Harris Teeter vs Walmart: Who is cheaper?
Harris Teeter is a very popular grocery store chain in the South Atlantic area of the US. They are also a part of the Kroger Company as of 2014. Walmart is available for grocery shopping in every state in the US.
We will be taking a full week of meals for a family and comparing prices at Walmart and Harris Teeter to determine which store is cheaper for groceries. Scroll to the end to see the final verdict!
Is Walmart cheaper than Harris Teeter?
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
- Ham and Mushroom Scrambled Eggs
- Biscuits with Sausage Gravy
- Vanilla Yogurt with Blueberries
- Cinnamon Toast with Strawberries
- Cheese Toast
Lunches
- Salad with Ham and Hard Boiled Eggs
- Baked Potato with Sour Cream
- Egg Salad with Saltines
- Grilled Cheese with Corn Chips
- Dinner Leftovers
Dinners
- Scalloped Potatoes with Ham and Cheddar Cheese
- Ground Beef and Mushroom Stroganoff (beef broth, green bell pepper, egg noodles, cream of mushroom soup, and sour cream)
- Ground Beef Chili over Brown Rice (canned tomatoes, kidney beans, chili powder, green bell pepper) with Canned Corn
- Grilled Chicken with Brown Rice and Peas
- Leftover Grilled Chicken with Cream Cheese Topping (ranch powder, fresh tomatoes, and cheddar cheese) and Butter Noodles
- Ham, Cheese, and Broccoli Stromboli
Snacks
- Celery sticks with ranch dressing
- Popcorn
- Corn Chips
Sweet Treat
- Saltine “Crack” Brittle
For this price comparison, I am using prices available in Charleston, South Carolina. 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 for Family of 4 on a Budget #6.”
Produce Section
This is all the fresh vegetables and fruits we need for the week.
| Item | Harris Teeter Price | Walmart Price |
| Mushrooms | 8 oz sliced = $1.99 | 8 oz sliced = $1.98 |
| Blueberries | 6oz container = $4.99 | 1 pint= $3.38 |
| Strawberries | 10oz container = $3.49 | 1 lb container = $2.38 |
| Potatoes | 5lb bag of Idaho potatoes = $4.49 *on sale* | 5lb bag of Russet Potatoes = $4.57 |
| Lettuce | 1 head green leaf= $2.29 | 1 head green leaf= $1.74 |
| Tomato x2 | $2.29 a lb= $2.56 | $1.98 a lb=$1.82 |
| Cucumber | $0.79 each | $0.62 each |
| Green Bell Pepper | $1.00 each *on sale* | $0.68 each |
| Celery | 1 stalk= $2.49 | 1 stalk= $1.98 |
| Total: (9 items) | $24.09 | $19.15 |
In the produce section, Walmart came out cheaper with a total of $19.15. This was $4.94 cheaper than Harris Teeter’s total of $24.09.
Deli/Meats
This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.
| Item | Harris Teeter Price | Walmart Price |
| Diced Ham | Smithfield 16oz pack = $5.99 | Farmland 16oz pack = $5.18 |
| 1lb ground beef | 80/20 ground beef= $3.99 a lb | 73% ground beef roll = $3.84 *on sale* |
| Chicken Breasts (4-6) | $2.99 a lb (4.65lbs)= $13.93 *on sale* | $2.94 a lb (5.1lbs)= $15.02 |
| Total: (3 items) | $23.91 | $24.04 |
In the meat section, Harris Teeter came out cheaper with a total of $23.91. This was $0.13 cheaper than Walmart’s total of $24.04.
Dry Goods
This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.
| Item | Harris Teeter Price | Walmart Price |
| Sausage Gravy Mix | Pioneer Gravy Mix 2.75oz = $1.39 | Southeastern Mill 2.75oz = $0.76 |
| Sandwich bread | Harris Teeter 20oz white= $1.59 | Great Value 20oz white= $1.00 |
| Saltines | Baker Harvest 16oz box = $1.19 | Great Value 16oz box = $1.12 |
| Corn Chips | RW Garcia 8.25oz bag = $4.45 | Great Value Corn Chips 9.25oz bag = $1.54 |
| Beef Broth | Harris Teeter 14oz can = $0.69 | Great Value 14.5oz can = $0.72 |
| Egg Noodles | Harris Teeter 16oz bag= $1.49 | Great Value 16oz bag= $1.43 |
| Cream of Mushroom Soup | Harris Teeter 10.5oz can = $0.99 | Great Value 10.5oz can = $0.68 |
| Canned Tomatoes | Harris Teeter 14.5oz can = $0.99 | Great Value 14.5oz can = $0.88 |
| Chili Powder | Smidge & Spoon 2.19oz jar= $1.49 | Great Value 3oz jar= $1.00 |
| Kidney Beans | Harris Teeter 15.5oz can = $0.89 | Great Value 15.5oz can = $0.78 |
| Brown Rice | Harris Teeter 2lb bag= $1.89 | Great Value 2lb bag= $1.37 |
| Ranch Seasoning | Hidden Valley 1oz pack = $1.50 *on sale* | Great Value 1oz pack = $0.50 |
| Ranch Dressing | Harris Teeter 16oz bottle = $2.18 *on sale* | Great Value 16oz bottle = $1.97 |
| Microwave Popcorn | Harris Teeter 3 pack/3oz= $1.50 *on sale* | Great Value 3pack/7.67oz= $1.36 |
| Brown Sugar | Harris Teeter 2lb bag= $1.99 | Great Value 2lb bag= $1.70 |
| Cinnamon | Smidge & Spoon 2.25oz jar= $1.49 *on sale* | Great Value 2.5oz jar= $1.18 |
| Chocolate Chips | Nestle 10oz bag = $2.75 | Great Value 12oz bag = $2.32 |
| Canned Corn | Harris Teeter 15.25oz can = $1.25 | Great Value 15.25oz can = $0.58 |
| Total: (18 items) | $29.71 | $20.89 |
In the dry goods section, Walmart came out cheaper with a total of $20.89. This was $.82 cheaper than Harris Teeter’s total of $29.71.
Frozen Foods
These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.
| Item | Harris Teeter Price | Walmart Price |
| Frozen Peas | Harris Teeter 12oz bag = $1.67 *on sale* | Great Value 12oz bag = $0.84 |
| Frozen Broccoli | Harris Teeter 12oz bag = $1.50 *on sale* | Great Value 12oz bag = $0.98 |
| Total: (2 items) | $3.17 | $1.82 |
In the frozen section, Walmart came out cheaper with a total of $1.82. This was $1.35 cheaper than Harris Teeter’s total of $3.17.
Dairy Section
These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.
| Item | Harris Teeter Price | Walmart Price |
| Eggs | Harris Teeter 12ct white = $1.99 *on sale* | Eggland’s Best 12ct white= $2.92 |
| 2% milk | Harris Teeter gallon = $4.19 | Great Value gallon = $3.62 |
| American Cheese | Harris Teeter 12oz white American = $2.00 *on sale* | Great Value 16oz white American = $2.48 |
| Shredded Cheddar Cheese | Harris Teeter 32oz bag= $7.99 *on sale* | Great Value 32oz bag = $7.48 |
| Vanilla Yogurt | Harris Teeter 32oz tub= $1.99 | Great Value 32oz tub= $2.36 |
| Sour Cream | Harris Teeter 8oz tub= $1.39 | Great Value 8oz tub= $1.16 |
| Cream Cheese Block | Harris Teeter 8oz block = $1.50 *on sale* | Great Value 8oz block = $1.94 |
| Biscuits | Harris Teeter 8ct = $1.99 *on sale* | Great Value 8ct = $0.74 |
| Total: (7 items) | $23.04 | $22.70 |
In the dairy section, Walmart came out cheaper with a total of $22.70. This was $0.34 cheaper than Harris Teeter’s total of $23.04.
Is Harris Teeter more expensive than Walmart?
Some sections were very close in price and others had a very large difference. Let’s look at the overall totals.
| Section | Harris Teeter Price | Walmart Price |
| Produce | $24.09 | $19.15 |
| Deli/Meats | $23.91 | $24.04 |
| Dry Goods | $29.71 | $20.89 |
| Frozen Foods | $3.17 | $1.82 |
| Dairy | $23.04 | $22.70 |
| Overall Total: (40 items) | $103.92 | $88.60 |
Overall, Walmart came out cheaper than Harris Teeter with a total of $88.60. This was $15.32 (about 15%) cheaper than Harris Teeter’s total of $103.92.
Even with lots of items being on sale at Harris Teeter, their prices were still higher than the everyday prices at Walmart. By switching your shopping to Walmart, you can potentially save a lot of money on your grocery budget every month.
For more grocery store price comparisons, check out “Is Walmart or Food Lion cheaper for groceries?” and “Ingles vs Walmart: Who is cheaper for Groceries?“
