Ralph’s vs Pavilions: Who is Cheaper for Groceries?
One of the few things that we can do to lower our grocery budget, is to price compare the local stores around us. This helps us know which stores gives us the most for our money.
Today we will take a weeklong meal plan for a family of 4 and shop at Ralphs and Pavilions. At the end, we will see which store is the cheapest for groceries!
Is Ralphs cheaper than Pavilions?
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
- Bagels & Cream Cheese with Bananas
- Breakfast Casserole with sausage, hashbrowns, and cheddar cheese
- Hard Boiled Egg, Toast, and Orange Slices
- Scrambled Egg and Veggies (peppers, tomato, and mushrooms) Tortillas and Cinnamon Apples
Lunches
- Rice & Bean Burritos & Apple Slices
- Buffalo Chicken Dip (made with leftover chicken from leg quarters) with Carrots and Celery
- Leftover Pasta Bake & Salad
- Leftover Soup with Bread
- Homemade Hummus and Saltines
Dinners
- Fajita Chicken Breasts with Tortillas, Yellow Rice, & Refried Beans
- Pineapple Brown Sugar Pork Chops with Roasted Potatoes and Broccoli
- Cheesy Ground Turkey Potato Boats with Sauteed Cabbage
- Roasted Chicken Quarters with Mushroom Pasta and Green Beans
- Cheesy Chicken Broccoli Pasta Bake with Side Salad with Chickpeas & Tomato
- Ground Turkey & Vegetable Soup with Grilled Cheese
Snacks
- Carrots and Celery
- Orange Slices
- Hummus & Crackers
- Pineapple Chunks
- Apples
Sweet Treat
- Cinnamon Sugar Donut Holes
For this price comparison, I am using prices available in Thousand Oaks, California. 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 Week #10 (Kid-Friendly, Healthy, & on a Budget)“
Produce Section
This is all the fresh vegetables and fruits we need for the week.
| Item | Ralphs Price | Pavilions Price |
| Bananas x5 | $0.32 each= $1.60 | $0.32 each= $1.60 |
| Onions x2 | White onions $0.50 each= $1.00 | White onions $1.49 each= $2.98 |
| Oranges | 3lb bag of navel oranges= $4.99 | 4lb bag of navel oranges= $4.99 |
| Bell Peppers x2 | Green $0.99 each= $1.98 | Green $1.49 each= $2.98 |
| Mushrooms | 8 oz whole= $2.49 | 8 oz whole= $2.99 |
| Apples | 5lb bag of Gala apples= $3.99 | 3lb bag of Fuji apples= $4.99 |
| Carrots | 1lb= $0.99 | 1lb= $0.99 |
| Celery | 1 bunch= $1.99 | 1 bunch= $2.69 |
| Potatoes | 5lb bag of Russets= $3.49 | 5lb bag of Russets= $4.79 |
| Cabbage | 1 head= $2.48 | 1 head= $1.98 |
| Lettuce | 1 head Iceberg= $1.99 | 1 head Romaine = $2.49 |
| Tomato | Regular $1.50 each | Red on the Vine $0.99 each |
| Total: (12 items) | $28.49 | $34.46 |
In the produce section, Ralph’s was cheaper with a total of $28.49. This was $5.97 cheaper than Pavilion’s total of $34.46
Deli/Meats
This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.
| Item | Ralphs Price | Pavilions Price |
| Breakfast Sausage | Reynaldo’s 11oz sausage= $1.59 | Banquet 6.4oz links= $2.00 |
| Chicken Breasts (4-5 needed) | Simple Truth 6.99 a lb (1.1lbs)= $7.62 | O Organics (1lb)= $5.99 |
| Chicken Quarters (need 2-3) | Foster Farms 4lbs thighs & legs= $12.80 | Signature Farms Leg Quarters 4.5lbs= $8.96 |
| Pork Chops (need 4) | AdapTable 16oz = $5.99 | Bone-in 1lb= $4.99 |
| Ground Turkey | Jennie-O 1lb roll= $4.49 | Jennie-O 1lb fresh= $3.99 *on sale* |
| Total: (5 items) | $32.49 | $25.93 |
In the meat section, Pavilions came out cheaper with a total of $25.93. This was $6.56 cheaper than Ralph’s total of $32.49.
It is worth noting that most of the chicken at Raph’s was boneless, it was very difficult to find chicken on the bone in any cut. We need the bones to make chicken broth.
Dry Goods
This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.
| Item | Ralphs Price | Pavilions Price |
| Bagels | Kroger 6ct= $2.99 | Signature Select 6ct= $2.99 |
| Baking Mix | Pearl Millin 32oz box= $2.99 *on sale* | Krusteaz 26oz box= $3.99 *on sale* |
| Sandwich Bread | Kroger 20oz white= $1.99 | Signature Select 20oz white= $1.99 |
| Cinnamon | Smidge & Spoon 2.25oz jar= $1.25 *on sale* | Signature Select 2.37oz jar= $3.49 |
| White Sugar | Imperial Sugar 2lb bag= $2.19 | C&H sugar 1lb box= $2.49 |
| Tortillas | La Banderita 10ct= $1.25 *on sale* | De Harina 10ct= $1.99 *on sale* |
| Yellow Rice | Mahatma 5oz bag= $1.19 | Mahatma 10oz bag= $1.29 *on sale* |
| Refried Beans | Kroger 16oz can= $1.00 *on sale* | Rosarita 16oz can= $1.99 *on sale* |
| Hot Sauce | Red Rooster 6oz bottle= $1.00 *on sale* | Signature Select 2oz bottle=$1.49 |
| Ranch Dressing | Smart Way 16oz bottle= $1.67 *on sale* | Signature Select 16oz bottle= $2.99 |
| Canned Chickpeas | Kroger 15.5oz can= $1.19 | Bush’s 16oz can= $1.79 *on sale* |
| Saltine Crackers | Kroger 16oz box= $1.99 *on sale* | Signature Select 16oz box= $2.99 |
| Canned Pineapple | Kroger 20oz can= $1.79 | Signature Select 20oz can= $1.99 |
| Brown Sugar | C & H 1lb box= $2.49 | Signature Select 16oz bag= $1.49 |
| Dry Pasta (Penne) | Kroger 16oz box= $1.39 | Signature Select 16oz box= $1.49 |
| Canned Green Beans | Kroger 14.5oz can= $0.99 | Signature Select 14.5oz can= $1.29 |
| Total: (16 items) | $27.36 | $35.74 |
In the dry goods section, Ralph’s came out cheaper with a total of $27.36. This was $8.38 cheaper than Pavilion’s total of $35.74.
Frozen Foods
These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.
| Item | Ralphs Price | Pavilions Price |
| Frozen Hash Browns | Kroger 22.5oz bag= $3.29 | Glacier Gold 10ct patties= $3.99 |
| Frozen Broccoli | Kroger 12oz bag= $1.25 | Green Giant 12oz bag= $2.49 *on sale* |
| Total: (2 items) | $4.54 | $6.48 |
In the frozen section, Ralph’s came out cheaper with a total of $4.54. This was $1.94 cheaper than Pavilion’s total of $6.48.
Dairy Section
These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.
| Item | Ralphs Price | Pavilions Price |
| Cream Cheese (two 8oz blocks) | Kroger 2 pack= $4.49 | Lucerne $2.49 each x2= $4.98 |
| Cheddar Cheese (16oz) | Kroger 16oz block= $4.99 | Lucerne 16oz block= $4.99 |
| Eggs | Kroger large white 12ct= $5.99 | Lucerne large white 12ct= $5.99 |
| Milk | Ralph’s gallon= $3.49 *on sale* | Value Corner gallon= $3.99 |
| Sliced Cheese | Kroger 24ct American= $3.49 | Lucerne 16ct American= $3.99 |
| Total: (5 items) | $22.45 | $23.94 |
In the dairy section, Ralph’s came out cheaper with a total of $22.45. This was $1.49 cheaper than Pavilion’s total of $23.94.
Is Pavilions more expensive than Ralph’s?
Ralph’s came out cheaper in most sections, but let’s look at the overall totals.
| Section | Ralphs Price | Pavilions Price |
| Produce | $28.49 | $34.46 |
| Deli/Meats | $32.49 | $25.93 |
| Dry Goods | $27.36 | $35.74 |
| Frozen Foods | $4.54 | $6.48 |
| Dairy | $22.45 | $23.94 |
| Overall Total: (40 items) | $115.33 | $126.55 |
Overall, Ralph’s was cheaper than Pavilions with a total of $115.33. This was $11.22 (about 9%) cheaper than Pavilions total of $126.55.
If I was able to make two trips, I would shop meat and sales at Pavilions and everything else at Ralph’s. Ralph’s tends to have lower prices, so if I was only going to one store for a full week, I would go there.
To save more money at Ralph’s, I would check out their digital coupons, cashback offers, and more savings on their website. If you like pick-up or delivery, check out their section on deals like 30 day free trial of Boost. This gives you double points and free delivery on groceries.
To save more money at Pavilions, I would check out their digital deals as well as their 30 day free trial of Fresh Pass. This gives you discounts on orders and free delivery on groceries.
For more grocery store price comparisons, check out “Smart & Final vs Ralphs” and “Albertsons vs Ralphs.”
