Albertsons vs Safeway: Who is Cheaper for Groceries?
One of the best ways to lower your grocery bill is to compare prices on products and shop at stores that offer cheaper prices.
Today we will be doing a side-by-side comparison of Albertsons and Safeway to determine which one is cheaper and if it is worth going to both stores to save money.
Is Albertsons cheaper than Safeway?
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
- Spinach Egg Bites with Cottage Cheese & Bananas
- Cottage Cheese with Pineapple & Blueberries
- Egg & Cheese Biscuits with Apple Slices
- Mini Monkey Bread with Blueberries
- Scrambled Eggs, Pepperoni, and Apple Slices
Lunches
- Chicken Salad with Celery & Saltines
- Black Bean Hummus Quesadillas & Carrots with Ranch
- Leftover Dinners
Dinners
- Herb Chicken Leg Quarters with Sweet Potatoes & California Blend veggies
- Chicken and Rice Soup with Spinach Salad (tomatoes, cucumbers, cheese, & ranch dressing)
- Ground Beef and Black Bean Enchiladas with Cilantro Lime Rice & Canned Corn
- Ground Beef Chili with Red Kidney Beans (served with tortillas, sour cream, & cheese) and California Blend veggies
- BBQ pulled chicken sandwiches with coleslaw and baked beans
- Mini Pepperoni Pizzas with Spinach Salad
Snacks
- Apple Slices
- Celery & Carrots with Ranch Dressing
- Saltine Crackers
- Bananas & Blueberries
- Tortilla Chips
Sweet Treat
- Pineapple Upside Down Cake
For this price comparison, I am using prices available in Battle Ground, Washington. 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 #11 (Really Cheap, Easy, and Toddler Friendly) .”
Produce Section
This is all the fresh vegetables and fruits we need for the week.
| Item | Albertsons Price | Safeway Price |
| Bananas x5 | $0.27 each= $1.35 | $0.27 each= $1.35 |
| Blueberries | 6oz pack= $2.99 | 6oz pack= $2.99 |
| Apples | 3lb bag of Gala Apples= $4.99 | 3lb bag of Gala Apples= $4.99 |
| Carrots | 1 pound= $0.99 | 1 pound= $0.99 |
| Celery | 1 bunch= $3.38 | 1 bunch= $3.38 |
| Spinach | Signature Farms 8oz bag= $1.99 *on sale* | Signature Farms 8oz bag= $1.99 *on sale* |
| Sweet Potatoes (need 4) | $1.99 a lb (3lbs)= $5.97 | $1.99 a lb (3lbs= $5.97 |
| Tomato | Vine Ripe= $1.00 | Vine Ripe= $1.00 |
| Cabbage (small) | 1 head= $1.78 | 1 head= $1.78 |
| Cucumber | $0.50 each *on sale* | $0.50 each *on sale* |
| Lime | $0.69 each | $0.69 each |
| Cilantro | 1 bunch= $0.79 | 1 bunch= $0.79 |
| Total: (12 items) | $26.42 | $26.42 |
In the produce section, Albertsons and Safeway had the same exact products, prices, and sales. There was no difference in price.
Deli/Meats
This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.
| Item | Albertsons Price | Safeway Price |
| Chicken Leg Quarters (need 5lbs) | Signature Farms 4.5lb fresh($1.99 a lb)= $8.96 | Signature Farms 4.5lb fresh($1.99 a lb)= $8.96 |
| Ground Beef (need 1 pound) | Signature Farms 16oz fresh 80/20= $3.99 *on sale* | Signature Farms 16oz fresh 80/20= $3.99 *on sale* |
| Pepperoni Slices | Signature Select 6oz bag= $2.99 *on sale* | Signature Select 6oz bag= $2.99 *on sale* |
| Total: (3 items) | $15.94 | $15.94 |
In the meat section, Albertsons and Safeway had the same exact products, prices, and sales. There was no difference in price.
Dry Goods
This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.
| Item | Albertsons Price | Safeway Price |
| Canned Pineapple | Signature Select 20oz can= $2.29 | Signature Select 20oz can= $2.29 |
| Brown Sugar | Signature Select 1lb bag= $2.49 | Signature Select 1lb bag= $2.49 |
| Yellow Cake Mix | Duncan Hines 15.25oz box= $2.00 *on sale* | Duncan Hines 15.25oz box= $2.00 *on sale* |
| Tortillas | Mission 10ct= $2.49 *on sale* | Mission 10ct= $2.49 *on sale* |
| Black Beans (can) | Signature Select 15oz can= $1.49 | Signature Select 15oz can= $1.49 |
| Ranch Dressing | Signature Select 16oz bottle= $2.49 | Signature Select 16oz bottle= $2.49 |
| Hamburger Buns | Value Corner 8ct= $1.29 | Value Corner 8ct= $1.29 |
| Baked Beans | Signature Select 15oz can= $2.49 | Signature Select 15oz can= $2.49 |
| Tomato Sauce | Signature Select 15oz can= $1.29 | Signature Select 15oz can= $1.29 |
| Diced Tomatoes (can) | Signature Select 14.5oz can= $1.49 | Signature Select 14.5oz can= $1.49 |
| Chili Powder | Signature Select .5oz jar= $2.39 *on sale* | Signature Select .5oz jar= $2.39 *on sale* |
| Corn (can) | Signature Select 15.25oz can= $0.99 | Signature Select 15.25oz can= $0.99 |
| White Rice | Signature Select 2lb bag= $2.49 | Signature Select 2lb bag= $2.49 |
| Taco Seasoning | Signature Select 1oz pack= $0.89 | Signature Select 1oz pack= $0.89 |
| Kidney Beans (can) | Signature Select 15.5oz can= $1.49 | Signature Select 15.5oz can= $1.49 |
| Tortilla Chips | Calidad 11oz bag= $2.29 *on sale* | Calidad 11oz bag= $2.29 *on sale* |
| Cornbread Mix | Jiffy 8.5oz box= $1.29 *on sale* | Jiffy 8.5oz box= $1.29 *on sale* |
| Garlic Herb Seasoning Blend | McCormick Grill Mates 2.75 oz jar= $2.00 *on sale* | McCormick Grill Mates 2.75 oz jar= $2.00 *on sale* |
| Barbeque Sauce | Signature Select 18oz bottle= $1.99 | Signature Select 18oz bottle= $1.99 |
| Total: (18 items) | $31.85 | $31.85 |
In the dry goods section, Albertsons and Safeway had the same exact products, prices, and sales. There was no difference in price.
Frozen Foods
These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.
| Item | Albertsons Price | Safeway Price |
| California Blend Veggies | Signature Select 12oz bag= $1.79 | Signature Select 12oz bag= $1.79 |
| Garlic Bread | Signature Select 8ct= $3.50 *on sale* | Signature Select 8ct= $3.50 *on sale* |
| Total: (2 items) | $5.29 | $5.29 |
In the frozen section, Albertsons and Safeway had the same exact products, prices, and sales. There was no difference in price.
Dairy Section
These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.
| Item | Albertsons Price | Safeway Price |
| Eggs | Lucerne Farms 12ct white = $2.49 | Lucerne Farms 12ct white = $2.49 |
| Cottage Cheese | Lucerne 16oz container= $2.29 | Lucerne 16oz container= $2.29 |
| Milk (1/2 gallon) | Lucerne 1/2 gallon= $2.29 | Lucerne 1/2 gallon= $2.29 |
| Biscuits (can) | Signature Select 8ct= $2.49 *on sale* | Signature Select 8ct= $2.49 *on sale* |
| Butter | Lucerne 1lb= $4.49 | Lucerne 1lb= $4.49 |
| Cheddar Cheese | Lucerne 16oz block= $4.49 *on sale* | Lucerne 16oz block= $4.49 *on sale* |
| Mozzarella Cheese | Lucerne 8oz block x2 ($2.99 each)= $5.98 | Lucerne 8oz block x2 ($2.99 each)= $5.98 |
| Total: (7 items) | $24.52 | $24.52 |
In the dairy section, Albertsons and Safeway had the same exact products, prices, and sales. There was no difference in price.
Is Safeway more expensive than Albertsons?
Let’s take a look at the overall totals!
| Section | Albertsons Price | Safeway Price |
| Produce | $26.42 | $26.42 |
| Deli/Meats | $15.94 | $15.94 |
| Dry Goods | $31.85 | $31.85 |
| Frozen Foods | $5.29 | $5.29 |
| Dairy | $24.52 | $24.52 |
| Overall Total: (42 items) | $104.02 | $104.02 |
Overall, there was no price difference between Albertsons and Safeway. They both had the same products, the same sales, and the same regular prices. The total for both stores came out to $104.02.
Both stores came out pretty close to $100 so I am pretty happy with that. If we had utilized the sales flyer when making our menu we could have lowered this a little bit more.
As far as choosing one store over the other to save money, there is no real winner because they are literally the same store but with different names. (Albertsons actually bought Safeway in 2015 and it is possible both stores may be part of Kroger soon if the merger is successful.)
There is no real reason to break up trips between the stores, and I personally would just pick which store was conveniently located for me.
For more grocery store price comparisons, check out “Smart & Final vs Safeway” and “Fred Meyer vs Albertsons.”
