Meijer vs Jewel Osco: Who is cheaper for Groceries?
Meijer is a common grocery store chain in the Midwest with about 250 stores. Jewel Osco is part of the Albertson Company and operates about 188 stores in Indiania, Illinois, and Iowa.
We are going to price compare 1 weeks’ worth of groceries for a family of 4 to determine if Jewel Osco or Meijer is cheaper for groceries. Scroll to the end to see the final verdict!
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Is Meijer cheaper than Jewel?
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 Dyer, Indiania. 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 | Meijer Price | Jewel Osco Price |
| Mushrooms | True Goodness 8oz pack= $2.69 | Signature Farms 8oz pack = $0.99 *on sale* |
| Blueberries | 1 pint= $3.49 | 1 pint= $3.99 *on sale* |
| Strawberries | 1lb pack= $2.29 | 1lb pack= $3.99 |
| Potatoes | 5lb bag of russets = $3.89 | 5lb bag of Signature Farms gold potatoes= $4.99 |
| Lettuce | 1 head green leaf= $1.89 | 1 head romaine = $1.99 |
| Tomato x2 | Greenhouse tomatoes $1.00 each = $2.00 | On the vine $0.66 each = $1.32 |
| Cucumber | $0.56 each *on sale* | $0.99 each |
| Green Bell Pepper | $0.69 each *on sale* | $0.99 each |
| Celery | 1 head= $2.39 | 1 head= $1.99 |
| Total: (9 items) | $19.89 | $21.24 |
In the produce section, Meijer came out cheaper with a total of $19.89. This was $1.35 cheaper than Jewel’s total of $21.24.
Deli/Meats
This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.
| Item | Meijer Price | Jewel Osco Price |
| Diced Ham | Meijer 8oz pack = $2.99 | John Morell 8oz pack = $3.49 |
| 1lb ground beef | National beef 81/19 1lb roll = $4.99 | 85/15 fresh ground= $3.99 *on sale* |
| Chicken Breasts (4-6) | Tyson 40oz frozen breasts= $11.99 | Tyson 40oz frozen breasts= $14.49 |
| Total: (3 items) | $19.97 | $21.97 |
In the meat section, Meijer came out cheaper with a total of $19.97. This was $2.00 cheaper than Jewel’s total of $21.97.
Dry Goods
This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.
| Item | Meijer Price | Jewel Osco Price |
| Sausage Gravy Mix | Meijer country gravy mix 1.15oz pack= $0.95 | Pioneer gravy mix 2.75oz pack= $1.69 |
| Sandwich bread | Meijer 20oz white= $1.79 | Jewel 16oz white= $2.00 *on sale* |
| Saltines | Meijer 16oz box = $1.99 | Signature Select 16oz box = $4.29 |
| Corn Chips | Meijer 10oz bag = $1.99 | Bugles 6oz bag = $3.49 *on sale* |
| Beef Broth | Meijer 14.5oz can = $0.69 | Signature Select 14.5oz can = $1.25 *on sale* |
| Egg Noodles | Meijer 16oz bag= $1.49 | Signature Select 16oz bag= $2.29 |
| Cream of Mushroom Soup | Meijer 10.5oz can = $0.59 | Signature Select 10.5oz can = $0.99 *on sale* |
| Canned Tomatoes | Meijer 14.5 oz can = $0.75 | Signature Select 14.5oz can = $1.29 |
| Chili Powder | Meijer 2.5oz jar = $2.39 | Signature Select 2.5oz jar= $2.79 |
| Kidney Beans | Meijer 15.5oz can = $0.79 | Signature Select 15.5oz can = $1.25 *on sale* |
| Brown Rice | Riceland 1lb bag= $1.19 | Riceland 2lb bag= $1.99 *on sale* |
| Ranch Seasoning | Hidden Valley 1pack= $1.99 | Simply Organic 1 pack = $1.49 *on sale* |
| Ranch Dressing | Meijer 16oz bottle = $1.99 | Signature Select 16oz bottle = $1.99 *on sale* |
| Microwave Popcorn | Meijer 3 bags /7.2oz= $1.99 | Signature Select 3bags/3.2oz= $2.00 *on sale* |
| Brown Sugar | Meijer 1lb bag= $1.49 | Signature Select 1lb bag= $1.99 |
| Cinnamon | Meijer 2.37oz jar= $3.19 | Signature Select 2.37oz jar= $2.99 |
| Chocolate Chips | Meijer 12oz bag= $2.09 | Signature Select 12oz bag= $2.99 |
| Canned Corn | Meijer 15oz can = $0.59 | Signature Select 15.25oz can = $0.99 |
| Total: (18 items) | $27.94 | $37.76 |
In the dry goods section, Meijer came out cheaper with a total of $27.94. This was $9.82 cheaper than Jewel’s total of $37.76.
Frozen Foods
These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.
| Item | Meijer Price | Jewel Osco Price |
| Frozen Peas | Meijer 12oz bag = $0.79 | Signature Select 16oz bag = $1.25 *on sale* |
| Frozen Broccoli | Meijer 12oz bag = $0.79 | Signature Select 16oz bag = $1.79 *on sale* |
| Total: (2 items) | $1.58 | $3.04 |
In the frozen section, Meijer came out cheaper with a total of $1.58. This was $1.46 cheaper than Jewel’s total of $3.04.
Dairy Section
These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.
| Item | Meijer Price | Jewel Osco Price |
| Eggs | Meijer 12ct white= $2.39 | Jewel 12ct white= $2.79 *on sale* |
| 2% milk | Meijer gallon= $3.22 | Jewel gallon= $2.99 |
| American Cheese | Meijer 12oz/6 slices= $2.09 | Lucerne 12oz/16 slices= $3.29 |
| Shredded Cheddar Cheese | Meijer 1lb bag= $3.49 *on sale* | Lucerne 8oz bag x2= $5.58 |
| Vanilla Yogurt | Meijer 32oz container = $2.79 | Lucerne 32oz container= $3.49 |
| Sour Cream | Meijer 8oz tub= $1.25 | Lucerne 8oz tub= $1.49 |
| Cream Cheese Block | Meijer 8oz block= $1.59 | Lucerne 8oz block = $3.29 |
| Biscuits | Meijer 16oz =$1.99 | Signature Select 16oz= $2.29 |
| Total: (7 items) | $18.81 | $25.21 |
In the dairy section, Meijer came out cheaper with a total of $18.81. This was $6.40 cheaper than Jewel’s total of $25.21.
Is Jewel Osco more expensive than Meijer?
Meijer came in cheaper for every section, so let’s see how the overall totals came out.
| Section | Meijer Price | Jewel Osco Price |
| Produce | $19.89 | $21.24 |
| Deli/Meats | $19.97 | $21.97 |
| Dry Goods | $27.94 | $37.76 |
| Frozen Foods | $1.58 | $3.04 |
| Dairy | $18.81 | $25.21 |
| Overall Total: (40 items) | $88.19 | $109.22 |
Overall Meijer was cheaper than Jewel Osco with a total of $88.19. This was $21.03 (about 19%) cheaper than Jewel’s total of $109.22.
Even though a lot of items were on sale at Jewel’s, the sale prices were still higher than the regular prices at Meijer.
By switching your shopping to Meijer, you can potentially save almost 20% on your grocery budget and that can make a huge difference.
If you love Jewl Osco, you may want to take advantage of their FreshPass. You get monthly credits, free delivery, and they are currently offering $20 off your first order. You can also sign up for a free 30-day trial!
For more grocery store price comparisons, check out “Meijer vs Target: Who has cheaper groceries?” and “Meijer vs Walmart: Who is cheaper?“
