Hy-Vee vs Cub Foods: Who is Cheaper?
Hy-Vee is a medium size regional grocery store with about 265 stores in 8 states. Cub Foods is a smaller chain with 106 stores in 2 states.
To determine if Hy-Vee or Cub Foods is cheaper for groceries, we will do a side-by-side price comparison of a week’s worth of groceries. Scroll to the end to see the final verdict!
Is Hy-Vee cheaper than Cub Foods?
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
- Mini Muffins with Extra Banana
- Cottage Cheese with Canned Peaches
- Eggies in a Basket with strawberries
- Rice Krispie Cereal with milk and Bananas
Lunches
- Bacon Turkey Sandwiches with Tortilla Chips
- Caesar Pasta Salad with leftover Parmesan Chicken
- Ham and Egg Salad sandwiches with Carrot Sticks
- Dinner Leftovers
Dinners
- Potato Soup with Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, and Broccoli
- Smothered Chicken and Rice with Side Salad
- Ham, Cheese & Spinach Pasta with Garlic Bread
- Garlic Butter Shrimp over Rice with Sauteed Carrots
- Chicken Fajita Bake with Corn & Black Beans
- Caesar Chicken with Potato Wedges and Green Beans
Snacks
- Carrot and Caesar Dressing
- Hard Boiled Eggs or Deviled Eggs
- Chips and Salsa
- Turkey and Cheese Rollups
Sweet Treat
- Rice Krispie Treats
For this price comparison, I am using prices available in Shakopee, Minnesota. 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 #9.”
Produce Section
This is all the fresh vegetables and fruits we need for the week.
| Item | Hy-Vee Price | Cub Foods Price |
| Banana x 5 | $0.20 each= $1.00 | $0.21 each= $1.05 |
| Strawberries | 1lb container= $2.68 *on sale* | 1lb container= $4.99 |
| Tomato (x1) | Greenhouse= $1.64 each | Large= $1.40 each |
| Lettuce | 1 head iceberg= $0.69 *on sale* | 1 head iceberg= $2.49 |
| Lemon (x1) | $0.66 each | $0.60 each *on sale* |
| Potatoes | 5lb bag of Russets= $3.28 *on sale* | 5lb bag of Russets= $3.99 |
| Fresh Garlic | $0.75 each | $0.90 each |
| Carrots | 1lb baby carrots= $1.99 | 1lb baby carrots= $1.99 |
| Bell Pepper x1 | Green $0.77 each *on sale* | Green $1.29 each |
| Total: (9 items) | $13.46 | $18.70 |
In the produce section, Hy-Vee came out cheaper with a total of $13.46. This was $5.24 cheaper than Cub Foods total of $18.70.
Deli/Meats
This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.
| Item | Hy-Vee Price | Cub Foods Price |
| Bacon | Hormel 12oz pack= $4.49 *on sale* | Royale 12oz pack= $4.99 *on sale* |
| Turkey Lunchmeat | Land O’Frost 9oz pack= $3.99 | Hormel 8oz turkey pack= $3.50 *on sale* |
| Chicken Breasts (need 6) | $4.79 a lb (3lbs) = $14.37 | $4.99 a lb (3.1lbs) = $15.47 |
| Ham Steaks | Kentucky Legend 8oz pack= $3.49 | Smithfield 8oz pack= $3.99 *on sale* |
| Shrimp | HY-Vee 12oz bag of frozen 71-90 count cooked shrimp= $4.99 *on sale* | Artic Shores 12oz bag of frozen 61-70 count cooked shrimp= $4.99 *on sale* |
| Total: (5 items) | $31.33 | $32.94 |
In the meat section, Hy-Vee came out cheaper with a total of $31.33. This was $1.61 cheaper than Cub Foods total of $32.94.
Both stores had an awesome deal on frozen bags of shrimp. These were about 50% off the normal price, and honestly it is such a great deal that I would stock up!
Dry Goods
This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.
| Item | Hy-Vee Price | Cub Foods Price |
| Muffin Mix | That’s Smart 7oz pack= $0.99 | Jiffy 7oz mix= $1.39 |
| Canned peaches | That’s Smart 15.25oz can= $1.79 | Essential Everyday 14.5oz can= $2.29 |
| Sandwich bread | Hy-Vee 20oz white bread= $1.59 *on sale* | Cub Bread 16oz white bread= $1.59 |
| Rice Krispie Cereal | Hy-Vee Crispy Rice 12oz box= $2.50 *on sale* | Essential Everyday 12oz box= $3.19 |
| Marshmallows | Hy-Vee 10.5oz bag= $1.59 | Essential Everyday 10.5oz bag= $1.39 |
| Caesar Dressing | Hy-Vee 16oz bottle= $2.29 | Essential Everyday 16oz bottle= $2.79 |
| French Bread Loaf | 14oz loaf= $1.99 | 1 loaf= $2.99 |
| Mayonnaise | Kraft 15oz jar= $2.59 | Essential Everyday 15oz jar= $3.69 |
| Canned green beans | Hy-Vee 14.5oz can= $0.67 *on sale* | Green Giant 14.5oz can= $0.99 *on sale* |
| White Rice | Water Maid 1lb bag= $1.99 | Essential Everyday 1lb bag= $0.99 |
| Cream of Chicken Soup | Hy-Vee 10.5oz can= $0.99 | Essential Everyday 10.5oz can= $1.49 |
| Canned Corn | Hy-Vee 15.25 oz can= $0.67 *on sale* | Green Giant 14.5oz can= $0.99 *on sale* |
| Canned Black Beans | Hy-Vee 15 oz can= $0.99 | Bush’s 15oz can= $0.99 *on sale* |
| Salsa | That’s Smart 15.5oz jar= $1.79 | Red Gold 15.5 oz jar= $1.99 *on sale* |
| Taco Seasoning | Hy-Vee 1.25oz pack= $0.99 | Essential Everyday 1.25oz pack= $1.19 |
| Tortilla Chips | Calidad 12oz bag= $2.19 *on sale* | Calidad 11oz bag= $1.99 *on sale* |
| Pasta | Hy-Vee 16oz rotini= $1.25 *on sale* | Essential Everyday 16oz farfalle= $1.25 *on sale* |
| Total: (17 items) | $26.86 | $31.19 |
In the dry goods section, Hy-Vee came out cheaper with a total of $26.86. This was $4.33 cheaper than Cub Food’s total of $31.19.
Frozen Foods
These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.
| Item | Hy-Vee Price | Cub Foods Price |
| Frozen Broccoli | Bird’s Eye 10.8 oz bag= $1.24 | Bird’s Eye 10.8 oz bag= $1.49 *on sale* |
| Frozen Spinach | Hy-Vee 10oz box= $2.48 | Essential Everyday 10 oz box= $1.69 |
| Total: (2 items) | $3.72 | $3.18 |
In the frozen section, Cub Foods came out cheaper with a total of $3.18. This was $0.54 cheaper than Hy-Vee’s total of $3.72.
Dairy Section
These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.
| Item | Hy-Vee Price | Cub Foods Price |
| Cottage Cheese | Hy-Vee 14oz container= $1.68 *on sale* | Essential Everyday 16oz container= $2.49 |
| Eggs | That’s Smart 12ct white= $1.99 | Wild Harvest 12ct brown= $4.19 |
| Milk | That’s Smart gallon= $3.99 | Cub gallon= $3.79 |
| Butter | Hy-Vee 1lb= $4.99 | Essential Everyday 1lb= $4.29 |
| Parmesan cheese | Hy-Vee 6oz bag= $2.99 | Essential Everyday 3oz container= $2.19 |
| Cheddar Cheese (16oz) | Kraft 8oz bag x2= $5.76 *on sale* | Essential Everyday 8oz bag x2= $4.99 *on sale* |
| Cream Cheese | Hy-Vee 8oz= $2.89 | Essential Everyday 8oz= $2.69 |
| Total: (7 items) | $24.29 | $24.63 |
In the dairy section, Hy-Vee came in barely cheaper with a total of $24.29. This was $0.34 cheaper than Cub Food’s total of $24.63.
Is Cub Foods more expensive than Hy-Vee?
Hy-Vee came out cheaper in most sections, but let’s look at the overall totals!
| Section | Hy-Vee Price | Cub Foods Price |
| Produce | $13.46 | $18.70 |
| Deli/Meats | $31.33 | $32.94 |
| Dry Goods | $26.86 | $31.19 |
| Frozen Foods | $3.72 | $3.18 |
| Dairy | $24.29 | $24.63 |
| Overall Total: (40 items) | $99.66 | $110.64 |
Overall, Hy-Vee was cheaper than Cub Foods with a total of $99.66. This was $10.98 (about 10%) cheaper than Cub Foods total of $110.64.
Both stores had a decent number of sales on different items, so if these are my only two options, I would go to each store with a list of items on sale.
For everything not on sale, I would mostly use Hy-Vee because their everyday prices tend to be lower.
Both stores had 12oz bags of shrimp on sale for $4.99 and that is a great deal, so I will definitely consider stocking up on this item if my family likes it!
Cub Foods also has a digital coupon where you get $5 off for spending $15 in their seafood department. This means you could get 3 bags of shrimp for $10! That is an awesome deal!
For more grocery store price comparisons, check out “Harris Teeter vs Food Lion: Who is Cheaper?” and “Hy-Vee vs Woodman’s: Who is Cheaper for Groceries?“
