In this blog post, I’m breaking down some of the most popular weekly grocery items at both stores and getting to the bottom of things.
Is Aldi cheaper than Walmart for our basic groceries? Both are affordable grocery stores, but let me put them head to head!
I talk a lot about Aldi on this website – if you’ve been here a while you know I have ALDI meal plans based on Aldi ingredients.
I have so many tips on how to save money grocery shopping at Aldi, in fact, here are 13 secrets you don’t know about Aldi.
Some of my readers have asked about Walmart, especially if they don’t have an Aldi in their area. This gave me the idea to write this post about which store is cheaper, Aldi or Walmart?
Key Takeaways
- Out of 23 items compared, Aldi was cheaper for 15 of them, making Aldi the winner!
- Aldi and Walmart were compared for their prices on basic grocery items such as bread, milk, eggs, fruit, and more.
- Aldi tends to be a more cost-effective option for many staple products.
- Walmart’s name-brand prices were similar, and you can use coupons at either store to get name-brand items at a lower price.
- The cost savings at Aldi can accumulate significantly over time- it can be significantly cheaper in the long run to shop here, especially with coupons.
- Choosing Aldi over Walmart for most groceries can help you stretch your grocery budget further.
Is Aldi Cheaper Than Walmart? (Expert Shopper Reveals)
I took a few hours to walk around both stores and based my results on a few different criteria. I compared brand-name items, store-brand items, and items used with coupons.
Here are the in-store pictures that show the deals in detail:
1. Bananas
Honestly, the bananas at Walmart looked fresher and had fewer bumps and bruises than the Aldi ones. Aldi can be hit or miss with fresh produce, and I recommend going on restock day to get the best options.
- Aldi – $0.44 per lb.
- Walmart – $0.47 per lb. √ (because freshness is more important at 3c difference!)
2. Yogurt
Yogurt was a tricky one to compare because there are so many different varieties. For this article, I focused on large containers (32 oz.) and ones targeted more toward children.
- Aldi – $1.99 32 oz. Light & Fit √
- Walmart – 32 oz. Dannon Yogurt – $2.49
- Aldi – Moo Tubes $1.99
- Walmart – Yoplait kids$1.88 + coupons! √
3. Diaper Wipes
The Aldi diaper wipes were only $0.99 for a 72 ct. I’ve used the Aldi brand with some of my kids, so I can attest the quality is AMAZING and so cost-effective.
- Aldi – $0.99 √
- Walmart – name brand wipes $1.97 (or $1.47 after coupon)
4. Diapers
I’m a brand-name diaper snob, but I also love saving money. So, I have tried the Aldi diapers, which are $4.99 for a 36-ct. package. They weren’t too bad, so I tried the Walmart brand, and it was basically the same for a little less.
If you shop for diapers often, you know there are often diaper coupons for both Pampers and Huggies so you could get them for as low as $6.97.
- Aldi – $4.99
- Walmart – $3.97 for store brand √ – as low as $6.97 for name-brand diapers
5. Trash Bags
I wanted to look at trash bags at the price per bag when determining which store was cheaper.
Branded bags (30 ct) were available for only $1.62. Frequent coupons for these bring the cost down to around $1.12- making them so cheap!
- Aldi – $4.99 for 80 = $0.06 per bag
- Walmart – $6.97 for 50 = $0.14 per bag – OR Ruffles bags, which = $0.05 without a coupon √
6. Green Peppers
I honestly believed Aldi would have the better price with green peppers, but when I actually did my comparison on which store is cheaper. . . I was WRONG!
- Aldi – 3 pack $1.99 ($0.66 each)
- Walmart – $0.53 each √
7. Toothpaste
I’m a firm believer that you should never pay more than $1.00 for toothpaste. Coupons are usually the way to get them cheap!
Many people assume that buying name-brands at Aldi is a great deal, but you’ve always got to compare- sometimes it’s the same at both Aldi and Walmart.
- Aldi – Crest 6.4 oz. toothpaste $2.89 √ (less with a coupon)
- Walmart – Crest 6.4 oz. toothpaste $2.98 (less with a coupon)
At Walmart, there’s also a Colgate 6.4 oz. bottle for only $1.25, so this is cheaper without a coupon! We always see coupons for Colgate toothpaste, so this shouldn’t cost you more than $0.50 with a coupon.
8. Peanut Butter
Peanut butter is a must in my house, and buying in bulk takes up a lot of space with all our other pantry items.
The peanut butter at Aldi was cheaper than at Walmart, but when paired with a coupon, it’s very possible to get it for less money at Walmart. I also found it interesting that Skippy was cheaper than the Walmart brand.
- Aldi – $2.29 √
- Walmart – Store brand $2.56; Skippy $2.50
9. Razors
The 4-packs of razors were only slightly different at Walmart and Aldi, BUT you could get one of the ‘expensive’ Gillette Fusion Razors for only a little bit more.
I would probably choose the Gillette Razor with a good coupon because it will give you a better shave and it’ll last longer than some cheap razors.
- Aldi – 4 pack of razors $2.99 √
- Walmart – 4 Pack of Wilkinson razors $3.49
10. Paper Towels
I thought Aldi-brand paper towels would be cheaper, but I was also wrong about this.
My stock-up price on paper towels is $0.50 and I usually get them with coupons at the Dollar General or another local store.
This means that getting paper towels at Aldi and Walmart is NOT the cheapest way! I didn’t choose any of these items because I don’t think any are a great deal.
- Aldi – 6 pack for $5.99
- Walmart – 6 pack for $3.26 or larger 8 pack of Walmart brand for $6.94 √ (technically cheaper here, but look elsewhere Mama!)
11. Ground Beef
I tried to pick comparable packages of ground beef, and Walmart was much cheaper.
- Aldi – 2-3 lb. packages $3.69 per lb.
- Walmart – $7.98 for a 3 lb package = $2.66 per lb. √
12. Chicken
Looking at which store is cheaper I have to say I was SHOCKED at how much chicken was at Walmart since organic was the only section not empty..
But some of my local stores put chicken on sale for $1.99 per lb., so even the Aldi price was more expensive if I wasn’t grocery shopping with sales.
- Aldi – $2.29 per lb √
- Walmart – $5.18 per lb (organic is more expensive and often the only one in my store!)
13. Eggs
No explanation needed – same product – less at Aldi, so it’s a no-brainer to save money.
- Aldi – $1.55 √
- Walmart – $1.78
14. White Bread
I compared just the basic store brand bread at both stores. Aldi won out by a few cents! It seems like some of their pantry items really are cheaper.
- Aldi – $0.85 √
- Walmart – $1.18
15. Butter
This one is simple: same butter and less money at Aldi!
- Aldi – $2.09 √
- Walmart – $2.18
16. Dishwashing Detergent
This was a case of couponer vs. non-couponer. If you use coupons, you can get the same price on Cascade with a coupon as you can the Walmart store brand.
Although the Aldi brand detergent isn’t my favorite, it’s cheaper than the comparable Walmart brand. This category comes down to quality vs. price. Personally, I would rather go with Cascade with a coupon than get it at Aldi.
- Aldi – $2.49 √
- Walmart – $2.98 for store brand, $3.97 for Cascade Brand (cheaper with coupon)
17. Plastic Cups
This one is also easy peasy – same cups but cheaper at Aldi.
- Aldi – 50 ct. of Plastic cups $2.49 √
- Walmart – 50 ct. Plastic Cups $3.00
18. Paper Plates
This is another simple one: more plates for less money at Aldi!
- Aldi – 80 paper plates $2.79 √
- Walmart – 70 papers plates $2.97
19. Sandwich Meat
You can get sandwich meat with a coupon at Walmart cheaper than you can buy it at Aldi.
The Aldi lunch meat was less money than its base price, but when paired with coupons, you can get a better deal on brand-name lunch meat at Walmart.
- Aldi – $2.49 √
- Walmart – Sara Lee $3.98, Great Value Walmart brand $2.68, Hillshire Farm $2.98
20. Cereal
OUCH! Do people actually think that cereal is cheaper at Walmart? Aldi brand cereal ranged from $1.69 – $2.39 per box. These prices were pretty comparable, but looking at name-brand cereal at Walmart was SCARY!
On sale with a coupon, you can get it for under $1.50 per box at my local grocery store….Aldi’s won this one by a landslide!
- Aldi – $1.69 – $2.39 √
- Walmart – Walmart brand $1.98, Name brand $3.68
21. Cheese
I found Cabot cheese at Walmart for less money than the Walmart brand, I thought this was strange!
Aldi cheese is cheaper, but I would rather pay an extra $0.21 per bar to get a nicer brand of cheese. Cabot cheese is much better, in my opinion than the Aldi brand!
- Aldi – $1.79 √
- Walmart – $2.38 store brand, $2.00 Cabot name-brand cheese
22. Milk
I pretty much expected this, BUT that doesn’t mean that I wasn’t surprised that Walmart has cheaper milk than Aldi. If your household goes through a lot of milk you could save a few dollars per week by getting it at Walmart.
- Aldi – $2.59-$2.89
- Walmart – $2.03 √
23. Toilet Paper
This one was pretty surprising to me, but this is one of those times I’ll choose quality over money spent. Toilet Paper is one item in my house I MUST buy name brand or else I get complaints from my ‘little people!’
Walmart has a brand called White Cloud that is often $1 off, making it $4.98 for 12 rolls.
- Aldi – Panda 12 Rolls TP – $5.49 ($0.45 per roll)
- Walmart – White Cloud $4.97 for 12 Rolls ($0.41 per roll) √
FAQs
I would say that meat prices are pretty comparable at both stores. The only downside to ALDI stores is that their meat selection is limited.
Ground beef is sold in 2.5 lb packages or more. If you are looking for only 1 lb of beef and don’t want anymore, I would suggest taking your money to Walmart.
Walmart steak prices seem to be better than ALDI as well. I am specifically talking about Ribeye and Strip Steaks. Walmart sells value packs of these and ALDI typically sells them individually.
Final Thoughts
There you have it! My side-by-side comparison of which store is cheaper Aldi or Walmart! I’ve included lots of details and ways to save even more, like couponing.
I hope that you learned something like I did! My best advice is to price shop online and see side by side how much you’d spend going to one or the other.
But with this lineup, Aldi beat Walmart with cheaper prices, 15 to 8!
One bonus I will mention about Walmart is that they will price-match competitor ads. This means as long as you take your Aldi ad into Walmart with you, you should be able to price match that ad at Walmart.
