Hannaford vs Price Chopper: Who is Cheaper for Groceries?
As grocery prices continue to rise on everything from produce to meat to dairy, we have to start getting more creative in saving money. One way to do this is to compare prices!
Today we will do a side-by-side comparison of Hannaford and Price Chopper to determine who is cheaper for groceries. We will also see if it is better on our budget to just go to one store, or if it is worth it to go to both stores. Let’s find out!
Is Hannaford cheaper than Price Chopper?
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
- Egg & Bacon Breakfast Burritos with Orange Slices
- Muffins, Yogurt, & Diced Pears
- Banana Smoothies and Scrambled Eggs
- Banana Raisin Pancakes with Pancake Syrup and Diced Pears
Lunches
- Sloppy Joe & Cheese Taquitos with sour cream
- BLT wraps
- Leftovers from Dinners
Dinners
- Sloppy Joes with Carrot Salad and Homemade Potato Wedges
- Tuna Casserole with Green Peas
- Ground Beef Burrito Bowls with Rice, served with (lettuce, tomato, black beans, sour cream, & cheddar cheese)
- Smoke Sausage Foil Packs with carrots, potatoes, & onion
- Mississippi Chicken in the Crockpot served over white rice with Brussell Sprouts
- One Pot Chicken Parmesan Pasta with Garlic Bread & Green Beans
Snacks
- Orange Slices
- Popcorn
- Yogurt
- Diced Pears
Sweet Treat
- Easy Maple Cookies (uses pancake syrup)
For this price comparison, I am using prices available in Keene, New Hampshire. 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 Week #12 (Quick, Healthy and Cheap for a Family!) .”
Produce Section
This is all the fresh vegetables and fruits we need for the week.
| Item | Hannaford Price | Price Chopper Price |
| Bananas x8 | $0.49 a lb (3.2lbs)= $1.56 | $0.22 each= $1.76 |
| Oranges | 3lb bag of mandarin oranges= $5.99 | 2lb bag of clementine oranges= $5.39 |
| Lettuce | 1 head of green leaf= $2.29 | 1 head of green leaf= $2.69 |
| Tomato x2 | Hot House Tomatoes= $2.99 | Red on the Vine= $2.44 |
| Onion x2 | Vidalia $0.79 a lb (1.6lbs)= $1.26 | Yellow $0.60 each= $1.20 |
| Potatoes | 5lb bag of Russets= $3.99 | 5lb bag of Russets = $2.99 *on sale* |
| Carrots | 16oz bag= $1.19 | 16oz bag= $1.89 |
| Total: (7 items) | $19.27 | $18.36 |
In the produce section, Price Chopper came out cheaper with a total of $18.38. This was $0.91 cheaper than Hannaford’s total of $19.27.
Deli/Meats
This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.
| Item | Hannaford Price | Price Chopper Price |
| Bacon | Jimmy Dean 12oz pack= $3.99 *on sale* | Hatfield 12oz pack= $4.39 *on sale* |
| Ground Beef | Hannaford 80/20 1lb fresh= $3.99 | Market 32 80/20 1lb fresh= $4.99 |
| Smoked Sausage (kielbasa, etc) | Hillshire Farm 14oz pack= $3.99 *on sale* | Hillshire Farm 14oz pack= $4.39 *on sale* |
| Chicken Breasts (need 4-5) | Hannaford $2.99 a lb (3.5lbs)= $10.46 | PICS $3.99 a lb (2.97lbs)= $11.85 |
| Total: (4 items) | $22.43 | $25.62 |
In the meat section, Hannaford came out cheaper with a total of $22.43. This was $3.19 cheaper than Price Chopper’s total of $25.62.
Dry Goods
This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.
| Item | Hannaford Price | Price Chopper Price |
| Flour Tortillas | Hannaford 10ct= $2.09 | PICS 8ct= $2.49 |
| Muffin Mix | Hannaford blueberry 7oz bag= $0.99 | Betty Crocker blueberry 6.5oz bag= $1.69 |
| Pancake Syrup | Hannaford 24oz bottle= $2.69 | PICS 12oz bottle= $2.49 *on sale* |
| Ketchup | Hannaford 20oz bottle= $1.88 *on sale* | PICS 20oz bottle= $1.99 *on sale* |
| Brown Sugar | Hannaford 1lb bag= $1.89 | Domino 1lb box= $2.69 |
| Worcestershire Sauce | Hannaford 10oz bottle= $2.69 | PICS 10oz bottle= $2.69 *on sale* |
| Hamburger Buns (8ct) | Hannaford 8ct= $1.59 | PICS 8ct= $2.19 |
| Raisins | Hannaford 6oz mini boxes= $3.09 | Sun-Maid 6oz mini boxes= $3.59 |
| Diced Pears (canned) | Hannaford 15oz can= $1.59 | PICS 15oz can= $2.09 |
| Mayonnaise | Hellman’s 5.5oz bottle= $3.05 | PICS 15oz jar= $3.29 *on sale* |
| Egg Noodles | Hannaford 16oz bag= $2.19 | Streit’s 12oz bag= $2.19 |
| Tuna (canned) | Bumblebee 5oz can= $1.49 | PICS 5oz can= $1.39 *on sale* |
| Breadcrumbs | Hannaford 15oz container= $1.69 | PICS 15oz container= $1.69 *on sale* |
| Taco Seasoning Pack | Hannaford 1.25oz pack= $0.99 | PICS 1oz pack= $1.09 |
| White Rice | Hannaford 1lb bag= $1.25 | PICS 2lb bag= $2.79 |
| Black Beans (canned) | Hannaford 15.5oz can= $0.95 | PICS 15.5oz can= $1.39 |
| Au Jus Seasoning Pack | Pioneer 1oz pack= $1.45 | PICS 0.74oz pack= $1.39 *n sale* |
| Ranch Seasoning Pack | Hannaford 1oz pack= $1.00 | Hidden Valley 1oz pack= $2.39 |
| Pepperoncini | Hannaford 16oz jar= $2.95 | PICS 16oz jar= $2.69 *on sale* |
| Tomato Sauce | Hannaford 15oz can= $1.25 | PICS 15oz can= $1.39 *on sale* |
| Italian Seasoning | Nature’s Promise .65oz jar= $4.39 | Badia 2oz jar= $3.49 *on sale* |
| Green Beans | Hannaford 14.5oz can= $0.99 | PICS 14.5oz can= $1.19 |
| Microwave Popcorn | Newman’s Own 3ct box= $1.89 | Pop Secret 3ct box= $3.09 *on sale* |
| All Purpose Flour | Hannaford 5lb bag= $3.49 | PICS 5lb bag= $3.29 *on sale* |
| Sugar | Hannaford 4lb bag= $3.59 | PICS 2lb bag= $3.09 |
| Baking Soda | Hannaford 16oz box= $0.94 | PICS 16oz box= $1.09 |
| Vanilla Extract | Hannaford imitation extract 8oz bottle= $1.49 | PICS 1oz bottle= $4.69 *on sale* |
| Total: (26 items) | $53.54 | $63.53 |
In the dry goods section, Hannaford came out cheaper with a total of $53.54. This was $9.99 cheaper than Price Chopper’s total of $63.53.
Frozen Foods
These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.
| Item | Hannaford Price | Price Chopper Price |
| Frozen Peas | Hannaford 12oz bag= $1.49 | PICS 10.8oz bag= $1.59 *on sale* |
| Frozen Brussell Sprouts | Hannaford 12oz bag= $1.79 | Green Giant 8oz box= $1.99 |
| Total: (2 items) | $3.28 | $3.58 |
In the frozen section, Hannaford came out cheaper with a total of $3.28. This was $0.30 cheaper than Price Chopper’s total of $3.58.
Dairy Section
These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.
| Item | Hannaford Price | Price Chopper Price |
| Vanilla Yogurt | Hannaford 32ooz container=$2.49 | PICS 32oz container= $2.79 *on sale* |
| 1/2 gallon of Milk | Hannaford half gallon= $2.19 | PICS half gallon= $2.39 |
| Eggs | Hannaford 12ct large white eggs= $1.99 | PICS 12ct large white eggs= $2.39 |
| Cheddar Cheese (16oz) | Hannaford 16oz shredded= $4.29 | PICS 16oz shredded= $4.89 *on sale* |
| Sour Cream | Hannaford 8oz container= $1.19 | PICS 8oz container= $1.39 *on sale* |
| Butter | Hannaford 16oz sticks= $3.99 | PICS 16oz sticks= $4.29 |
| Mozzarella Cheese (8oz) | Hannaford 7oz bag shredded= $2.19 | PICS 8oz shredded= $2.99 |
| Total: (7 items) | $18.33 | $21.13 |
In the dairy section, Hannaford came out cheaper with a total of $18.33. This was $2.80 cheaper than Price Chopper’s total of $21.13.
Is Price Chopper more expensive than Hannaford?
Hannaford came out cheaper in most sections, but let’s look at the overall totals.
| Section | Hannaford Price | Price Chopper Price |
| Produce | $19.27 | $18.36 |
| Deli/Meats | $22.43 | $25.62 |
| Dry Goods | $53.54 | $63.53 |
| Frozen Foods | $3.28 | $3.58 |
| Dairy | $18.33 | $21.13 |
| Overall Total: (46 items) | $116.85 | $132.22 |
Overall, Hannaford was cheaper than Price Chopper with a total of $116.85. This was $15.37 (about 11%) cheaper than Price Chopper’s total of $132.22.
If I had to choose only one store, I would obviously choose Hannaford to do my weekly grocery shopping.
If I had the time and could go to both stores or do a curbside pickup, I could buy the cheapest item at each store. This would have saved us another $4.43 (about 3.8%).
I am not sure that saving $4.43 would be worth going to both stores, so I will let you decide!
For more grocery store price comparisons, check out “Hannaford vs Market 32” and “Wegmans vs Price Chopper.”
