Albertsons vs Stater Bros: Cheaper Groceries?
Southern California is known for high expenses like rent, gas prices, and even groceries. I wanted to see just how much it would cost for a tight budget meal plan in this area.
We will compare Albertsons and Stater Bros in San Diego to see if it is possible to spend less than $100 on groceries. We will also determine if Albertsons or Stater Bros is cheaper for groceries. Scroll to the end to find out!
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Is Albertsons cheaper than Stater Bros?
For this test, I have prepared a meal plan for one week that consists of breakfasts, lunches, snacks, and dinners for a family of 4 (2 adults and 2 young kids). I am using the “25 Cheap food that fills you up when you are broke!” as my guide to pick not only healthy foods but also ones that should be fairly cheap.
Here is the meal plan for this grocery trip:
Breakfasts
- Peanut Butter Toast with Bananas x2
- Overnight Oats with Apples and Raisins x3
- Scrambled Eggs with Cheese on top and Toast x2
Lunches
- Tuna Salad Sandwiches x 2
- Veggie & Pepperoni Pasta Salad with Zesty Italian Dressing
- Salad Wraps with tomato, cucumber, and cheese
- Leftovers
Snacks
- Carrots
- Apples
- Popcorn
Dinners
- Baked Whole Chicken with rice and sautéed carrots
- Leftover Chicken in a Pasta with Alfredo Sauce, Broccoli, and side salad
- Ground Turkey Tacos with Corn and Refried Beans
- Leftover Taco Meat in a Mexican Baked Potato Bar with Side Salads
- Pork Loin with Mashed Potatoes and Corn
- Hawaiin Pizza with Leftover Pork, Pepperoni, and Pineapple (using a little Alfredo Sauce as the Base)
Sweet Treat
- Oatmeal Raisin Cookies
Drinks
- Milk
- Water
- Coffee
- Pineapple Water (leftover pineapple juice mixed with water)
For this meal plan, I am going to shop at both stores and look for the best deals on price. We will be using prices in San Diego, California for this store comparison.
Most items will be the generic store brand, and I will be aiming to get my groceries needed for the cheapest price available.
Even though my pantry is very well stocked, for this experiment I will shop as if I only have the bare basics at home like seasonings, salt, sugar, and cooking oil. For a full breakdown of this meal plan, and how I would make it work, check out “Healthy Grocery List for Family of 4 on a Budget #1.”
Produce
These are the fresh vegetables and fruits needed in the produce section for my meal plan this week.
| Items | Stater Bros. Price | Albertsons Price |
| 8 Bananas | $0.69 a lb = $2.32 | $0.69 a lb = $2.24 |
| Apples | Gala 3lb bag = $4.39 | Gala 3lb bag= $4.99 |
| Green Leafy Lettuce | 1 head Green Leaf= $1.69 | 1 head Romaine= $1.69 |
| Potatoes | 5lb bag Russet = $3.29 | 5lb bag Russet = $2.99 |
| Tomatoes x3 | $3.29 a lb/ large tomato =$4.90 | $1.99 a lb/ slicing tomato= $2.97 |
| Cucumber | $0.50 each | $0.99 each |
| Carrots | $0.99 a lb = $0.99 | $0.99 a lb = $0.99 |
| Totals: 7 Items | $18.08 | $16.86 |
Albertsons came in cheapest at $16.86. That was $1.22 cheaper than Stater Bros with $18.08.
Deli/Meats
Here are the items I will need from the deli and meat section of the stores.
| Items | Stater Bros. Price | Albertsons Price |
| Pepperoni | Stater Bros 6oz = $3.29 | Hormel 6oz = $3.99 * on sale* |
| Whole Chicken | $1.49 a lb/ 5lb = $7.45 | $1.79 a lb/5lb = $8.95 |
| Ground Turkey | Jennie-o fresh 1lb = $6.59 | Jennie-o fresh 1lb – $5.99 |
| Pork Loin | Smithfield 27.2oz = $8.69 | Farmer John 27.2oz = $6.99 *on sale* |
| Totals: 4 Items | $26.02 | $25.92 |
This was super close! Albertson was only $0.10 cheaper with a total of $25.92, compared to Stater Bros at $26.02.
Dry Goods
This is the center area of most grocery stores, and I call this area dry goods. It is all items that are considered shelf stable and are typically stored in a cabinet or on a pantry shelf.
| Items | Stater Bros. Price | Albertsons Price |
| Sandwich Bread | Country Harvest white bead 24oz = $1.79 | Value Corner white bread 16oz = $1.49 |
| Peanut Butter | Stater Bros 16.3oz jar= $2.29 | Signature Select 16oz jar= $2.99 |
| Oatmeal | Stater Bros 18oz container= $1.99 | Malt O Meal 16oz container = $2.49 |
| Raisins | Stater Bros mini boxes (6oz) = $1.99 | O organics mini boxes (6oz) = $2.99 |
| Canned Tuna Fish (2 cans) | Chicken of sea 5oz can (1.29 each) =$2.58 | Chicken of the Sea 5oz can (1.39 each)=$2.78 |
| Pasta | Pagasa Shells 7oz (0.45 each) x2= $0.90 | Anthony’s Rotini 16oz = $1.25 *on sale* |
| Zesty Italian Dressing | Wish Bone 8oz bottle = $1.99 | Wish Bone Italian Robusto 15oz = $1.99 *on sale* |
| Flour Tortillas | Romero’s 11oz pack = $0.99 | De Harina 10ct = $1.79 |
| Microwave Popcorn | Stater Bros 3ct 3.3oz = $1.79 | Signature Select 3ct = $1.99 |
| White Rice | Stater Bros 16oz bag =$.89 | Signature Select 32oz bag = $1.79 |
| Alfredo Sauce | Ragu 16 oz jar =$2.49 | Ragu 16oz jar = $2.50 * on sale* |
| Canned Corn | Stater Bros 15.5oz can = $0.85 | Signature Select 15.5oz can = $0.99 |
| Refried Beans | Stater Bros 16oz can = $0.89 | Signature Select 16oz can = $1.25 |
| Salsa | Stater Bros 15.5oz jar = $1.99 | Herdez Salsa 7oz can = $1.19 *on sale* |
| Canned Pineapple | Stater Bros 8oz can = $1.19 | Signature Select 20 oz can = $1.79 |
| All Purpose Flour | Stater Bros 2lb bag= $1.99 | Signature Select 2lb bag = $1.99 |
| Dry Active Yeast | Fleishmann’s 3ct = $1.99 | Red Star 3ct = $1.00 * on sale* |
| Brown Sugar | Stater Bros 32oz bag = $2.19 | Signature Select 16oz bag = $1.49 |
| Totals: 18 items | $30.78 | $33.75 |
Stater Bros came in cheapest at $30.78. This was $2.97 cheaper than Albertsons at $33.75.
Frozen Foods
This is the area in the store that typically has frozen meats, vegetables, fruits, and ice cream. We will mainly stick to the frozen veggie section.
| Items | Stater Bros. Price | Albertsons Price |
| Frozen Mixed Vegetables | Stater Bros. 16oz bag = $1.69 | Signature Select 16oz bag = $1.69 |
| Frozen Broccoli | Stater Bros. 12oz bag = $1.49 | Signature Select 12oz bag = $1.69 |
| Totals: 2 items | $3.18 | $3.38 |
Stater Bros squeaked in cheaper at $3.18, which was $0.20 less than Albertsons at $3.38.
Dairy
This is the final section of the store and will cover all dairy needs like cheeses and milk.
| Item: | Stater Bros. Price | Albertsons Price |
| Eggs | Stater Bros white 12ct= $3.09 | Eben Haezer white 12ct = $3.99 |
| 2% Milk (gallon) | Stater Bros 2% gallon= $4.29 | Value Corner 2% gallon= $3.99 |
| Cheddar cheese (shredded) | Stater Bros 8oz bag= $3.29 | Lucerne 8oz bag = $3.49 * on sale* |
| Mozzarella cheese (shredded) | Stater Bros 8oz bag= $3.29 | Lucerne 8oz bag = $3.49 * on sale* |
| Sour Cream | Stater Bros 8oz tub = $1.49 | Lucerne 8oz tub = $1.69 |
| Totals: 5 items | $15.45 | $16.65 |
Stater Broz came out ahead again with $15.45. This was $1.20 cheaper than Albertsons at $16.65.
Is Stater Brothers cheaper than Albertsons?
I really though Albertsons was going to lead in every section, but it switched over to Stater Bros.
| Section | Stater Bros. Price | Albertsons Price |
| Produce | $18.08 | $16.86 |
| Deli/Meats | $26.02 | $25.92 |
| Dry Goods | $30.78 | $33.75 |
| Frozen Foods | $3.18 | $3.38 |
| Dairy | $15.45 | $16.65 |
| Overall Total | $93.51 | $96.56 |
Stater Bros came in cheaper at $93.51. That was $3.05 cheaper than Albertsons at $96.56. By shopping at Stater Bros, you could potentially save about 3% on your grocery budget.
Since both grocery stores came out pretty close at the end, I would focus on their sales flyers. Most places let you view their flyers online.
I would make a solid meal plan based on what produce and meats are on sale. Then fill in my plan with needed dry goods and dairy.
For more grocery store price comparisons, check out “Albertsons vs Target” and “Kroger vs SaveALot.”
For more grocery store comparisons, check out “Fred Meyer vs Albertsons: Who is Cheaper?” and “Cub Foods vs Walmart: Who is Cheaper for Groceries?“
