Aldi is cheaper than Walmart on roughly 70 to 80 percent of comparable grocery staples, saving you around 10 to 18 percent on a typical weekly basket. But Walmart quietly wins on a few key categories most people do not expect.
I have been splitting my grocery shopping between Aldi and Walmart for a while now, and I started getting curious about whether the savings were actually real or just something I was telling myself. So I sat down and tracked 40 staples across both stores: produce, proteins, dairy, pantry, and household items, to get a clear picture.
What I found surprised me a little. Aldi does win on most things, but not by the 30 or 40 percent you hear people claim. The real gap is closer to 10 to 18 percent on a full basket, and there are specific categories where Walmart genuinely comes out ahead.
Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- Aldi beats Walmart on roughly 70 to 80 percent of comparable items when you track them side by side
- The real savings are 10 to 18 percent on a typical basket, not the 30 to 40 percent often claimed online
- A family of four can realistically save $50 to $140 per month by switching their staples to Aldi
- Aldi wins on dairy, produce, ground beef, household paper goods, and private-label snacks
- Walmart wins on bacon, canned tuna, name-brand cereal, bulk sizes, and chicken breast in some regions
- Eggs are now nearly identical in price at both stores after the 2025 price spike settled down
- The smartest move is hybrid shopping: Aldi for staples, Walmart for name brands and one-stop trips
Is Aldi Actually Cheaper Than Walmart?
Yes, most of the time, but the gap is smaller than people think and it depends on where you live and what you are buying.
When I started logging prices across both stores using my price-tracking tab, I noticed the savings on produce and dairy were consistent. Ground beef was noticeably cheaper at Aldi. But bacon, canned tuna, and a few other things were actually lower at Walmart every single time.
The honest answer is that neither store wins everything. Aldi wins the most categories, but Walmart has real wins too. Knowing which is which is what actually changes how I shop.
Want to Track These Prices for Your Own List?
This comparison is based on what I track for my own household, but your savings depend on what you actually buy every week. Ground beef alone could save you over $180 a year at Aldi if your family goes through three pounds a week. You only see that math when you are logging your own prices.
I track mine in the Cozy Grocery Planner, a pre-built Google Sheet where I log the item, price, and store after every receipt. The price-tracking tab shows me which store is cheapest for the specific things I actually buy, based on my own data. After a few months of doing it, I stopped guessing and started shopping with real numbers.
The 40-Item Price Comparison
Here is how the two stores stack up across every major category based on what I tracked and current 2026 store pricing.
Produce: Aldi Wins Almost Across the Board
| Item | Aldi | Walmart | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bananas (per lb) | $0.48–$0.73 | $0.59–$0.74 | Aldi |
| Gala apples (3 lb bag) | $2.99 | $3.84 | Aldi |
| Baby spinach (per oz) | $0.19 | $0.20 | Aldi |
| Roma tomatoes (per lb) | $1.29 | $1.48 | Aldi |
| Broccoli crowns (per lb) | $1.79 | $1.98 | Aldi |
| Hass avocados (each) | $0.79–$0.89 | $0.78–$0.98 | Mixed |
| Baby carrots (1 lb bag) | $0.89 | $1.18 | Aldi |
Avocados are the only produce item I have seen flip by region. Walmart can edge Aldi in California, but Aldi wins in the South and Midwest. Everything else on this list has been consistently lower at Aldi every time I have checked.
Proteins: Aldi Wins on Meat, Walmart Wins on Bacon and Tuna
| Item | Aldi | Walmart | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Eggs, large dozen | $1.66–$3.47 | $1.67–$3.47 | Tied |
| Boneless chicken breast (per lb) | $3.49 | $2.67–$4.64 | Mixed |
| Ground beef 80/20 (per lb) | $4.59–$4.69 | $5.75 | Aldi |
| Bacon (16 oz) | ~$5.80 | ~$5.29 | Walmart |
| Canned tuna (5 oz) | $0.99 | $0.96 | Walmart |
Eggs are interesting right now. After those big price spikes in 2025, both stores came back down to nearly identical pricing. We are talking within a single penny of each other on a dozen large eggs. I used to assume Aldi was cheaper on eggs but when I actually tracked it, they were the same.
Bacon is the one protein where I consistently grab it from Walmart. Every time I have compared, Walmart comes in lower.
Dairy: Aldi Sweeps This Category
| Item | Aldi | Walmart | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Whole milk (1 gallon) | $3.19 | $3.38 | Aldi |
| Butter (1 lb, 4 sticks) | $3.75 | $3.96 | Aldi |
| Shredded cheddar (per oz) | $0.23 | $0.25 | Aldi |
| Greek yogurt (single serve ~6 oz) | ~$0.84 | ~$0.93 | Aldi |
| Cream cheese (8 oz) | $1.99 | $2.18 | Aldi |
Dairy is where I feel the Aldi savings most consistently. Every item in this category tracks lower at Aldi and that has not changed across multiple shopping trips.
Pantry Staples: Close, But Aldi Edges Ahead
| Item | Aldi | Walmart | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| White bread (20 oz) | $1.19 | $1.28 | Aldi |
| Spaghetti (16 oz) | $0.98 | $0.98 | Tied |
| Marinara sauce (24 oz) | $1.65 | $1.67 | Aldi |
| Olive oil (16.9 oz) | $4.49–$6.39 | $4.97–$7.14 | Aldi |
| Black beans (15 oz) | $0.85 | $0.86 | Aldi |
| Diced tomatoes (14.5 oz) | $0.69–$0.79 | ~$0.84 | Aldi |
| Peanut butter (16–18 oz) | $1.79–$1.99 | $1.94–$1.98 | Aldi |
| Old-fashioned oats (42 oz) | ~$3.49 | ~$4.42 | Aldi |
| White rice (per lb) | $0.88 | $0.88 | Tied |
| All-purpose flour (5 lb) | $2.35 | $2.38 | Aldi |
Pantry wins are small individually but they compound fast on a full restock. I started noticing the difference more during big pantry hauls versus regular weekly shops.
Household and Pre-Packaged: Aldi’s Biggest Wins Are Here
| Item | Aldi | Walmart | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper towels (6-pack) | $6.29 | $9.46 | Aldi |
| Dish soap (per oz) | $0.09 | $0.09 | Tied |
| Laundry detergent (50 oz) | $4.99 | $5.97 | Aldi |
| Tortilla chips (~13 oz) | $1.29 | $1.98 | Aldi |
| Frozen pepperoni pizza (12 in) | $3.49–$4.99 | $3.84 | Mixed |
| Orange juice (52 oz) | ~$3.85 | ~$3.97–$4.48 | Aldi |
| Cereal (~18 oz) | $4.45/15.4 oz | $4.93/18.8 oz | Walmart |
Paper towels shocked me the most when I actually sat and compared. A 34 percent gap on something you buy every single month adds up to real money over a year. Cereal is the one household item where Walmart wins when you look at per-ounce cost on the larger sizes.
Why Aldi Is So Much Cheaper Without Sacrificing Quality
I used to wonder if cheaper meant lower quality. It does not, at least not on most things. About 90 percent of what Aldi sells is private label under their own brand names, which cuts out licensing costs entirely. The stores are small, around 12,000 square feet, and you bag your own groceries. That structure keeps their prices lower by design, not just temporarily discounted.
The quality question actually surprised me. A lot of Aldi’s private-label products are made by the same manufacturers behind national brands. The Twice as Nice Guarantee covers any store-brand food you are not happy with: full refund and a replacement. Walmart’s Great Value line does not have that.
What Is Cheaper at Walmart
I want to be honest about this because it took me a while to stop assuming Aldi always wins. Walmart consistently comes out lower on:
- Bacon: about 10 percent cheaper every time I have checked
- Canned tuna: a few cents cheaper but it is consistent
- Name-brand cereal: Walmart carries the family sizes Aldi does not even stock
- Bulk pasta and rice: the larger pack sizes give Walmart a per-unit win
- Chicken breast and drumsticks: cheaper in many regions
- Personal care items: deodorant, shampoo, vitamins
- Pet supplies: Aldi barely carries these
If you are brand-loyal or need specific items Aldi does not carry regularly, Walmart is the practical answer. Aldi stocks around 1,400 to 1,800 items total versus Walmart’s 35,000 grocery items.
Does Aldi Have Good Quality?
Better than I expected, and in some categories genuinely excellent.
The Simply Nature organic line consistently comes in 8 to 12 percent below Walmart’s Marketside Organic on price, and the quality is comparable. The Specially Selected line covers artisan cheeses, charcuterie, and European imports and has become something I actually look forward to picking up.
The one real trade-off I have noticed is shelf life on produce. Because Aldi moves product fast through smaller stores, some produce has a shorter remaining life once you get it home. It is not always the case but worth knowing.
The Aldi Finds Aisle
Every Wednesday Aldi drops a fresh batch of limited non-food items: Dutch ovens, kitchen gadgets, seasonal décor, workout equipment. None of it comes back once it sells out. I have picked up some genuinely good things from that aisle and also talked myself into things I did not need.
If impulse buys are already something you wrestle with, walk past it. If you are disciplined, it is worth a look.
Where to Shop and When
Based on what I have tracked, the strategy that works best is hybrid shopping: Aldi as the primary store for staples, Walmart for name brands, bulk sizes, and one-stop trips. Here is how I think about it by shopper type:
- Budget-first families: Aldi primary, saving $50 to $140 per month on staples
- One-stop shoppers: Walmart: pharmacy, electronics, and groceries in one trip
- Brand-loyal shoppers: Walmart: Aldi rarely stocks national brands consistently
- Organic or clean-label shoppers: Aldi: Simply Nature line is both cheaper and cleaner
- Rural shoppers: Walmart: Aldi still has no stores in 11 states
- Entertaining and charcuterie: Aldi: Specially Selected is genuinely hard to beat at that price
One thing to know: Aldi is opening 180 new US stores in 2026 and plans to reach 3,200 locations by 2028, but it still has no presence in Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Maine, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, or Wyoming. If you are in those states, Walmart is your only mainstream option regardless of the price data.
The Bottom Line
Aldi wins on most staples, but not by as much as the internet suggests. The real savings on a standard basket are 10 to 18 percent, which adds up to hundreds of dollars a year for a family. Walmart wins on specific categories that Aldi either does not carry or does not price competitively.
The best move is not picking one store permanently. It is knowing which items to grab where and shopping with that data in hand instead of guessing every time.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Aldi cheaper than Walmart in 2026?
Yes, on most staples. When I tracked 40 items across both stores, Aldi came out cheaper on roughly 70 to 80 percent of them. Walmart still wins on bacon, canned tuna, name-brand cereal, bulk packaging, and some personal care items.
How much can a family of four save by shopping at Aldi instead of Walmart?
Realistically $50 to $140 per month depending on your market and what you buy. That works out to $600 to $1,650 in annual savings if you fully switch your staples basket to Aldi.
Does Aldi have good quality food?
Yes. A lot of Aldi’s private-label products come from the same manufacturers behind national brands, and Aldi backs all its store-brand food with a full refund and replacement guarantee if you are not satisfied.
What should I not buy at Aldi?
Skip Aldi for bacon, canned tuna, name-brand cereals in family sizes, bulk pasta and rice, and personal care products. Walmart wins on those consistently.
Does Aldi have stores in every state?
No. As of 2026, Aldi has no stores in Alaska, Colorado, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, or Wyoming. The chain is expanding and plans to reach 3,200 US locations by 2028.
What is the Aldi Finds aisle?
It is a rotating section inside every Aldi where limited non-food items drop every Wednesday: kitchen gear, seasonal items, outdoor furniture, workout equipment, and more. Nothing gets restocked once it sells out, and it has a huge following among Aldi regulars.
Cynthia Odenu-Odenu is the founder of Cyanne Eats. A registered nurse with a passion for food, she brings the same attention to detail from her professional life into the kitchen. From chain restaurant rankings to grocery finds and easy recipes, Cynthia covers it all and helps everyday food lovers eat better and spend smarter.