Many of us know how hard it can be to stick to a budget while grocery shopping—especially when only three major supermarkets offer the convenience of shopping for your essential and specialty items in one location.

So, to help you save without compromising on quality, here’s Finder’s comparison of the cost of a shopping cart filled with 50 identical items from ALDI, Coles and Woolworths.

Finder’s experts chose items that represented a typical family shopping list, with a few extras to show you how much you can save. And here's what they found!

For essential items like eggs, milk, and bread:

A dozen large cage eggs will cost you $4.29 at ALDI, and Woolworths charges $4.60, compared to Coles, which charges $4.50. While the price differences between the retailers are not exponential, these could add up over time.

The price of milk was consistent between Coles and Woolworths at $4.50. ALDI sells them for a slightly lower price of $4.49

Meanwhile, a 750g loaf of wholemeal bread from ALDI will set you back $3.59. This is more than the other two supermarkets—Woolies charges $3.00, and Coles sells them for $3.30.

The milk price was consistent across the retailers, but egg is cheaper at ALDI, while bread is cheaper at Woolies. Credit: pong-photo9/Shutterstock

These three essentials could cost you $12.37 at ALDI, $12.30 at Coles, and $12.10 at Woolies.

For meat:

Want to buy some meat for your Sunday roast while keeping costs down?

ALDI often offers the cheapest sausages, mince and steaks, with their 500g beef mince priced at $5.99. This is a cent cheaper than the other supermarkets. Similar trends were noticed for beef eye fillet steaks and pork sausages.

On the other hand, Woolworths' free-range chicken drumsticks come in at $4.50—beating out both ALDI ($5.49) and Coles ($5.50).

Sausages, mince and steaks were cheapest at ALDI’s, while chicken was cheapest at Woolworths. Credit: Dream79/Shutterstock

For fresh produce:

Buying fresh fruits and vegetables is different nationwide. Seasonality and local conditions of the states have to be taken into account, so Finder noted that this may differ for other parts of the country.

When it comes to navel oranges, Woolworths was the cheapest, with 3kg costing just $4.90 compared to ALDI at $7.47 and Coles at $5.50.

Woolworths was also the cheapest for carrots, with their 1kg bag priced at $1.60 compared to $1.99 at ALDI and $2.40 at Coles.

For snacks:

Perhaps one of the biggest money savers Finder found was snacks and treats. For those with a sweet tooth, ALDI has the more affordable Tim Tams ($3.49) compared to Woolworths and Coles, which both charge $4.50.

Twisties were also cheaper at ALDI ($3.99). Meanwhile, Woolworths charges $4.00 and Coles charges $5.50 for the same 270g packet.

Tim Tams and Twisties were cheaper at ALDI. Credit: Alex Cimbal/Shutterstock

The biggest price difference:

According to Finder, here are the top five biggest price differences on the list:

1. Onions – 75 per cent price difference, with Woolworths offering the cheapest price.
2. Yoghurt – 66 per cent price difference, with ALDI having the cheapest price point.
3. Lemon lime and bitters – 57 per cent price difference, which is also cheapest at ALDI.
4. Oranges – 52 per cent price difference, cheapest at Woolworths.
5. Carrots – 50 per cent price difference, which is also cheapest at Woolworths.

The cheapest items:

ALDI has the most number of cheapest items—19. This includes eggs, shaved ham, pork sausages, fillet steaks, high protein yoghurt, mineral water, lemon lime and bitters, broccoli, coleslaw, Tim Tams, buttermilk, cheese, almond milk, maple syrup, cling wrap, moisturiser, Vegemite, flour and chicken nuggets.

On the other hand, Woolworths was the cheapest for six items: oranges, carrots, onions, asparagus, chicken drumsticks and wholemeal bread.

Meanwhile, Coles has no item cheaper than the other two but was equal lowest on some items.

Tallying up the trolleys:

After comparing prices for all 50 items, ALDI came on top with a $200 trolley, followed by Woolworths at $207 and Coles trailing behind at $214.

You can see the full comparison here:

​

ALDI does apply a 0.5 per cent surcharge to all credit card purchases, though, so keep that in mind if you're paying by card. We shared an article about it last week, you can read the full story here.

The other retailers don’t have surcharges on credit cards.

While ALDI may have the lowest prices overall, it may not offer the best solution for everyone. Woolworths may offer more competitive pricing on select items and could be more convenient depending on where you live.

Similarly, Coles' range of branded options could be essential if you're looking for specific items.

Methodology and context

For this research, Finder revealed that they sourced the prices for delivery or in-store purchases within the same Queensland postcode. Some Woolworths and Coles prices were manually checked in New South Wales.

Key Takeaways

• In a comparison of costs at ALDI, Coles and Woolworths, ALDI was found to be the most budget-friendly option overall, with a standard 50-item trolley totalling $200 compared to $207 at Woolworths and $214 at Coles.
  
• Some product prices vary considerably among the supermarkets, with the most significant differences in onions, yoghurt, lemon-lime and bitters, oranges, and carrots.
  
• Although ALDI generally had the lowest prices, Woolworths was the most affordable for specific items. Coles did not have the cheapest price for any individual items.
  
• Despite ALDI's lower prices, other factors such as location convenience and product variety may influence supermarket choice. Woolworths and Coles offer a wider range of brands and options than ALDI's more streamlined product range.
  
• Finder researched and sourced the prices from the same Queensland postcode and checked select Woolies and Coles in New South Wales.
  

What do you think of this story, members? Do you agree with Finder’s comparisons? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

 

[Littleboy8]

Many of us know how hard it can be to stick to a budget while grocery shopping—especially when only three major supermarkets offer the convenience of shopping for your essential and specialty items in one location.

So, to help you save without compromising on quality, here’s Finder’s comparison of the cost of a shopping cart filled with 50 identical items from ALDI, Coles and Woolworths.

Finder’s experts chose items that represented a typical family shopping list, with a few extras to show you how much you can save. And here's what they found!

For essential items like eggs, milk, and bread:

A dozen large cage eggs will cost you $4.29 at ALDI, and Woolworths charges $4.60, compared to Coles, which charges $4.50. While the price differences between the retailers are not exponential, these could add up over time.

The price of milk was consistent between Coles and Woolworths at $4.50. ALDI sells them for a slightly lower price of $4.49

Meanwhile, a 750g loaf of wholemeal bread from ALDI will set you back $3.59. This is more than the other two supermarkets—Woolies charges $3.00, and Coles sells them for $3.30.

View attachment 30165

The milk price was consistent across the retailers, but egg is cheaper at ALDI, while bread is cheaper at Woolies. Credit: pong-photo9/Shutterstock

These three essentials could cost you $12.37 at ALDI, $12.30 at Coles, and $12.10 at Woolies.

For meat:

Want to buy some meat for your Sunday roast while keeping costs down?

ALDI often offers the cheapest sausages, mince and steaks, with their 500g beef mince priced at $5.99. This is a cent cheaper than the other supermarkets. Similar trends were noticed for beef eye fillet steaks and pork sausages.

On the other hand, Woolworths' free-range chicken drumsticks come in at $4.50—beating out both ALDI ($5.49) and Coles ($5.50).

View attachment 30163

Sausages, mince and steaks were cheapest at ALDI’s, while chicken was cheapest at Woolworths. Credit: Dream79/Shutterstock

For fresh produce:

Buying fresh fruits and vegetables is different nationwide. Seasonality and local conditions of the states have to be taken into account, so Finder noted that this may differ for other parts of the country.

When it comes to navel oranges, Woolworths was the cheapest, with 3kg costing just $4.90 compared to ALDI at $7.47 and Coles at $5.50.

Woolworths was also the cheapest for carrots, with their 1kg bag priced at $1.60 compared to $1.99 at ALDI and $2.40 at Coles.

For snacks:

Perhaps one of the biggest money savers Finder found was snacks and treats. For those with a sweet tooth, ALDI has the more affordable Tim Tams ($3.49) compared to Woolworths and Coles, which both charge $4.50.

Twisties were also cheaper at ALDI ($3.99). Meanwhile, Woolworths charges $4.00 and Coles charges $5.50 for the same 270g packet.

View attachment 30164

Tim Tams and Twisties were cheaper at ALDI. Credit: Alex Cimbal/Shutterstock

The biggest price difference:

According to Finder, here are the top five biggest price differences on the list:

1. Onions – 75 per cent price difference, with Woolworths offering the cheapest price.
2. Yoghurt – 66 per cent price difference, with ALDI having the cheapest price point.
3. Lemon lime and bitters – 57 per cent price difference, which is also cheapest at ALDI.
4. Oranges – 52 per cent price difference, cheapest at Woolworths.
5. Carrots – 50 per cent price difference, which is also cheapest at Woolworths.

The cheapest items:

ALDI has the most number of cheapest items—19. This includes eggs, shaved ham, pork sausages, fillet steaks, high protein yoghurt, mineral water, lemon lime and bitters, broccoli, coleslaw, Tim Tams, buttermilk, cheese, almond milk, maple syrup, cling wrap, moisturiser, Vegemite, flour and chicken nuggets.

On the other hand, Woolworths was the cheapest for six items: oranges, carrots, onions, asparagus, chicken drumsticks and wholemeal bread.

Meanwhile, Coles has no item cheaper than the other two but was equal lowest on some items.

Tallying up the trolleys:

After comparing prices for all 50 items, ALDI came on top with a $200 trolley, followed by Woolworths at $207 and Coles trailing behind at $214.

You can see the full comparison here:

View attachment 30167​

ALDI does apply a 0.5 per cent surcharge to all credit card purchases, though, so keep that in mind if you're paying by card. We shared an article about it last week, you can read the full story here.

The other retailers don’t have surcharges on credit cards.

While ALDI may have the lowest prices overall, it may not offer the best solution for everyone. Woolworths may offer more competitive pricing on select items and could be more convenient depending on where you live.

Similarly, Coles' range of branded options could be essential if you're looking for specific items.

Methodology and context

For this research, Finder revealed that they sourced the prices for delivery or in-store purchases within the same Queensland postcode. Some Woolworths and Coles prices were manually checked in New South Wales.

Key Takeaways

• In a comparison of costs at ALDI, Coles and Woolworths, ALDI was found to be the most budget-friendly option overall, with a standard 50-item trolley totalling $200 compared to $207 at Woolworths and $214 at Coles.
• Some product prices vary considerably among the supermarkets, with the most significant differences in onions, yoghurt, lemon-lime and bitters, oranges, and carrots.
• Although ALDI generally had the lowest prices, Woolworths was the most affordable for specific items. Coles did not have the cheapest price for any individual items.
• Despite ALDI's lower prices, other factors such as location convenience and product variety may influence supermarket choice. Woolworths and Coles offer a wider range of brands and options than ALDI's more streamlined product range.
• Finder researched and sourced the prices from the same Queensland postcode and checked select Woolies and Coles in New South Wales.

What do you think of this story, members? Do you agree with Finder’s comparisons? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

Interesting

 

[Jennylolo]

nope. Constantly changes between them all. 1c cheaper for an item is not cheaper! Aldi doesn't cater to food intolerances at all so doesn't help me at all. It comes down to the goods one buys as to whether one store is actually cheaper or not, not a random selection of items. There can never be one better than the other. I have the 3 stores in my shopping centre. I can get each store having the cheapest item for the same item on different occasions. None clearly outweigh the other. My Aldi store is tiny and has little variety in fresh produce compared to others. I would still have to go to more than one store. It doesn't always come down to cost but the variety/availability of certain items.

 

[mylittletibbies]

I buy my vegetables at Spud She'd, here in WA, as they grow their own, so always cheaper.
Well Aldi still came out cheaper.
I have also found Aldi cheaper on health and beauty products, all laundry and cleaning products etc. which were not mentioned . Also trays of fresh diced pet meat, cat biscuits, cat litter..
I did a comparison on last fortnights shop, which was pretty much my normal shop and I had saved roughly
$40, which would save me over $1000 a year. On top of that I saved on my vegetables at Spud She'd and a few other items that were half price at Coles and Woolies, which I bulk buy. Over the year I save about another $500 on those things.
By doing my major shop at Aldi and the other things I get elsewhere, over the year I save enough to pay my house insurance and my electricity.
I have 22 solar panels.
Careful shopping can save you a lot and no need to pay the card fee at Aldi, as has been discussed many times before.
In the past I saw someone state on here that it wasn't worth shopping at Aldi because she only saved about $10/ week. What a pea brain.
Even if you only saved $10/weekly shop, that is $520/year, not to be sneezed at.
I love Nescafe Hazelnut Coffee, buy 6 boxes a shop, my one luxury I allow myself, but I only buy it in bulk when half price. That saves me over another $500 per year than if I was to pay full price.

 

[AlanQ]

(Assuming people have the time to shop at all 3) Download the Wiselist app gives the price comparison on branded products, (not house branded) so you can compare apples with apples, not apples with oranges. Interestingly, Aldi, this site sponsor doesn't make it's prices available online, 'only their special buys'.

 

[mylittletibbies]

nope. Constantly changes between them all. 1c cheaper for an item is not cheaper! Aldi doesn't cater to food intolerances at all so doesn't help me at all. It comes down to the goods one buys as to whether one store is actually cheaper or not, not a random selection of items. There can never be one better than the other. I have the 3 stores in my shopping centre. I can get each store having the cheapest item for the same item on different occasions. None clearly outweigh the other. My Aldi store is tiny and has little variety in fresh produce compared to others. I would still have to go to more than one store. It doesn't always come down to cost but the variety/availability of certain items.

Obviously, but if you shop around carefully there are great savings to be had, it just depends on how much effort you are prepared to go to and how keen you are to save.
I spend about an hour researching prices the day before I shop and probably an extra hour actually shopping.
I'm retired, as are a lot of us, so hardly a lot of time per fortnight to make good savings.

 

[BillW41]

Many of us know how hard it can be to stick to a budget while grocery shopping—especially when only three major supermarkets offer the convenience of shopping for your essential and specialty items in one location.

So, to help you save without compromising on quality, here’s Finder’s comparison of the cost of a shopping cart filled with 50 identical items from ALDI, Coles and Woolworths.

Finder’s experts chose items that represented a typical family shopping list, with a few extras to show you how much you can save. And here's what they found!

For essential items like eggs, milk, and bread:

A dozen large cage eggs will cost you $4.29 at ALDI, and Woolworths charges $4.60, compared to Coles, which charges $4.50. While the price differences between the retailers are not exponential, these could add up over time.

The price of milk was consistent between Coles and Woolworths at $4.50. ALDI sells them for a slightly lower price of $4.49

Meanwhile, a 750g loaf of wholemeal bread from ALDI will set you back $3.59. This is more than the other two supermarkets—Woolies charges $3.00, and Coles sells them for $3.30.

View attachment 30165

The milk price was consistent across the retailers, but egg is cheaper at ALDI, while bread is cheaper at Woolies. Credit: pong-photo9/Shutterstock

These three essentials could cost you $12.37 at ALDI, $12.30 at Coles, and $12.10 at Woolies.

For meat:

Want to buy some meat for your Sunday roast while keeping costs down?

ALDI often offers the cheapest sausages, mince and steaks, with their 500g beef mince priced at $5.99. This is a cent cheaper than the other supermarkets. Similar trends were noticed for beef eye fillet steaks and pork sausages.

On the other hand, Woolworths' free-range chicken drumsticks come in at $4.50—beating out both ALDI ($5.49) and Coles ($5.50).

View attachment 30163

Sausages, mince and steaks were cheapest at ALDI’s, while chicken was cheapest at Woolworths. Credit: Dream79/Shutterstock

For fresh produce:

Buying fresh fruits and vegetables is different nationwide. Seasonality and local conditions of the states have to be taken into account, so Finder noted that this may differ for other parts of the country.

When it comes to navel oranges, Woolworths was the cheapest, with 3kg costing just $4.90 compared to ALDI at $7.47 and Coles at $5.50.

Woolworths was also the cheapest for carrots, with their 1kg bag priced at $1.60 compared to $1.99 at ALDI and $2.40 at Coles.

For snacks:

Perhaps one of the biggest money savers Finder found was snacks and treats. For those with a sweet tooth, ALDI has the more affordable Tim Tams ($3.49) compared to Woolworths and Coles, which both charge $4.50.

Twisties were also cheaper at ALDI ($3.99). Meanwhile, Woolworths charges $4.00 and Coles charges $5.50 for the same 270g packet.

View attachment 30164

Tim Tams and Twisties were cheaper at ALDI. Credit: Alex Cimbal/Shutterstock

The biggest price difference:

According to Finder, here are the top five biggest price differences on the list:

1. Onions – 75 per cent price difference, with Woolworths offering the cheapest price.
2. Yoghurt – 66 per cent price difference, with ALDI having the cheapest price point.
3. Lemon lime and bitters – 57 per cent price difference, which is also cheapest at ALDI.
4. Oranges – 52 per cent price difference, cheapest at Woolworths.
5. Carrots – 50 per cent price difference, which is also cheapest at Woolworths.

The cheapest items:

ALDI has the most number of cheapest items—19. This includes eggs, shaved ham, pork sausages, fillet steaks, high protein yoghurt, mineral water, lemon lime and bitters, broccoli, coleslaw, Tim Tams, buttermilk, cheese, almond milk, maple syrup, cling wrap, moisturiser, Vegemite, flour and chicken nuggets.

On the other hand, Woolworths was the cheapest for six items: oranges, carrots, onions, asparagus, chicken drumsticks and wholemeal bread.

Meanwhile, Coles has no item cheaper than the other two but was equal lowest on some items.

Tallying up the trolleys:

After comparing prices for all 50 items, ALDI came on top with a $200 trolley, followed by Woolworths at $207 and Coles trailing behind at $214.

You can see the full comparison here:

View attachment 30167​

ALDI does apply a 0.5 per cent surcharge to all credit card purchases, though, so keep that in mind if you're paying by card. We shared an article about it last week, you can read the full story here.

The other retailers don’t have surcharges on credit cards.

While ALDI may have the lowest prices overall, it may not offer the best solution for everyone. Woolworths may offer more competitive pricing on select items and could be more convenient depending on where you live.

Similarly, Coles' range of branded options could be essential if you're looking for specific items.

Methodology and context

For this research, Finder revealed that they sourced the prices for delivery or in-store purchases within the same Queensland postcode. Some Woolworths and Coles prices were manually checked in New South Wales.

Key Takeaways

• In a comparison of costs at ALDI, Coles and Woolworths, ALDI was found to be the most budget-friendly option overall, with a standard 50-item trolley totalling $200 compared to $207 at Woolworths and $214 at Coles.
• Some product prices vary considerably among the supermarkets, with the most significant differences in onions, yoghurt, lemon-lime and bitters, oranges, and carrots.
• Although ALDI generally had the lowest prices, Woolworths was the most affordable for specific items. Coles did not have the cheapest price for any individual items.
• Despite ALDI's lower prices, other factors such as location convenience and product variety may influence supermarket choice. Woolworths and Coles offer a wider range of brands and options than ALDI's more streamlined product range.
• Finder researched and sourced the prices from the same Queensland postcode and checked select Woolies and Coles in New South Wales.

What do you think of this story, members? Do you agree with Finder’s comparisons? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

 

[BillW41]

Woolies, Coles and some Foodland petrol discounts make a difference of $8 in $200, putting Woolies in front most of the time.

 

[mylittletibbies]

Aldi $5.49/kg for chicken drumsticks??
I buy 2kg bags for $7.99. I don't recall if they are free range, but if we are talking about saving money, and many people cannot afford to worry if they are free range or not, just trying to get by. So Aldi is actually cheaper.

 

[PeeBo]

I would not even think of buying many items on that research in a standard family shop. IT MEANS NOTHING. Seniors, you would do better to do your own survey.

 

[saundy]

I live in a country town in North West Victoria 2 supermarkets IGA and foodworks, you ain't seen high grocery prices until you have lived in a rural area no competition so prices are higher than the major supermarkets much higher the closest major supermarket is 60 kilometres away with petrol prices (just over $2 per litre) one has to think about this before making a trip to the major supermarkets.
You look at the catalogue see item's on special when you get there just to be told sorry they have not arrived yet or we have sold out no more available at that price.

 

[GeeT]

Aldi $5.49/kg for chicken drumsticks??
I buy 2kg bags for $7.99. I don't recall if they are free range, but if we are talking about saving money, and many people cannot afford to worry if they are free range or not, just trying to get by. So Aldi is actually cheaper.

I thought the same when I saw it. I buy the 2kg for $7.99. They used to be $5.99 I think, but have gone up like everything.
It's so hard ... ends just don't meet anymore.

 

[Countryjohn]

I live in a country town in south east of sa and we have 2 supermarkets. It always seemed to me the price fight was who could get the highest. I know it costs more to freight stuff into the country towns but we are not stupid and know what that costs.
If you are in the suburbs and need to travel more than a couple of kms to get something else that’s cheap you probably don’t save anything anyway. Your car costs about 80c /km as per the govt plea s any extra time idling you may well end up being out of pocket over a12 month period.

 

[Jennylolo]

Obviously, but if you shop around carefully there are great savings to be had, it just depends on how much effort you are prepared to go to and how keen you are to save.
I spend about an hour researching prices the day before I shop and probably an extra hour actually shopping.
I'm retired, as are a lot of us, so hardly a lot of time per fortnight to make good savings.

that's why I go to more than one shop! I check! And it's why I said they each have discounts the others don't have!

 

[mylittletibbies]

I live in a country town in south east of sa and we have 2 supermarkets. It always seemed to me the price fight was who could get the highest. I know it costs more to freight stuff into the country towns but we are not stupid and know what that costs.
If you are in the suburbs and need to travel more than a couple of kms to get something else that’s cheap you probably don’t save anything anyway. Your car costs about 80c /km as per the govt plea s any extra time idling you may well end up being out of pocket over a12 month period.

80c/km??? I have to do about a 230km round trip, which costs me about $30.00. At 80c/km that would come to $184.00 per trip. I don't think so.