oz bag= $2.99 | Kroger 8oz bag=$2.49 |
| Cream Cheese x2 | Lucerne 2pack= $3.99 | Kroger 2pack= $3.19 |
| Total: (6 items) | $19.23 | $16.55 |
In the dairy section, Fry’s came out cheaper with a total of $16.55. This was $2.68 cheaper than Albertsons’ total of $19.23.
Is Fry’s more expensive than Albertsons?
Fry’s came out cheaper in most sections except for the Produce section. Let’s look at the overall totals.
| Section | Albertsons Price | Fry’s Price |
| Produce | $9.38 | $11.79 |
| Deli/Meats | $26.81 | $25.47 |
| Dry Goods | $51.06 | $34.88 |
| Frozen Foods | $2.49 | $1.25 |
| Dairy | $19.23 | $16.55 |
| Overall Total: (41 items) | $108.97 | $89.94 |
Overall, Fry’s came out cheaper than Albertsons with a total of $89.94. This was $19.03 (about 17%) cheaper than Albertsons’ total of $108.97.
Albertsons had a lot of items on sale, but most of the sales prices did not beat Fry’s everyday price. I would do most of my shopping at Fry’s and only stock up on good deals at Albertsons.
Some of the good deals that would be worth going to Albertsons for was the 5lb bag of potatoes for $0.97, 12oz bottle of honey for $3.99, and a gallon of milk for $2.77.
For more grocery store price comparisons, check out “Albertsons vs Target” and “Kroger vs SaveALot.”
For more grocery store price comparisons, check out “Tops vs Wegmans: Who has Cheaper Groceries?” and “Sprouts vs King Soopers: Who has cheaper Groceries?“
