Wegmans vs Publix: Who is Cheaper?
Wegmans is a regional grocery store chain with about 110 stores primarily in the Northeast and North Carolina. Publix is a larger grocery store chain with about 1306 stores mainly located in the Southeastern US.
To determine if Wegmans or Publix 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 Wegmans more expensive 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
- 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 Raleigh, North Carolina. 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 | Wegmans Price | Publix Price |
| Bananas x6 | $0.15 each =$0.90 | $0.31 each= $1.86 |
| Tomatoes x3 | $2.89 a lb= $5.64 | $4.41 a lb= $7.41 |
| Spinach | Wegmans 6oz bag= $2.29 | Publix 9oz bag= $3.87 |
| Cucumber | $0.79 each | $0.98 each |
| Carrots | 1lb baby carrots= $1.09 | 1lb bag= $1.43 |
| Potatoes | 5lb bag of Russets= $2.89 | 5lb bag of red potatoes= $4.41 |
| Yellow Squash | $1.04 each | $1.06 each |
| Total: (7 items) | $14.64 | $21.02 |
In the produce department, Wegmans came out cheaper with a total of $14.64. This was $6.38 cheaper than Publix’s total of $21.02.
Deli/Meats
This is all the meats that we will need from the deli and meat counter.
| Item | Wegmans Price | Publix Price |
| Ground Beef (1lb) | 1lb 80/20= $5.79 | 1lb ground chuck= $5.34 |
| Chicken Thighs (6-8) | $1.89 a lb (5lbs)= $9.45 | $4.75 a lb (2.32lbs)= $11.02 |
| Pork Loin | $5.79 a lb (1.14lbs)= $6.60 | Hatfield 18.4oz = $6.63 *on sale* |
| Ham Lunchmeat | Hillshire 9oz pack= $5.79 | Natural Choice 8oz pack= $5.53 |
| Total: (4 items) | $27.63 | $28.52 |
In the meat section, Wegmans came out cheaper with a total of $27.63. This was $0.89 cheaper than Publix’s total of $28.52.
Dry Goods
This is all the dry goods and shelf stable items that we need for our meal plan.
| Item | Wegmans Price | Publix Price |
| Pumpkin Puree | Wegmans 15oz can= $1.79 | Publix 15oz can= $2.05 *on sale* |
| Brown Sugar | Wegmans 2lb bag= $1.79 *on sale* | Publix 1lb bag= $1.11 *on sale* |
| Sandwich Bread | Wegmans Giant 22oz white bread= $1.49 | Publix 20oz white bread= $1.33 |
| English Muffins | Wegmans 6ct= $2.89 | Greenwise 5ct= $2.53 |
| Quick Oats | Wegmans 18oz container= $2.19 | Publix 18oz container= $3.87 |
| Refried beans | Ortega 16oz can= $2.19 | Rosarita 16oz can= $1.97 |
| Tortillas | Wegmans 8ct= $1.59 | La Banderita 18ct= $1.87 |
| Pickle Slices | Wegmans 16oz jar= $1.99 | Publix 16oz jar= $3.09 |
| Salsa | Wegmans 16oz jar= $2.59 | Tostitos 15.5oz jar= $3.61 |
| Canned Corn | Wegmans 15.25oz can= $0.69 | Publix 15.25oz can= $1.31 |
| Cornbread Mix | Jiffy 8.5oz box= $0.99 | Jiffy 8.5oz box= $0.91 |
| Enchilada Sauce | Old ElPaso 10oz can= $2.69 | Old ElPaso 10oz can= $2.65 |
| Taco Seasoning | Old ElPaso 1oz pack= $1.19 | Publix 1.25oz pack= $1.09 |
| Canned Green Beans | Wegmans 14.5oz can= $0.69 | Del Monte 14.5oz can= $1.11 *on sale* |
| Beef Boullion | Maggi 6ct= $1.39 | Wyler’s 2oz jar= $2.87 |
| Diced Tomatoes | Wegmans 14.5oz can= $0.99 | Publix 14.5oz can= $1.01 |
| White Rice | Wegmans 1lb bag= $1.19 | Publix 1lb bag= $1.43 |
| Soy Sauce | Kikkoman 5oz bottle= $2.59 | Kikkoman 5oz bottle= $1.87 |
| Ranch Powder | Simply Organic 1.5oz pack= $2.09 | Hidden Valley 1oz pack= $1.97 |
| Microwave Popcorn | Wegmans 6bags= $3.49 | Pop Secret 3bags= $4.09 |
| Honey | Wegmans 12oz bear= $4.39 | Sue Bee 8oz bear= $4.09 |
| Raisins | Wegmans mini boxes 6oz= $1.79 | Publix mini boxes 6oz= $2.09 |
| Cinnamon | Spice Classics 2.4oz bottle= $2.09 | Badia 2oz jar= $2.37 *on sale* |
| Pasta | Wegmans 16oz penne= $1.19 | Publix 16oz rotini= $1.43 |
| Total: (23 items) | $45.96 | $51.72 |
In the dry goods section, Wegmans came out cheaper with a total of $45.96. This was $5.76 cheaper than Publix’s total of $51.72.
Frozen Foods
These are the frozen items needed for this week’s meal plan.
| Item | Wegmans Price | Publix Price |
| Mixed vegetables | Wegmans 16oz bag= $1.19 *on sale* | Birds Eye 10oz bag= $2.75 |
| Total: (1 items) | $1.19 | $2.75 |
In the frozen section, Wegmans came out cheaper with a total of $1.19. This was $1.56 cheaper than Publix’s total of $2.75.
Dairy Section
These are all the dairy items needed like milk and cheeses.
| Item | Wegmans Price | Publix Price |
| Vanilla Yogurt | Wegmans 32oz container= $2.09 | Publix 32oz container= $3.97 |
| 2% Milk | Wegmans gallon= $3.09 | Publix gallon= $4.09 |
| Sliced Swiss Cheese | Wegmans 8oz pack= $2.69 | Publix 8ct= $4.41 |
| Eggs | Wegmans 12ct white eggs=$3.49 | Publix 12ct white eggs= $4.41 |
| Shredded Cheddar Cheese | Wegmans 8oz bag= $2.29 | Publix 8oz bag= $3.29 |
| Cream Cheese x2 | Wegmans 8oz block $1.79 x 2= $3.58 *on sale* | Philadelphia 8oz block $2.77 x 2= $5.54 *on sale* |
| Total: (6 items) | $17.23 | $25.71 |
In the dairy section, Wegmans came out cheaper with a total of $17.23. This was $8.48 cheaper than Publix’s total of $25.71.
Is Publix cheaper than Wegman’s?
Wegmans came out cheaper in every section, but let’s look at the overall totals.
| Section | Wegmans Price | Publix Price |
| Produce | $14.64 | $21.02 |
| Deli/Meats | $27.63 | $28.52 |
| Dry Goods | $45.96 | $51.72 |
| Frozen Foods | $1.19 | $2.75 |
| Dairy | $17.23 | $25.71 |
| Overall Total: (41 items) | $106.65 | $129.72 |
Overall, Wegmans was cheaper than Publix with a total of $106.65. This was $23.07 (about 17%) cheaper than Publix’s total of $129.72.
Out of 41 items on the list, only 10 of those items were cheaper at Publix. These included honey, soy sauce, brown sugar, taco seasoning, English muffins, and ranch seasoning powder.
I would definitely see what is on sale every week in the Publix sales flyer, but if I was trying to lower my grocery budget, I would primarily shop at Wegmans.
For more grocery store price comparisons, check out “Harris Teeter vs Publix: Who is Cheaper?” and “Wegmans vs Stop & Shop: Who is cheaper?“
