Hy-Vee vs Baker’s: Who is Cheaper?
Hy-Vee is a medium sized grocery store chain with about 285 stores in 6 Midwest states. Baker’s is a regional grocery store chain that is run by the Kroger Company and has 11 stores in Nebraska.
We will take a grocery list of foods for a full week’s menu plan and compare prices at Hy-Vee and Baker’s Supermarket to determine who is cheaper for groceries. Scroll to the end to see the final verdict!
Is Bakers cheaper than Hy Vee?
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 Fremont, Nebraska. 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 | Hy-Vee Price | Baker’s Price |
| Mushrooms | 8 oz pack sliced= $2.69 | 8 oz pack whole= $2.29 |
| Blueberries | 1 pint= $2.99 *on sale* | 1 pint= $2.50 *on sale* |
| Strawberries | 16oz pack= $5.49 *on sale* | 16oz pack= $4.49 |
| Potatoes | 5lb bag of Russets= $2.99 *on sale* | 5lb bag of Russets= $1.99 *on sale* |
| Lettuce | 1 head iceberg= $1.99 *on sale* | 1 head iceberg= $2.19 |
| Tomato x2 | Greenhouse $1.06 each x2= $2.12 | Beefsteak $1.12 each x2= $2.24 |
| Cucumber | $0.79 each | $0.59 each *on sale* |
| Green Bell Pepper | $0.99 each | $0.79 each |
| Celery | 1 bunch= $1.68 *on sale* | 1 bunch= $1.69 |
| Total: (9 items) | $21.73 | $18.77 |
In the produce section, Baker’s came out cheaper with a total of $18.77. This was $2.96 cheaper than Hy-Vee’s total of $21.73.
Deli/Meats
This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.
| Item | Hy-Vee Price | Baker’s Price |
| Diced Ham | Hy-Vee 8oz pack= $2.99 *on sale* | Smithfield 8oz pack= $2.99 *on sale* |
| 1lb ground beef | Hy-Vee 80% 1 lb roll= $3.99 *on sale* | Kroger 73/27 1lb roll= $4.49 |
| Chicken Breasts (4-6) | Hy-Vee Value Pack $4.79 a lb (2.7lbs) = $12.93 *on sale* | Heritage Farms $2.99 a lb (4.7lbs)= $14.14 |
| Total: (3 items) | $19.91 | $21.62 |
In the meat section, Hy-Vee came out cheaper with a total of $19.91. This was $1.71 cheaper than Baker’s total of $21.62.
Baker’s was the better value for the meat section, since we were able to get 2 more pounds of chicken breasts.
Dry Goods
This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.
| Item | Hy-Vee Price | Baker’s Price |
| Sausage Gravy Mix | Hy-Vee 1.25oz pack= $0.99 | Pioneer 2.75oz pack= $1.25 *on sale* |
| Sandwich bread | That’s Smart 16oz white bread= $1.49 | Kroger 20oz white bread= $1.50 *on sale* |
| Saltines | Hy-Vee 16oz box= $2.59 | Kroger 16oz box= $1.79 |
| Corn Chips | Full Circle oz bag= $3.79 | Kroger 9oz bag= $1.99 |
| Beef Broth | Hy-Vee 14.5oz can= $1.06 | Kroger 14oz can= $0.69 *on sale* |
| Egg Noodles | Hy-Vee 12oz bag= $2.28 *on sale* | American beauty 12oz bag= $2.19 *on sale* |
| Cream of Mushroom Soup | That’s Smart 10.5oz can= $0.69 | Kroger 10.5oz can= $1.00 |
| Canned Tomatoes | That’s Smart 14.5oz can= $0.79 | Kroger 14.5oz can= $1.00 |
| Chili Powder | That’s Smart 2.75oz jar= $0.88 *on sale* | Smidge & Spoon 2.19oz jar= $1.25 |
| Kidney Beans | That’s Smart 15.5oz can= $0.85 | Kroger 15.5oz can= $0.89 |
| Brown Rice | Hy-Vee 1lb bag= $1.68 | Kroger 2lb bag= $1.50 *on sale* |
| Ranch Seasoning | Hy-Vee 1.12oz pack= $0.99 | Kroger 1oz pack= $0.69 *on sale* |
| Ranch Dressing | That’s Smart 16oz bottle= $1.88 | Kroger 16oz bottle= $1.99 *on sale* |
| Microwave Popcorn | Snappy 3ct bags= $1.99 | Cousin Willie’s 3ct bags= $2.29 *on sale* |
| Brown Sugar | That’s Smart 2lb bag= $1.99 | Kroger 2lb bag= $1.79 *on sale* |
| Cinnamon | That’s Smart 2.38oz jar= $0.88 *on sale* | Smidge & Spoon 2.25oz jar= $1.25 |
| Chocolate Chips | Hy-Vee 12oz bag= $1.66 *on sale* | Nestle 11.5oz bag= $2.50 *on sale* |
| Canned Corn | Hy-Vee 15.25oz can = $0.67 *on sale* | Kroger 15.25oz can = $0.95 |
| Total: (18 items) | $27.15 | $26.51 |
In the dry goods section, Baker’s came out cheaper with a total of $26.51. This was $0.64 cheaper than Hy-Vee’s total of $27.15.
Frozen Foods
These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.
| Item | Hy-Vee Price | Baker’s Price |
| Frozen Peas | Hy-Vee 10oz bag= $1.18 | Kroger 12oz bag= $1.25 |
| Frozen Broccoli | Bird’s Eye 10.8oz bag= $1.24 | Kroger 12oz bag= $1.25 |
| Total: (2 items) | $2.42 | $2.50 |
In the frozen section, Hy-Vee came out cheaper with a total of $2.42. This was $0.08 cheaper than Baker’s total of $2.50.
Dairy Section
These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.
| Item | Hy-Vee Price | Baker’s Price |
| Eggs | That’s Smart 12ct white eggs= $2.09 | Kroger 12ct white eggs=$2.09 |
| 2% milk | That’s Smart gallon= $3.99 | Dillon’s gallon= $2.19 |
| American Cheese | Hy-Vee 16ct= $3.29 *on sale* | Kroger 16ct= $2.29 |
| Shredded Cheddar Cheese | Hy-Vee 8oz bag= $2.69 *on sale* | Kroger 8oz bag= $2.59 |
| Vanilla Yogurt | Hy-Vee 32oz container= $3.39 | Kroger 32oz container= $2.69 |
| Sour Cream | Hy-Vee 8oz container= $1.69 | Kroger 8oz container= $1.49 |
| Cream Cheese Block | That’s Smart 8oz = $1.99 | Kroger 8oz= $2.19 |
| Biscuits | Hy-Vee 10ct= $0.98 | Kroger 8ct= $1.69 |
| Total: (7 items) | $20.11 | $17.22 |
In the dairy section, Baker’s came out cheaper with a total of $17.22. This was $2.89 cheaper than Hy-Vee’s total of $20.11.
Is Hy Vee more expensive than Bakers?
There was a lot of back and forth for who was cheaper in each section, so let’s look at the overall totals!
| Section | Hy-Vee Price | Baker’s Price |
| Produce | $21.73 | $18.77 |
| Deli/Meats | $19.91 | $21.62 |
| Dry Goods | $27.15 | $26.51 |
| Frozen Foods | $2.42 | $2.50 |
| Dairy | $20.11 | $17.22 |
| Overall Total: (40 items) | $91.32 | $86.62 |
Overall, Baker’s came out cheaper than Hy-Vee with a total of $86.62. This was $4.70 (about 5%) cheaper than Hy-Vee’s total of $91.32.
Both stores had decent prices in different sections, but I would primarily shop at Baker’s because of their produce and meat prices.
It would definitely help to shop each store’s weekly ad and get the best deals at each store. This could potentially save you a lot on your grocery budget.
Pair the ads up with a weekly meal plan and you will only buy what you need. This step is huge in saving money on groceries!
For more grocery store price comparisons, check out “Brookshire’s vs Aldi: Who is Cheaper?” and “Safeway vs King Soopers: Who is Cheaper?“
