21 Surprisingly Expensive Products From Costco

Costco is known for free samples, cheap hot dogs, and low prices on bulk purchases. However, Costco sells some surprising — and surprisingly expensive — products as well. How pricey? If you bought one of every item on our list, you'd need to spend almost a half-million dollars. While some splurges at Costco seem worth it, many of these had us scratching our heads wondering which of our fellow shoppers are going all out.

* Prices and availability are subject to change

Related: I Shopped at Costco for the First Time and This Is What I Learned

Costco sells caskets through Universal Casket Company, as well as a variety of burial urns. The Richmond model is the most expensive model Costco carries, selling for $1,800. The 180-pound casket has an off-white velvet liner and a solid poplar exterior.

A 5,000-watt generator keeps the energy flowing during a power outage by tapping propane fuel or a home's natural gas supply. It provides enough power to keep many major appliances running, including a refrigerator, water heat, well pump, furnace, and smaller luxuries such as a TV or microwave. This diesel-powered model includes an electric starter.

The 14-piece NewAge Products Pro 3.0 storage set, with doors made out of double-wall steel, is intended for an industrial setting but also tempting for a garage. The 14-piece set is available in three colors: red, gray, and white. The storage set measures 21 feet wide, 2 feet deep, and nearly 7 feet tall, providing enough workspace for just about any weekend project.

Preparing for the apocalypse has never been so easy. Costco sells a year's supply of emergency food, with meals packaged in 220 1-gallon cans. Many have a shelf life of more than 25 years. A day's worth of food offers about 1,986 calories — ample energy for fighting off a zombie or two.

For grillmasters who take their outdoor grilling seriously, there's this Urban Islands outdoor kitchen. It's got a stainless-steel, five-burner grill with a whopping 90,000 total BTUs, storage below, plus a sink, a 4.5-cubic-foot fridge, and a porcelain counter top for easy cleanup.

Dynamic Monaco offers a six-person infrared sauna made from reclaimed Canadian hemlock. Inside, the benches can be turned into recliners for maximum relaxation. There are four built-in speakers with an MP3 auxiliary connection to keep the party lively, while LED displays show the time and temperature. The manufacturer says all this takes two people only an hour to assemble.

For those with Pentagon-size offices who haven't dusted since the Vietnam War, Costco offers a pallet of Dust-Off XL compressed-air cans to make short work of the job. Each pallet has 132 cartons, or 1,584 12-ounce cans — enough to ensure every dust bunny meets its maker. The canisters are ozone-safe and come with extension straws to ensure every crack and crevice is swept clean.

Most fine watches for men and women sold at Costco are considerably less expensive, selling for $500 or less. But the Breitling Navitimer, which sells for about $6,700, is in another class. This Swiss watch is water-resistant to 30 meters, and has a sapphire crystal, luminous dial, and a leather band. 

Costco shoppers can outfit a bedroom royally with the Winslow six-piece California king bedroom set: a bed frame, two nightstands, a dresser, a mirror, and a chest. The pieces in this regal collection are made of solid pine and pine inlays with a luxurious padded leather headboard with hand-carved details and scrollwork.

The Osaki OS-4D Pro Maestro is packed with relaxing features, including heated surfaces for the back or chest, as well as a heated foot massager. The 30 air bladder massagers can pulse at three speeds and the massage rollers have nine preset programs and five intensity settings. You can enjoy your favorite tunes on the chair's built-in Bluetooth speakers and there's a touch-screen remote, too.

This 77-inch LG ultra-HD TV from Costco is nearly twice as expensive as the next-priciest model available. It's a smart TV, loaded with all the features you need to connect to your favorite streaming services, and the crisp, colorful UHD screen will make your BluRays and 4K TV shows look great. Costco will kick in a $100 Costco Cash Card with purchase.

Evolution Spa's Oxford hot tub can fit seven people comfortably and has 121 jets to keep things nice and bubbly. The tub has three captain's chairs and one full-body lounger in addition to the side benches, and there are neck- and shoulder-level jets to wash away any muscle tension you may have — without having to travel to the world's swankiest hot tubs.

Costco sells several Riga greenhouses that can keep gardeners growing all year long. The largest of these high-tech greenhouses offers about 415 square feet of space — enough for nearly any person with a green thumb. The sturdy polycarbonate-and-aluminum building must be installed on a concrete foundation or by burying a foundational beam in a trench. The package includes two shelves, a ventilation and heating system, a solar light, and plant hooks, among other features.

The Grape Solar kit comes with 22 solar panels, an inverter, and a power optimizer. The kit is intended for mounting on the roof, and buyers have to hire a contractor to install the panels.

A three-piece LG Signature kitchen set in stainless steel comes with a dishwasher, microwave, double-oven gas range, and French-door refrigerator — the major appliances needed to give a kitchen a fresh look. Delivery, installation, or haul away may be included, depending on location.

Homeowners with estate-size backyards will have no problem filling some of that space with this 22-piece set of outdoor furniture. Included are an 11-piece dining set, a six-piece "deep-seating" set, and a five-piece conversation set that includes a fire pit, ensuring the whole neighborhood will have someplace to sit.

A large redwood play set available through Costco has six play decks, four slides (including a spiraling tube), five swings, monkey bars, two sandboxes, and a picnic table. To top it off, there are two rock walls and a drawbridge. The manufacturer recommends a 6-foot safety perimeter around the entire set, meaning buyers must have an open area about 50 by 35 feet.

Costco members get a $3,500 Costco Cash e-voucher with the purchase a one-year membership to Wheels Up, a private jet service. The deal includes guaranteed access to two types of business aircraft, and members can either pay a fixed hourly rate or pre-purchase hours or credits.

Costco's travel service offers discounts and money-saving bonuses for members who book cruises, rental cars, and vacation packages. However, some trips are still quite expensive. A 10-night Kirkland Signature safari package in South Africa tops out at about $20,000 per person if you opt for the business-class flight from New York City to Cape Town, South Africa. Slightly less expensive is the seven-night Alaska cruise with Regent Seven Seas Cruises starts at $6,000 a person before taxes and fees.

Costco sells individual pieces of jewelry with precious gems that are certified by the International Gemological Institute. One of their priciest offerings is this one-of-a-kind $137,000 platinum engagement ring with a 4.02-carat emerald-cut diamond. If that's too pricey, there's an $83,000 platinum solitaire ring with a cushion-cut 5.01-carat diamond.

Costco's auto-buying program offers pre-negotiated prices on new and certified used cars at selected dealerships. Top-of-the-line options for 2019 include the Porsche 718 Cayman GTS coupe (base price: $80,000), the Mercedes-Benz AMG GT coupe (base price: $112,000), and the convertible Maserati GranTurismo (base price: $150,000-plus).