Kroger vs Publix: Who has Cheaper Groceries?
Kroger is part of the largest supermarket chain in the US and currently operates 1238 Kroger stores in 16 states. Publix is a a fairly large regional chain of 1305 stores mainly in 7 southern states.
To determine if Kroger or Publix is cheaper for groceries, we will do a side-by-side price comparison of a week’s worth of groceries. Scroll to the end to see the final verdict!
Is Kroger cheaper than Publix?
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
- Mini Muffins with Extra Banana
- Cottage Cheese with Canned Peaches
- Eggies in a Basket with strawberries
- Rice Krispie Cereal with milk and Bananas
Lunches
- Bacon Turkey Sandwiches with Tortilla Chips
- Caesar Pasta Salad with leftover Parmesan Chicken
- Ham and Egg Salad sandwiches with Carrot Sticks
- Dinner Leftovers
Dinners
- Potato Soup with Bacon, Cheddar Cheese, and Broccoli
- Smothered Chicken and Rice with Side Salad
- Ham, Cheese & Spinach Pasta with Garlic Bread
- Garlic Butter Shrimp over Rice with Sauteed Carrots
- Chicken Fajita Bake with Corn & Black Beans
- Caesar Chicken with Potato Wedges and Green Beans
Snacks
- Carrot and Caesar Dressing
- Hard Boiled Eggs or Deviled Eggs
- Chips and Salsa
- Turkey and Cheese Rollups
Sweet Treat
- Rice Krispie Treats
For this price comparison, I am using prices available in Richmond, Virginia. 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 #9.”
Produce Section
This is all the fresh vegetables and fruits we need for the week.
| Item | Kroger Price | Publix Price |
| Banana x 5 | $0.21 each =$1.05 | $0.28each= $1.40 |
| Strawberries | 1lb container= $4.79 | 1lb container= $5.53 |
| Tomato (x1) | 1 beefsteak= $1.29 | 1 beefsteak= $2.54 |
| Lettuce | 1 head iceberg= $1.99 | 1 head green leaf= $3.29 |
| Lemon (x1) | $0.79 each | $0.63 each |
| Potatoes | 5lb russets= $3.29 | 5lb russets= $6.63 |
| Fresh Garlic | 1 head= $0.50 | 1 head= $0.82 |
| Carrots | 1lb baby carrots= $0.99 | 1lb bag= $1.43 |
| Bell Pepper x1 | Green= $0.79 each | Green= $1.51 each |
| Total: (9 items) | $15.48 | $23.78 |
In the produce section, Kroger came out cheaper with a total of $15.48. This was $8.30 cheaper than Publix’s total of $23.78.
Deli/Meats
This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.
| Item | Kroger Price | Publix Price |
| Bacon | Kroger 16oz pack= $4.79 | Publix 16oz pack= $5.87 |
| Turkey Lunchmeat | Bar S 10oz pack= $3.79 | Publix 9oz pack= $6.29 |
| Chicken Breasts (need 6) | Heritage Farm $1.99 a lb (4.72lbs) = $9.41 *on sale* | Springs Mountain 6ct bag= $10.99 |
| Ham Steaks | Smithfield 8oz pack= $2.99 *on sale* | Smithfield 8oz pack= $4.41 |
| Shrimp | Kroger Large Peel on 32oz bag= $7.99 *on sale* | Public medium 16oz bag= $13.29 |
| Total: (5 items) | $28.97 | $40.85 |
In the meat section, Kroger came out cheaper with a total of $29.87. This was $11.88 cheaper than Publix’s total of $40.85.
Dry Goods
This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.
| Item | Kroger Price | Publix Price |
| Muffin Mix | Martha White 7.6oz pack= $1.19 | Martha White 7.6oz pack= $1.75 |
| Canned peaches | Kroger 15oz can= $1.49 *on sale* | Del Monte 15.25oz can= $2.75 |
| Sandwich bread | Kroger 20oz white bread= $1.79 *on sale* | Publix 20oz white bread= $1.33 |
| Rice Krispie Cereal | Kroger 12oz box= $1.99 | Kellogg’s 9oz box= $6.09 |
| Marshmallows | Kroger 10oz bag mini marshmallows= $0.50 *on sale* | Publix 10.5oz bag= $1.65 |
| Caesar Dressing | Kroger 16oz bottle= $1.99 *on sale* | Ken’s 9oz bottle= $2.75 |
| French Bread Loaf | 16oz bakery loaf= $2.00 *on sale* | Publix Bakery loaf= $2.53 |
| Mayonnaise | Kroger 15oz jar= $3.29 | Hellman’s 6oz bottle= $3.87 |
| Canned green beans | Kroger 14.5oz can= $0.89 | Publix 14.5oz can= $1.31 |
| White Rice | Kroger 2lb bag= $1.50 *on sale* | Publix 1lb bag= $1.43 |
| Cream of Chicken Soup | Kroger 10.5oz can= $1.00 | Publix 10.5oz can= $1.03 |
| Canned Corn | Kroger 14.5oz can= $0.89 | Publix 14.5oz can= $1.31 |
| Canned Black Beans | Kroger 15.25oz can= $0.79 | Publix 15oz can= $0.94 |
| Salsa | Kroger 16oz jar= $1.50 *on sale* | Publix 16oz jar= $2.75 |
| Taco Seasoning | Kroger 1.25oz pack= $0.49 | Publix 1.25oz pack= $1.09 |
| Tortilla Chips | Kroger 10oz bag= $1.99 | Publix 9oz bag= $3.31 |
| Pasta | San Giorgio 16oz Elbow Macaroni= $1.25 *on sale* | Publix 16oz rotini= $1.43 |
| Total: (17 items) | $24.64 | $37.32 |
In the dry goods section, Kroger came out cheaper with a total of $24.64. This was $12.68 cheaper than Publix’s total of $37.32.
Frozen Foods
These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.
| Item | Kroger Price | Publix Price |
| Frozen Broccoli | Kroger 12oz bag= $1.25 | Brid’s Eye 10.58oz bag= $2.57 |
| Frozen Spinach | Kroger 12oz bag= $1.69 | Publix 10oz bag= $1.71 |
| Total: (2 items) | $2.94 | $4.28 |
In the frozen section, Kroger came out cheaper with a total of $2.94. This was $1.34 cheaper than Publix’s total of $4.28.
Dairy Section
These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.
| Item | Kroger Price | Publix Price |
| Cottage Cheese | Kroger 24oz container= $2.49 *on sale* | Publix 24oz container= $4.41 |
| Eggs | Kroger 12ct white eggs= $2.99 | Publix 12ct white eggs= $4.41 |
| Milk | Kroger gallon= $2.99 | Publix gallon =$4.09 |
| Butter | Kroger 1lb= $4.79 | Publix 1lb=$5.53 |
| Parmesan cheese | Kroger 6oz bag= $2.49 | Publix 6oz bag= $3.29 |
| Cheddar Cheese (16oz) | Kroger 16oz bag= $4.29 | Publix 16oz bag= $6.63 |
| Cream Cheese | Kroger 8oz block= $1.99 | Publix 8oz block= $2.21 *on sale* |
| Total: (7 items) | $22.03 | $30.57 |
In the dairy section, Kroger came out cheaper with a total of $22.03. This was $8.54 cheaper than Publix’s total of $30.57.
Is Publix more expensive than Kroger?
Kroger was cheaper in every section, but let’s look at the overall totals.
| Section | Kroger Price | Publix Price |
| Produce | $15.48 | $23.78 |
| Deli/Meats | $28.97 | $40.85 |
| Dry Goods | $24.64 | $37.32 |
| Frozen Foods | $2.94 | $4.28 |
| Dairy | $22.03 | $30.57 |
| Overall Total: (40 items) | $94.06 | $136.80 |
Overall, Kroger was much cheaper than Publix with a total of $94.06. This was $42.74 (about 31%) cheaper than Publix’s total of $136.80.
Hands down the better choice for cheaper groceries would be to shop at Kroger. Out of 40 items, Publix was only cheaper on one item (1 lemon).
I would definitely take a look at the Publix ad for any loss leader items, but other than that, I would not recommend your weekly shopping to be done there if you are wanting to lower your grocery budget. Kroger would be a much better option out of these two stores.
For more grocery store price comparisons, check out “Harris Teeter vs Publix: Who is Cheaper?” and “Food Lion vs Kroger: Who is Cheaper?“
