Walmart vs. Costco: Which Store Actually Has Better Prices?

Walmart has long held the title of being one of the cheapest grocery chains in the nation, offering staple kitchen items and foodie favorites at an affordable price. Up there with it are Aldi and Lidl, and Kroger might even deserve a place as well, as some of their grocery items certainly compare in price to Walmart, especially with their coupons, coupled with the discounts they offer to customers under their free rewards membership.

But it seems there’s another contender that’s competing with Walmart, and you might not even know it — Costco. Sure, it’s known for offering cheaper prices per unit since it sells in bulk, but who knew certain items were actually much cheaper than Walmart?

Business Insider’s Savannah Born took it upon herself to compare 32 items and found that overall, Costco’s pricing is about 26 percent cheaper than Walmart. Say what? Keep reading for a cost comparison.

Not everything at Costco is going to be cheaper than Walmart, but overall, Costco appears to come out on top when it comes to lower prices. That’s based on an early 2026 comparison conducted by Business Insider’s Savannah Born, who looked at cost per pound or ounce. Let’s get into her findings.

When it comes to milk, the price per gallon was just $0.03 cheaper at Costco, but other dairy products like cheese were significantly cheaper per pound, with Costco charging about $2.60 compared to Walmart’s $3.46. Butter offered a similar comparison, coming in at $2.12 per pound at Costco versus $3.23 at Walmart, both private label options.

As for snacks like popcorn and crackers, Costco items seem to be the better buy. Born found that Lesser Evil popcorn was just $0.43 per ounce, while Walmart charged $0.72 per ounce. Simple Mills crackers were $0.50 per ounce, while Walmart priced them at $1.08 per ounce, a stark difference if you ask us. She also found that Nabisco graham crackers were $0.14 per ounce at Costco compared to $0.24 at Walmart, though Walmart may offer off-brand options that are even cheaper.

Name-brand cereal like Cheerios was also more affordable at Costco, priced at $0.17 per ounce when bought in a 40.7-ounce box, compared to Walmart’s 18-ounce box at $0.25 per ounce. Other items that came in cheaper per ounce at Costco included mac and cheese, jasmine rice, and pasta sauce. Olive oil was another, coming in about $0.11 cheaper per ounce at Costco.

Overall, Born found that when comparing prices per ounce, her cart was just under 26 percent cheaper at Costco.

Now, while shopping at Walmart might feel more convenient and less expensive upfront, Costco’s bulk pricing allows you to get more for your money. Because a few cents here and a few scents there starts to add up.

While Costco does appear to offer some solid deals when comparing prices per ounce or pound, there were a few items Born found to be more expensive at the warehouse retailer. Eggs were one of them, coming in slightly cheaper at Walmart. Her shopping trip revealed Costco eggs cost about $1.80 per dozen, while Walmart charged $1.65. Chicken prices were also a bit lower at Walmart, costing around $0.42 less per pound, with Costco at about $2.99 per pound and Walmart at $2.57.

Other kitchen staples that might be better to buy at Walmart are flour and sugar. While Costco’s bulk options offer more for the price, they may not make sense if you’re not an avid baker. Having too much of something risks spoilage or taking up space you might not have.

All in all, if you really want to save on groceries, you may need to split your time between multiple stores, focusing on the items that are the best buys at each. While it might take some time upfront to figure out where to shop, once you have your regular shopping list down, it should become much easier.