Walmart vs Price Chopper: Who is Cheaper?
Price Chopper is a smaller grocery store chain in the Northeast that also operates under the name Market 32. Walmart is a mega chain store that offers groceries in all 50 states.
To determine if Walmart or Price Chopper is cheaper for groceries, we will price compare a grocery list for a whole week. Scroll to the end to see the final verdict!
Is Price Chopper more expensive than Walmart?
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 Albany, New York. 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 | Price Chopper Price | Walmart Price |
| Banana x 5 | $0.25 each= $1.25 | $0.23 each= $1.15 |
| Strawberries | 1lb container= $3.59 | 1lb container= $2.98 |
| Tomato (x1) | On the vine= $1.54 | Slicing= $0.91 |
| Lettuce | 1 head Romaine= $2.69 | 1 head Green Leaf= $1.98 |
| Lemon (x1) | $0.99 each | $0.62 each |
| Potatoes | 5lb bag Eastern Potatoes= $3.99 *on sale* | 5lb bag Russet Potatoes =$4.57 |
| Fresh Garlic | 1 head= $1.09 | 1 head= $0.47 |
| Carrots | 1lb organic = $1.39 *on sale* | 1lb = $0.99 |
| Bell Pepper x1 | 1 red bell pepper= $1.00 *on sale* | 1 green bell pepper= $0.83 |
| Total: (9 items) | $17.53 | $14.50 |
In the produce section, Walmart came out cheaper with a total of $14.50. This was $3.03 cheaper than Price Chopper’s total of $17.53.
Deli/Meats
This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.
| Item | Price Chopper Price | Walmart Price |
| Bacon | PICS 16oz = $5.99 | Great Value 16oz= $4.48 |
| Turkey Lunchmeat | Hillshire Farms 9oz= $4.39 *on sale* | Oscar Mayer 16oz = $3.74 |
| Chicken Breasts (need 6) | $3.24 a lb (5lbs)= $16.19 | $2.97 a lb (5.1lbs)= $15.18 |
| Ham Steaks | PICS 14oz Boneless Ham Steak = $4.69 | Hatfield 14oz Boneless Ham Steaks= $4.24 |
| Shrimp | 16oz 26-30 count raw shrimp, fresh = $5.99 *on sale* | Great Value 12oz XL Peeled Tail on, frozen= $5.84 |
| Total: (5 items) | $37.25 | $33.48 |
In the meat section, Walmart came out cheaper with a total of $33.48. This was $3.77 cheaper than Price Chopper’s total of $37.25.
Dry Goods
This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.
| Item | Price Chopper Price | Walmart Price |
| Muffin Mix | Betty Crocker Blueberry 6.5oz pack= $1.59 | Betty Crocker Triple Berry 6.5oz pack= $0.92 *on sale* |
| Canned peaches | PICS 15oz can= $2.09 | Great Value 15oz can= $1.28 |
| Sandwich bread | PICS 20oz white bread= $1.69 | Great Value 20oz white bread= $1.00 |
| Rice Krispie Cereal | Kellogg’s 12oz box= $4.69 | Great Value 12oz box= $1.84 |
| Marshmallows | PICS 10oz bag= $1.29 | Great Value 10oz bag= $1.00 |
| Caesar Dressing | PICS 16oz bottle= $2.19 | Great Value 16oz bottle= $1.97 |
| French Bread Loaf | 16oz Italian bread= $2.79 | 14oz French bread $1.47 |
| Mayonnaise | PICS 15oz jar= $3.29 *on sale* | Great Value 15oz jar= $2.36 |
| Canned green beans | PICS 14.5oz can= $1.09 | Great Value 14.5oz can= $0.58 |
| White Rice | PICS 2lb bag= $2.09 | Great Value 2lb bag= $1.54 |
| Cream of Chicken Soup | PICS 10.75oz can= $1.39 *on sale* | Great Value 10.5oz can = $0.68 |
| Canned Corn | PICS 14.5oz can= $1.29 | Great Value 14.5oz can= $0.58 |
| Canned Black Beans | PICS 15.5oz can= $1.25 | Great Value 15oz can= $0.78 |
| Salsa | PICS 15.5oz jar= $2.19 *on sale* | Great Value 24oz jar= $2.24 |
| Taco Seasoning | PICS 1oz pack= $1.09 *on sale* | Great Value 1oz pack= $0.48 |
| Tortilla Chips | SANTITAS 11oz bag= $2.49 | Great Value 13oz bag= $1.82 |
| Pasta | PICS 16oz Rotelli = $1.79 | Great Value 16oz Rotini= $0.92 |
| Total: (17 items) | $34.29 | $21.46 |
In the dry goods section, Walmart came out cheaper with a total of $21.46. This was $12.83 cheaper than Price Chopper’s total of $34.29.
Frozen Foods
These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.
| Item | Price Chopper Price | Walmart Price |
| Frozen Broccoli | Bird’s Eye 10.8oz bag= $1.99 *on sale* | Great Value 12oz bag= $0.98 |
| Frozen Spinach | PICS 10oz bag= $1.89 | Great Value 12oz bag= $1.00 |
| Total: (2 items) | $3.88 | $1.98 |
In the frozen section, Walmart came out the cheapest with a total of $1.98. This was $1.90 cheaper than Price Chopper’s total of $3.88.
Dairy Section
These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.
| Item | Price Chopper Price | Walmart Price |
| Cottage Cheese | PICS 16oz container= $2.19 *on sale* | Great Value 16oz container= $1.98 |
| Eggs | PICS 12ct white eggs= $3.69 | Great Value 12ct white eggs =$2.22 |
| Milk | PICS 2% gallon= $3.59 | Great Value 2% gallon= $3.12 |
| Butter | PICS 16oz= $3.99 | Great Value 16oz = $4.48 |
| Parmesan cheese | PICS 6oz bag= $2.69 | Great Value 6oz bag= $2.22 |
| Cheddar Cheese (16oz) | PICS 16oz shredded= $4.99 *on sale* | Great Value 16oz shredded= $3.12 |
| Cream Cheese | PICS 8oz = $2.19 *on sale* | Great Value 8oz= $1.68 |
| Total: (7 items) | $23.33 | $18.82 |
In the dairy section, Walmart came out cheaper with a total of $18.82. This was $4.51 cheaper than Price Chopper’s total of $3.33.
Is Walmart cheaper than Price Chopper?
Walmart came in cheaper for every section, but let’s look at the overall totals.
| Section | Price Chopper Price | Walmart Price |
| Produce | $17.53 | $14.50 |
| Deli/Meats | $37.25 | $33.48 |
| Dry Goods | $34.29 | $21.46 |
| Frozen Foods | $3.88 | $1.98 |
| Dairy | $23.33 | $18.82 |
| Overall Total: (40 items) | $116.28 | $90.24 |
Overall, Walmart was much cheaper than Price Chopper with a total of $90.24. This was $26.04 (about 22%) cheaper than Price Chopper’s total of $116.28.
There were a few good deals that were found at Price Chopper like the 1lb of shrimp for $5.99, 5lb bag of potatoes for $3.99, and 1lb of butter for $3.99.
Everything else was much cheaper at Walmart. I would only shop the really good deals at Price Chopper and pick up all the essentials for less money at Walmart.
For more grocery store price comparisons, check out “Albertsons vs Fry’s: Who is Cheaper?” and “Harmons vs Smith’s: Who is Cheaper?“
