Albertsons vs Walmart: Who has cheaper groceries?
As food prices keep going higher and higher, it is a good idea to compare prices at different grocery stores.
Today we are going to compare Walmart and Albertsons with the same grocery list and meal plan. We will determine which place is cheaper to buy groceries.
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Is Albertsons cheaper than Walmart?
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 Anaheim, 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 | Walmart Price | Albertsons Price |
| 8 Bananas | $0.42 cents lb =$1.36 | $0.69 a lb = $2.24 |
| Apples | Gala 3lb bag = $3.50 | Gala 3lb bag= $4.99 |
| Green Leafy Lettuce | 1 head Green Leaf=$1.98 | 1 head Romaine= $1.69 |
| Potatoes | 5lb bag Russet = $2.78 | 5lb bag Russet = $2.99 |
| Tomatoes x3 | $1.68 a lb/Slicing Tomato=$2.31 | $1.99 a lb/ slicing tomato= $3.00 |
| Cucumber | $0.60 each | $0.99 each |
| Carrots | 16oz bag = $0.67 | $0.99 a lb = $0.99 |
| Totals: 7 Items | $13.20 | $16.89 |
Not a bad start. Walmart is in the lead with $13.20, which was $3.69 cheaper than Albertsons at $16.89.
Deli/Meats
Here are the items I will need from the deli and meat section of the stores.
| Items | Walmart Prices | Albertsons Price |
| Pepperoni | 6oz Great Value Brand = $2.58 | Hormel 6oz = $3.99 |
| Whole Chicken | Southern Hens-$1.18 a lb/6.8 lb bird = $8.08 | $1.79 a lb/5lb = $8.95 |
| Ground Turkey | Festive Frozen Ground Turkey 1lb Roll = $2.54 | Jennie-o fresh 1lb – $5.99 |
| Pork Loin | Farmer John 1-1.9lb pork loin = $5.17 | Farmer John 27.2oz = $6.99 *on sale* |
| Totals: 4 Items | $18.37 | $25.92 |
Walmart has definitely pulled ahead with $18.37. This was $7.55 cheaper than Albertsons at $25.92.
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 | Walmart Prices | Albertsons Price |
| Sandwich Bread | Great Value Wheat Bread Loaf 20oz = $0.97 | Value Corner white bread 16oz = $1.49 |
| Peanut Butter | Great Value Creamy Peanut Butter 18oz = $1.74 | Signature Select 16oz jar= $2.99 |
| Oatmeal | Great Value Old Fashioned Oats 18oz container =$2.48 | Signature Select 18oz container= $2.99 |
| Raisins | Great Value mini boxes (6oz) = $1.64 | O organics mini boxes (6oz) = $2.99 |
| Canned Tuna Fish (2 cans) | Starkist Tuna in water 5oz (0.78 each) =$1.56 | Chicken of the Sea 5oz can (1.39 each)=$2.78 |
| Pasta | Great Value Bowties 16oz $0.92 | Anthony’s Rotini 16oz = $1.25 *on sale* |
| Zesty Italian Dressing | Great Value Zesty Italian 16 oz $1.97 | Wish Bone Italian Robusto 15oz = $1.99 *on sale* |
| Flour Tortillas | Romero’s 8 ct = $0.98 | De Harina 10ct = $1.79 |
| Microwave Popcorn | Great Value Microwave popcorn – 3bags $1.36 | Signature Select 3ct = $1.99 |
| White Rice | Great Value 1lb bag – $0.76 | Signature Select 32oz bag = $1.79 |
| Alfredo Sauce | Great Value Classic Alfredo Sauce 16 oz – $1.74 | Rago 16oz jar = $2.50 * on sale* |
| Canned Corn | Great Value Canned Corn 15.25 oz -$0.58 | Signature Select 15.5oz can = $0.99 |
| Refried Beans | Great Value Refried beans 16oz – $0.92 | Signature Select 16oz can = $1.25 |
| Salsa | Great Value thick and chunky Mild Salsa 24oz – $1.98 | Herdez Salsa 7oz can = $1.19 *on sale* |
| Canned Pineapple | Great Value Tidbits 20oz – $1.28 | Signature Select 20 oz can = $1.79 |
| All Purpose Flour | Great Value 5lb bag of flour – $1.96 | Signature Select 2lb bag = $1.99 |
| Dry Active Yeast | Great Value Fast Acting Yeast – 3ct – $0.86 | Signature Select 3ct = $0.99 |
| Brown Sugar | Great Value light brown sugar 32oz – $1.70 | Signature Select 16oz bag = $1.49 |
| Totals: 18 items | $25.40 | $34.24 |
Walmart came out on top again with $25.40. This was $8.84 cheaper than Albertsons at $34.24.
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 | Walmart Prices | Albertsons Price |
| Frozen Mixed Vegetables | Great Value Mixed Frozen Vegetables 12oz -$0.84 | Signature Select 16oz bag = $1.69 |
| Frozen Broccoli | Great Value Broccoli Florets 12oz – $0.98 | Signature Select 12oz bag = $1.69 |
| Totals: 2 items | $1.82 | $3.38 |
Walmart came in at $1.82, which was $1.56 cheaper 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: | Walmart Prices | Albertsons Price |
| Eggs | Eggland’s Best white 12ct = $3.48 | Lucerne white 12ct = $4.29 |
| 2% Milk (gallon) | Great Value Gallon – $3.63 | Value Corner 22% gallon= $3.99 |
| Cheddar cheese (shredded) | Great Value 8 oz bag – $2.22 | Lucerne 8oz bag = $3.49 * on sale* |
| Mozzarella cheese (shredded) | Great Value 8 oz bag – $2.22 | Lucerne 8oz bag = $3.49 * on sale* |
| Sour Cream | Great Value 8oz tub – $1.16 | Lucerne 8oz tub = $1.69 |
| Totals: 5 items | $12.71 | $16.95 |
Walmart came in ahead with $12.71, which was $4.24 cheaper than Albertsons at $16.95.
Is Albertsons or Walmart cheaper?
After carefully picking out our 36 items needed for this week’s meal plan, let’s look at the results!
| Section | Walmart Prices | Albertsons Price |
| Produce | $13.20 | $16.89 |
| Deli/Meats | $18.37 | $25.92 |
| Dry Goods | $25.40 | $34.24 |
| Frozen Foods | $1.82 | $3.38 |
| Dairy | $12.71 | $16.95 |
| Overall Total | $71.50 | $97.38 |
Walmart was the cheapest for groceries at $71.50. This was $25.88 cheaper than Albertsons at $97.38. By shopping at Walmart, you can potentially save about 26% on your grocery budget!
Even though a few items were on sale at Albertsons, there were very few deals that beat the regular Walmart prices. I would probably only shop super deals and loss leaders at Albertsons.
The best way to save money every week on your grocery budget is to make a solid meal plan and stick to it! If you budgeted $100 for this week, I would use the extra $28.50 to stock up on any good deals on meat to put in the freezer or pantry staples.
For more grocery store price comparisons, check out “Albertsons vs Target” and “Kroger vs SaveALot.”
For more grocery store comparisons, check out “Food Lion vs Target: Who is Cheaper?“
For more information about commonly expired foods in your pantry, check out “What happens if you eat expired Breadcrumbs?“
