Fred Meyer vs Albertsons: Who is Cheaper?
If you are shopping in Idaho, you are probably familiar with Fred Meyer and Albertsons. Fred Meyer is actually part of the Kroger Company and Albertsons is the 2nd largest grocery chain in the US. (Fun Fact: Kroger is number 1)
Let’s pit these two grocery store giants against each other in one town to see which store comes out cheaper for a week’s worth of meals. Scroll to the end to see the final verdict!
Is Fred Meyer more expensive than Albertsons?
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
- Scrambled Eggs with Bacon and Toast
- Banana Pancakes with Syrup
- Peanut Butter Banana Oatmeal Bars
Lunches
- Leftover Chicken Salad with Raisins Sandwiches
- Black Bean Hummus (using leftover black beans) with Homemade Potato Chips and Carrots
- Taco Salads (leftover taco meat)
- Baked Potatoes with Sour Cream, Cheese, and Bacon
- Dinner Leftovers
Dinners
- Lentil Veggie Soup (using dry lentils, canned tomatoes, chicken broth made from whole chicken, and frozen mixed vegetables)
- Baked BBQ Pork Chops with Carrot Raisin Salad (mayo, lemon juice, & maple syrup), and Baked Potato Wedges
- Chicken Carbonara-ish Pasta with Bacon and Frozen Peas (alfredo sauce with Italian seasoning) *using leftover chicken*
- Whole Baked Chicken with Brown Rice and Baked Carrots
- 1/2lb Ground Turkey and Black Bean Tacos (with lettuce, tomato, cheese, sour cream) and Brown Rice
- 1/2lb Ground Turkey Chili with Cornbread and Side Salad with lemon juice & oil dressing
Snacks
- Bananas
- Carrots
- Popcorn
Sweet Treat
- Cinnamon Raisin Bread Pudding
For this price comparison, I am using prices available in Boise, Idaho. 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.
Produce Section
This is all the fresh vegetables and fruits we need for the week.
| Item | Fred Meyer Price | Albertsons Price |
| 8 bananas | $0.59 a lb = $2.00 | $0.59 a lb = $1.92 |
| Potatoes | Russet 5lb bag = $2.29 | Russet 5lb bag = $2.49 |
| Carrots | $0.99 a lb = $0.99 | $0.89 a lb = $0.89 |
| Leafy Green Lettuce | 1 head = $1.99 | 1 head = $1.69 |
| 1 Tomato | $1.99 a lb = $1.12 | $2.49 a lb = $1.25 |
| 1 Cucumber | $0.79 each | $0.79 each |
| 2 lemons | $0.99 each x 2= $1.98 | $0.89 each x 2= $1.78 |
| Total: (7 items) | $11.16 | $10.81 |
We are off to a tight race; Albertsons had a total of $10.81 which was $0.35 cheaper than Fred Meyer.
Deli/Meats
This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.
| Item | Fred Meyer Price | Albertsons Price |
| Pork Chops | Thin Pork Loin chops (about 10) $3.77 a lb= $4.90 | Pork Sirloin Chops ( 1.25lb) $4.99 a lb = $6.24 |
| Whole Chicken | $1.49 a lb (5.5lbs) = $8.20 | $1.99 a lb (4.5lbs) = $8.96 |
| Precooked Bacon | Hormel 2.52oz box = $3.79 * on sale* | Signature Select 2.1oz box = $3.99 |
| 1lb ground turkey | Jennie-O 1lb roll = $3.69 | Jennie-O 1lb roll = $3.99 |
| Total: (4 items) | $19.45 | $23.18 |
Fred Meyer came in cheaper for meat at $19.45. This was $3.73 cheaper than Albertsons at $23.18.
Dry Goods
This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.
| Item | Fred Meyer Price | Albertsons Price |
| Peanut Butter | Kroger 16oz = $1.74 | Signature Select 16oz jar = $2.49 * on sale* |
| Sandwich Bread | Kroger white bread 20oz= $1.33 * on sale* | Signature Select white bread 16oz = $1.69 |
| Pancake Syrup | Kroger 24oz bottle = $1.99 | Value Corner 24oz bottle = $2.49 |
| Oatmeal | Kroger 18oz container = $1.99 | Signature Select 18oz container = $3.49 |
| Brown Sugar | Kroger 32oz bag = $1.89 | Signature Select 32oz bag = $2.29 |
| Mayonnaise | Kroger 12oz jar= $2.99 | Signature Select 15oz jar = $2.89 |
| Raisins | Kroger mini boxes (6oz) =$1.59 | O Organics mini boxes (6oz) = $2.49 |
| Black Beans dried | La Preferida 16oz bag= $1.69 *on sale* | Signature Select 16oz bag = $2.49 |
| Lentils (dry) | Kroger 16oz bag = $1.99 | Signature Select 16oz bag = $2.49 |
| Canned tomatoes x 2 | Kroger 14.5 oz $0.79 each x2= $1.58 | Signature Select 14.5oz $1.49 each x 2= $2.98 |
| BBQ sauce | Kraft 18oz bottle = $1.25 * on sale* | Signature Select 1oz bottle = $1.69 * on sale* |
| Alfredo Sauce | Kroger 16oz jar = $1.99 | Francesco Rinaldi 16oz jar = $2.49 |
| Brown Rice | Kroger 16oz bag = $1.09 | Signature Select 16oz bag = $1.49 |
| Taco Seasoning | Kroger 1.25oz pack = $0.39 | Signature Select 1oz pack = $0.89 |
| Flour Tortillas | Mission 12ct = $1.99 * on sale* | Signature Select 10ct = $2.29 |
| Kidney Beans | Kroger 15.5 oz can = $0.79 | Signature Select 15.5 oz can = $0.99 |
| Chili Powder | Smidge & Spoon 2.19oz = $1.25 | Signature Select 2.5oz = $3.19 |
| Cornbread Mix | Jiffy 8.5oz box = $0.65 | Betty Crocker 8.5oz pack = $1.29 |
| Microwave Popcorn | Pop Secret 6ct 3.2oz = $2.50 * on sale* | Signature Select 3ct 3.2oz = $1.79 * on sale* |
| Total: (18 items) | $30.68 | $41.90 |
Fred Meyer was definitely cheaper at $30.68. This was $11.22 cheaper than Albertsons at $41.90.
Frozen Foods
These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.
| Item | Fred Meyer Price | Albertsons Price |
| Frozen Mixed Vegetables | Kroger 12oz bag = $1.00 | Signature Select 16oz bag = $2.49 |
| Frozen Peas | Kroger 12oz bag = $1.00 | PictSweet Farms 10oz bag = $1.50 * on sale* |
| Total: (2 items) | $2.00 | $3.99 |
Fred Meyer was cheaper again with $2.00 compared to Albertsons at $3.99. Total difference of $1.99.
Dairy Section
These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.
| Item | Fred Meyer Price | Albertsons Price |
| Eggs | Kroger large 12ct = $1.99 | Lucerne large 12ct = $2.69 |
| Sour Cream | Kroger 8oz tub = $1.39 | Lucerne 8oz tub $1.39 |
| Shredded Cheddar Cheese | Kroger 8oz bag= $2.00 * on sale* | Lucerne 8oz bag = $2.99 |
| Shredded Mozzarella Cheese | Kroger 8oz bag= $2.00 * on sale* | Lucerne 8oz bag = $2.99 |
| Butter (sticks) | Kroger 1lb = $3.79 | Lucerne 1lb = $3.79 |
| Milk | Kroger 2% gallon= $3.19 | Lucerne 2% gallon = $3.59 |
| Total: (6 items) | $14.36 | $17.44 |
Fred Meyer came out cheapest at $14.26. That was $3.08 cheaper than Albertsons at $17.44.
Is Albertsons or Fred Meyer cheaper?
I thought this was going to be a close race, but I have a good idea who came out cheaper.
| Section | Fred Meyer Price | Albertsons Price |
| Produce | $11.16 | $10.81 |
| Deli/Meats | $19.45 | $23.18 |
| Dry Goods | $30.68 | $41.90 |
| Frozen Foods | $2.00 | $3.99 |
| Dairy | $14.36 | $17.44 |
| Overall Total: (37 items) | $77.65 | $97.32 |
Fred Meyer came out cheaper than Albertsons with a total of $77.65. This was $19.67 cheaper than Albertsons total of $97.32. This means by shopping at Fred Meyer we potentially can save 20% on our grocery budget.
To make your grocery budget even better you can use the Fred Meyer’s sales flyer to plan a solid meal plan and use items that are good deals. This also give you an opportunity to stock up on pantry staples and discounted meats!
For more grocery store comparisons, check out “Fred Meyer vs Safeway: Cheapest Grocery Store?” and “Fred Meyer or Walmart: Who is Cheaper?“
