Grocery Price Showdown: Jewel Osco vs Aldi
This week we will take a look at grocery prices from Jewel Osco (owned by Albertsons) and discount retailer Aldi.
We want to see exactly how much it will cost to complete a meal plan by only buying what is cheapest at each store. So, we will be looking at sale prices and stored brands mostly.
My goal is always to keep our grocery budget below $100, so let’s see if either store can do it!
Key Takeaways
- Aldi was the Winner at $96.85 but they were missing 2 items. (They were still $5.93/ 6% higher than Walmart)
- Jewel Osco had a ton of items on sale, and we got 7lbs worth of chicken at a great price!
- Shopping Jewel and Aldi would have come out to $93.32 (about $2.40/ 2.5% higher than Walmart)
Meal Plan and Grocery List
I think it is always best to compare prices using a real shopping list and not just random items. So, this week’s menu plan is for a family of four and covers breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snacks/sweet treat.
We priced this menu out at the Walmart Super Center in Chicago, IL and the total came out to $90.96. So, let’s see how Jewel Osco and Aldi compared!
Is Jewel Osco Cheaper than Aldi?
Jewel Osco is owned by Albertsons, so I am expecting some higher prices. Let’s see how they do this week!
| Ingredient | Jewel Osco Price |
| Apples (3lbs) | $ 3.99 *on sale* |
| Bananas (x4) | $ 0.92 |
| Tomato (x2) | $ 3.58 |
| Lettuce | $ 1.99 |
| Celery (1 bunch) | $ 2.99 |
| Carrots (1lb) | $ 1.29 |
| Potatoes (5lb) | $ 3.99 *on sale* |
| Coleslaw Mix (16oz) <14oz bag> | $ 0.99 *coupon* |
| Egg Roll Wrappers (20ct) | $ 3.00 *on sale* |
| Kielbasa/Smoked Sausage (14oz) <13.5oz> | $ 3.99 *on sale* |
| Ground Turkey (1lb) | $ 2.99 *on sale* |
| Chicken Breasts (5.5lbs) <7lbs= 2 packs of 3.5lbs> | $ 13.94 *on sale* |
| Tortillas (10ct) | $ 1.50 *on sale* |
| French Bread (loaf) | $ 1.69 *on sale* |
| Biscuit Mix (7oz) <8ct jumbo biscuits> | $ 2.79 *on sale* |
| Country Gravy Mix | $ 1.19 |
| Green Beans (14.5oz can) | $ 1.19 |
| Corn (15oz can) | $ 1.19 |
| Taco Seasoning | $ 0.99 *on sale* |
| White Rice (1lb) <2lb bag> | $ 1.67 *on sale* |
| Black Beans (15oz can) | $ 1.49 |
| Refried Beans (16oz can) | $ 1.89 *on sale* |
| Pasta (16oz) | $ 1.79 *on sale* |
| Chicken Breast (5oz can) | $ 2.49 |
| Hot Sauce | $ 1.49 *on sale* |
| Bacon Pieces (2.5oz bag) <2.8oz bag> | $ 3.00 *on sale* |
| Pesto Sauce | $ 3.50 *on sale* |
| Soy Sauce | $ 3.39 *on sale* |
| Ranch Seasoning | $ 2.49 |
| Frozen Spinach (12oz) <10oz> | $ 1.79 |
| Frozen Peaches (16oz) | $ 4.99 |
| Frozen Peas (12oz) | $ 1.99 *on sale* |
| Broccoli Stir Fry (20oz) <16oz bag> | $ 2.49 *on sale* |
| Mozzarella (8oz) | $ 2.50 *on sale* |
| Cheddar Cheese (32oz- two 16oz) | $ 7.99 *on sale* |
| Eggs (18ct) | $ 3.99 |
| Milk (gallon) | $ 2.99 |
| Cream Cheese (two 8oz blocks) | $ 6.00 *on sale* |
| Total: | $112.13 |
Jewel Osco came out with a total of $112.13. I am actually very impressed with this total. They had a ton of items that we needed on sale or with a coupon this week.
It is worth noting that we ended up buying 7lbs of chicken instead of the 5.5lbs, so this is a great way to get ahead for next week!
Is Aldi Cheaper than Jewel?
I always hear about how cheap Aldi prices are so let’s see how they do with our grocery list!
| Ingredient | Aldi Price |
| Apples (3lbs) | $3.29 |
| Bananas (x4) | $0.72 |
| Tomato (x2) <1lb bag> | $2.99 |
| Lettuce | $1.85 |
| Celery (1 bunch) | $1.99 |
| Carrots (1lb) <2lb bag> | $1.55 |
| Potatoes (5lb) | $3.65 |
| Coleslaw Mix (16oz) <3lb cabbage> | $2.37 |
| Egg Roll Wrappers (20ct) <did not carry> | $x |
| Kielbasa/Smoked Sausage (14oz) | $3.19 |
| Ground Turkey (1lb) | $3.05 |
| Chicken Breasts (5.5lbs) <5lbs> | $12.45 |
| Tortillas (10ct) | $2.15 |
| French Bread (loaf) | $1.75 |
| Biscuit Mix (7oz) <8 biscuits> | $2.05 |
| Country Gravy Mix <did not carry item> | $x |
| Green Beans (14.5oz can) | $0.69 |
| Corn (15oz can) | $0.69 |
| Taco Seasoning | $0.55 |
| White Rice (1lb) <3lb bag> | $2.95 |
| Black Beans (15oz can) | $0.89 |
| Refried Beans (16oz can) | $1.09 |
| Pasta (16oz) | $1.09 |
| Chicken Breast (5oz can) <12.5oz can> | $3.05 |
| Hot Sauce | $2.35 |
| Bacon Pieces (2.5oz bag) | $2.15 |
| Pesto Sauce | $2.45 |
| Soy Sauce | $1.75 |
| Ranch Seasoning | $0.55 |
| Frozen Spinach (12oz) <10oz bag> | $2.05 |
| Frozen Peaches (16oz) <substitute mango 24oz bag> | $4.85 |
| Frozen Peas (12oz) | $1.05 |
| Broccoli Stir Fry (20oz) <12oz bag> | $2.59 |
| Mozzarella (8oz) | $2.19 |
| Cheddar Cheese (32oz- two 16oz) | $7.69 |
| Eggs (18ct) <two-12cts> | $6.18 |
| Milk (gallon) | $3.05 |
| Cream Cheese (two 8oz blocks) | $3.90 |
| Total: | $96.85 |
Aldi came out with a total of $96.85 but there were two items (egg roll wrappers & country gravy mix) that they did not carry or have a substitution available.
So even though we could not finish our list here, they were $15.28 cheaper than Jewel but we would have to find those 2 items elsewhere.
Food for Thought
I always like to see if it is worth our time to shop both stores. So, if we just bought what was cheapest at Jewel and Aldi, our total would have been $93.32.
At first, this seems like only a $3.53 difference, but that $93.32 included all the items on our list so technically we would have to shop 2 stores if one of them was Aldi anyways.
Overall, I think it would definitely be worth it to go to both locations because a total of $93.32 was super close to our Walmart total of $90.96. This would be a great alternative if you are not a fan of Walmart!
If you want to check out how these prices compared in the Chicago area, check out the Showdown between Fresh Thyme and Mariano’s!
