Walmart vs Smith’s: Who is Cheaper?
Walmart is a common grocery store that is located in all 50 states. Smith’s Food and Drug is part of the Kroger Company and currently operates 142 stores in Utah, Nevada, New Mexico, Arizona, Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming.
Walmart and Smith’s are both well known for good prices, so let’s see who is cheaper. We will price compare a grocery list at both stores and find out who has the cheapest groceries. Scroll to the end to see the final verdict!
Is Smith’s 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
- Pumpkin Smoothies
- Swiss Cheese and Tomato Toast w/ Scrambled Eggs with a Banana
- Ham and Cheese on English Muffins with a Banana
- Overnight Pumpkin Pie Oats
- Yogurt Parfait with Banana and Homemade Granola
Lunches
- Mexican Dip (refried beans, salsa, sour cream) with Homemade Tortilla Chips
- Cuban-ish Quesadillas (leftover pork, sliced ham, Swiss cheese, and pickles) and Carrot Sticks
- Fried Egg Grilled Swiss Cheese Sandwich with Leftover Soup
- Spinach Salad with Sliced Ham, Tomatoes & Cucumbers
- Dinner Leftovers
Dinners
- Beef Tamale Casserole with Sliced Cucumbers
- Brown Sugar Chicken Thighs with Potato Wedges and Green Beans
- Beef, Vegetable, & Rice Soup with Spinach Salad
- Chicken, Squash, and Carrot Rice Bowls
- Crockpot Ranch Pork Loin with Mashed Potatoes & Carrots
- Leftover Pork Pasta with Spinach & Tomatoes in Creamy Sauce
Snacks
- Carrot Sticks
- Popcorn
- Homemade Granola
Sweet Treat
- Banana Oatmeal Cookies
For this price comparison, I am using prices available in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 #8“
Produce Section
This is all the fresh vegetables and fruits we need for the week.
| Item | Smith’s Price | Walmart Price |
| Bananas x6 | $0.27 each= $1.62 | $0.23 each=$1.38 |
| Tomatoes x3 | Red Tomatoes $1.00 each= $3.00 | Slicing Tomatoes $0.68 each=$2.04 |
| Spinach | 10oz bag= $2.09 *on sale* | 10 oz bag= $2.28 |
| Cucumber | $0.50 each | $0.68 each |
| Carrots | $0.99 a pound | 1 lb bag=$0.98 |
| Potatoes | 5lb bag of Russets= $3.29 | 5lb bag of Idahos = $2.68 |
| Yellow Squash | $0.75 each | $0.89 each |
| Total: (7 items) | $12.24 | $9.56 |
In the produce section, Walmart came out cheaper with a total of $9.56. This was $2.68 cheaper than Smith’s total of $12.24.
Deli/Meats
This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.
| Item | Smith’s Price | Walmart Price |
| Ground Beef (1lb) | 80% 1lb roll= $5.29 | 73% 1lb roll= $4.08 |
| Chicken Thighs (6-8) | $1.79 a lb/ Heritage Farms/5.5lbs= $9.92 | $1.62 a lb/ Foster Farms/ 4.7 lbs= $7.61 |
| Pork Loin | $2.99 a lb/ Kroger Brand/5.2 lbs= $11.72 *on sale* | $2.12 a lb/Smithfield/ 4.5lbs= $9.54 |
| Ham Lunchmeat | Bar S 12oz pack= $3.49 *on sale* | Bar S 12oz pack= $3.74 |
| Total: (4 items) | $30.42 | $24.97 |
In the meat section, Walmart came out cheaper with a total of $24.97. This was $5.45 cheaper than Smith’s total of $30.42.
Dry Goods
This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.
| Item | Smith’s Price | Walmart Price |
| Pumpkin Puree | Kroger 29oz can= $2.71 | Great Value 29oz can= $2.58 |
| Brown Sugar | Kroger 2lb bag= $1.99 | Great Value 2lb bag= $1.70 |
| Sandwich Bread | Kroger 20oz white= $1.50 *on sale* | Great Value 20oz white= $1.00 |
| English Muffins | Kroger 6ct= $1.99 | Great Value 6ct= $1.48 |
| Quick Oats | Mom’s Best Quick Oats 16oz= $1.99 | Great Value 18oz= $2.48 |
| Refried beans | Kroger 16oz can= $1.00 | Isadora 15.2oz = $1.36 |
| Tortillas | Kroger 12ct= $1.49 | Romero’s 8ct= $0.98 |
| Pickle Slices | Kroger 16oz jar= $2.29 | Great Value 16oz= $1.57 |
| Salsa | Kroger 16oz jar= $1.79 | Great Value 24oz jar= $1.98 |
| Canned Corn | Kroger 15.25oz can= $0.89 | Great Value 15oz can= $0.58 |
| Cornbread Mix | Jiffy 8.5oz back= $0.65 | Jiffy 8.5oz back= $0.47 |
| Enchilada Sauce | A La Orden 10oz can= $1.39 | Las Palmas 10oz can= $1.48 |
| Taco Seasoning | Kroger 1.25oz pack= $0.39 | Great Value 1oz pack= $0.48 |
| Canned Green Beans | Kroger 14.5oz can= $0.89 | Great Value 14.5oz can= $0.58 |
| Beef Boullion | Knorr 8ct= $1.19 | Knorr 8ct= $1.08 |
| Diced Tomatoes | Kroger 14.5oz can= $0.69 *on sale* | Great Value 14.5oz can= $0.88 |
| White Rice | Kroger 2lb bag= $1.79 | Great Value 1lb bag= $0.82 |
| Soy Sauce | Kroger 19oz bottle= $1.69 | Great Value 15oz bottle= $1.58 |
| Ranch Powder | Kroger 1oz pack= $0.50 *on sale* | Great Value 1oz pack= $0.50 |
| Microwave Popcorn | Cousin Willie’s 3pack= $1.00 *on sale* | Great Value 3pack= $1.38 |
| Honey | Simple Truth 12oz bottle= $3.90 | Great Value 12oz bottle= $3.94 |
| Raisins | Kroger 6oz mini boxes= $1.00 *on sale* | Great Value 6ct mini boxes= $1.64 |
| Cinnamon | Smidge & Spoon 2.25oz jar= $1.25 | Great Value 2.5oz jar= $1.18 |
| Pasta | Kroger 16oz penne= $1.33 | Great Value 16oz ziti= $0.92 |
| Total: (23 items) | $35.30 | $32.64 |
In the dry goods section, Walmart came out cheaper with a total of $32.64. This was $2.66 cheaper than Smith’s total of $35.30.
Frozen Foods
These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.
| Item | Smith’s Price | Walmart Price |
| Mixed vegetables | Kroger 12oz bag=$1.25 | Great Value 12oz bag= $0.84 |
| Total: (1 items) | $1.25 | $0.84 |
In the frozen section, Walmart came out cheaper with a total of $0.84. This was $0.41 cheaper than Smith’s total of $1.25.
Dairy Section
These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.
| Item | Smith’s Price | Walmart Price |
| Vanilla Yogurt | Kroger 32oz tub= $2.00 *on sale* | Great Value 32oz tub= $2.36 |
| 2% Milk | Mountain Dairy gallon= $3.26 | Great Value gallon= $2.84 |
| Sliced Swiss Cheese | Kroger 8ct= $2.49 *on sale* | Great Value 12ct= $2.22 |
| Eggs | Eggland’s Best 12ct white= $2.99 | Eggland’s Best 12ct white= $2.70 |
| Shredded Cheddar Cheese | Kroger 8oz bag= $2.49 *on sale* | Great Value 8oz bag= $2.22 |
| Cream Cheese x2 | Kroger $2.29 each= $4.58 | Great Value 2 pack= $3.18 |
| Total: (6 items) | $17.81 | $15.52 |
In the dairy section, Walmart came out cheaper with a total of $15.52. This was $2.29 cheaper than Smith’s total of $17.81.
Is Walmart cheaper than Smiths?
Walmart came out cheaper in every section. Let’s look at the overall totals.
| Section | Smith’s Price | Walmart Price |
| Produce | $12.24 | $9.56 |
| Deli/Meats | $30.42 | $24.97 |
| Dry Goods | $35.30 | $32.64 |
| Frozen Foods | $1.25 | $0.84 |
| Dairy | $17.81 | $15.52 |
| Overall Total: (41 items) | $97.02 | $83.53 |
Overall, Walmart came out cheaper than Smith’s with a total of $83.53. This was $13.49 (about 14%) cheaper than Smith’s total of $97.02.
Even though Smith’s had a lot of items on sale, their prices were still higher than the everyday price at Walmart. There were a few really good deals like the raisins, ranch powder, microwave popcorn, and diced tomatoes that I would have stocked up on.
For most groceries, I would shop at Walmart and just supplement with the good deals at Smith’s. This would maximize my grocery budget every month.
For more grocery store price comparisons, check out “Albertsons vs Smith’s: Who is Cheaper?” and “Save-A-Lot vs Walmart: Who is Cheaper?“
