The Cheapest Grocery Stores in America

The cost-of-living crisis has affected every aspect of budgeting — there’s no way around it — and grocery prices tend to be the budget line that has seen the biggest price increase. It can seem daunting to even try to maintain a healthy and balanced kitchen pantry when the cost of high-quality and fresh food has hit prohibitively high prices, but shopping strategically does make a difference, even these days.

Frugal-friendly routines like planning and adhering to a hyper-specific grocery list, creating a weekly meal plan, and batch-cooking food are all great ways to save in the grocery store — but the best trick is still to find the shops and markets where your dollar stretches the furthest.

The following list lays out the cheapest grocery stores across the country, where you won’t just find deals and markdowns but lower prices on most grocery items, from packaged goods to fresh produce.

Here’s where you’ll want to be shopping if you’re hoping to stick as close to your pre-determined budget as possible: 

No grocery store in the country compares to Aldi for the price-to-quality ratio. The German grocer dates back over a century — but opened its doors in the United States for the first time in 2015. The grocery store chain has since opened stores in more than 39 states across the country and is well-loved for its no-frills approach to shopping. 

Aldi keeps its costs low by opting for an aesthetically indifferent shopping experience; most items will be displayed right in the crates they came in. The store charges a deposit for shopping cart rentals and doesn’t offer grocery bagging services which also helps keep costs on the lower end.

Costco can get expensive if you let it — but if you’re diligent about optimizing your meal planning and bulk buying, it can save you bundles of money in the long run. The company offsets prices with its membership plan fees and the fact that many of the products are Kirkland Signature brand (see: no middle man) and passes down those savings to you. 

But we’ll repeat it again: to truly save at Costco, it’s almost a necessity to be shopping for a large family (or splitting the bulk purchases and costs with friends) while also ensuring you’re buying products you’re actually going to use, not just leave in your pantry to expire.

The Walmart-owned version of Costco, warehouse retailer Sam’s Club is another great option if bulk-shopping is something that interests you or works for your household. This membership-based retailer offers major savings by way of offsetting high prices with its membership fees and costs saved on buying in bulk.

It’s literally written in the name — Food4Less is a budget-friendly grocery store that boasts major discounts on everything from dry and canned goods to organic produce and meat. The frugal-friendly retailer also boasts home delivery services and in-house pharmacies, making the retailer accessible to an even larger number of folks. This grocer boasts more than a hundred locations across the US, but it only operates in California, Illinois, Missouri, and Indiana.

Lidl is yet another grocery retailer of German origin that has taken off majorly in the United States. This low-cost grocery store first opened its doors in the US in the 1970s and is mainly concentrated on the East Coast. The retailer stocks fewer brands than most grocery stores which allows it to get competitive pricing from its partners and in turn passes these savings onto you. It’s also worth noting that Lidl offers a Love It Guarantee and will provide a full refund on any of their in-store brand food items that don’t live up to your expectations.

Admittedly, Trader Joe’s isn’t the cheapest of cheap grocery stores for stocking up on pantry staples and other basic foods — but the nationwide retailer is still great for finding budget-friendly fun or convenience foods. Trader Joe’s mainly stocks its in-store brand which does offset the cost and is probably the best retailer in the country for finding more niche food items, fun frozen and convenience foods, and curated snacks for cheaper than going to other trendy grocery stores like Whole Foods, or (gasp) Erewhon.

Walmart has always been a go-to spot for frugal shoppers — but since expanding into the grocery space, it has become one of the best one-stop shops for everything from clothing and shoes to prescription medication to fresh produce and pantry items. Because Walmart is one of the largest and busiest retailers in the country, the brand can negotiate much cheaper prices with its suppliers and as such can pass those prices onto its shoppers.

Texas-based frugal shoppers swear by H-E-B — but Joe V’s Smart Shop is its slightly smaller and even more affordable cousin. The grocery store is only in Texas and boasts a similar business model to the likes of Lidl and Aldi; it’s no-frills and not over-the-top aesthetically pleasing which means you’ll find a more basic curation of products and in-store brands at a fraction of what you’d pay, even at frugal-friendly H-E-B.

Market Basket is only in New England — but if you find yourself near one of these legacy retailers, consider yourself lucky. The frugal grocer has been in business for over a century and keeps its costs low thanks to a relatively small corporate office and very local products. Pantry staples and canned goods are well-priced but so are regional specialties like fresh seafood and local produce.

If you live on the West Coast and you’re into bulk shopping but don’t want to pay or commit to the membership model of Costco or Sam’s Club, then it’ll be worth checking out WinCo Foods. The retailer is almost entirely employee-owned which means they don’t have to pay out corporate salaries and employees on the ground get paid better wages. The brand buys directly from local suppliers in bulk which also keeps costs low and quality high. Keep in mind that WinCo Foods doesn’t accept credit cards (to further keep costs low) so you’ll have to pay by debit card or cash.