Peanut butter at Costco. Centre: Tomato sauce. Right: Raspberries.
Whether you shop at Costco all the time or have never stepped foot into a warehouse, you probably know that it has a reputation for offering products at cheaper prices.
So, that begs the question, does Costco really sell a lot of items that cost less than grocery stores in Canada?
Recently, an executive with the wholesale retailer said that Costco is a "different option" for grocery shopping.
He shared that the low prices at Costco Canada locations are actually a benefit to all Canadians because grocery stores try to keep their prices competitive with Costco's discounts.
While the price on the tag might look high when you're shopping at the wholesaler, breaking it down by how much bang you get for your buck shows that you get more for less money quite often!
So, here are a dozen products that you can buy at Costco that cost less than at Walmart, Fortinos, and Metro.
Kraft peanut butter
Kraft peanut butter.
All three of these retailers have two-kilogram tubs of Kraft peanut butter but the prices are pretty different.
Costco sells the tub for $10.49 which works out to $5.24 per kilogram.
Walmart is a bit more expensive at $10.97 for a two-kilogram tub so that means it costs $5.48 per kilogram.
Then, at Metro, the two-kilogram peanut butter costs $14.99 which works out to $7.49 per kilogram!
McCafé coffee
McCafé premium-roast coffee.
McCafé premium-roast coffee costs $24.79 for 1.36 kilograms at Costco and that works out to $1.28 per gram.
Walmart sells the coffee in a 950-gram canister for $22.97 which breaks down to $2.41 per gram.
At Fortinos, that same 950-gram canister costs $23.99 and ends up being $2.52 per gram.
Mutti passata
Mutti passata.
Costco sells jars of Mutti passata in a six-pack that costs $16.99 and each jar is 792 millilitres. That works out to just $0.35 per 100 millilitres.
However, at Fortinos, one jar that's 680 millilitres costs $4.49 and that breaks down to $0.73 per 100 millilitres.
Rio Mare tuna
Rio Mare tuna.
You can find a pack of four Rio Mare tuna cans that are 160 grams each for $12.99 at Costco. That means you pay $2.02 per 100 grams.
At Metro, a pack of three cans that are 80 grams each costs $5.99 which is $2.49 per 100 grams.
Walmart sells that same pack of three cans that are 80 grams each for $4.97 — $2.07 per 100 grams — which makes it cheaper than Metro but not cheap enough to beat Costco.
Brookside chocolates
At Costco, an 850-gram bag of Brookside chocolates will set you back $10.99.
While the total price for the chocolates is cheaper at Fortinos — $5.49 — it's actually way more expensive when you consider how little you're getting since it's a 235-gram bag.
It costs $2.33, much higher than the $1.29 per 100 grams price at Costco.
Raspberries
Raspberries.
Costco has a 340-gram pack of raspberries for $8.99 which is $2.46 per 100 grams.
Both Metro and Fortinos sell a 170-gram pack of raspberries for $4.99, breaking down to $2.93 per 100 grams of fruit.
Cucumbers
Cucumbers.
At Costco, there are packs of three cucumbers that cost $3.99 — $1.33 for each cucumber.
But at Fortinos, just one cucumber will cost you $2.99.
Que Pasa tortilla chips
Que Pasa tortilla chips.
You can find a 908-gram bag of Que Pasa tortilla chips at Costco for $6.39 which works out to just $0.70 per 100 grams.
Those tortilla chips cost $4.99 for a 350-gram bag at Fortinos. That means you pay $1.42 per 100 grams.
Tetley tea
Tetley tea.
Costco sells a 945-gram box of Tetley tea bags for $11.99 which works out to $1.26 per 100 grams.
You pay $10.97 for a 681-gram box at Walmart, meaning it costs you $1.61 per 100 grams.
Even though Costco sells a bigger box of tea, Metro's 681-gram box costs more — $13.99 in total which works out to $2.05 per 100 grams.
Dempster's Whole wheat bread
Dempster's bread.
A three-pack of Dempster's whole wheat bread costs $6.59 at Costco, which is $2.19 per loaf and $0.32 per 100 grams.
Then, at Metro, one loaf of that bread costs you $3.99 — $0.59 per 100 grams.
Heinz ketchup, mustard and relish
Heinz ketchup, mustard and relish packs.
This pack of Heinz ketchup, mustard and relish is $9.89 for a pack of four 750-millilitre bottles at Costco. That's $0.32 per 100 millilitres.
For a pack of three 375-millilitre bottles at Walmart, you pay $3.77 which works out to $0.33 per 100 millilitres!
Made Good oat bars
Made Good oat bars.
Costco sells a pack of 20 Made Good oat bars for $12.99 which means it costs $2.16 per 100 grams.
At Fortinos, a box of five oat bars costs $4.99 so you end up paying $3.32 per 100 grams.
Surprisingly, one grocery item that Costco doesn't have cheaper than grocery stores is the retailer's famous croissants.
At the wholesale retailer, a pack of 12 croissants is $6.99 which works out to $0.58 each but at Metro, a pack of 12 croissants is $5.99 which works out to $0.49 each.
Depending on what you like to buy when you go out on your weekly grocery shops, maybe paying for a Costco membership is worth it in the long run since you get more of a product for less cost.
But maybe you'd rather stick to shopping at grocery stores and keep hoping that grocery prices go down eventually. To each their own!
These prices are confirmed at the time of publishing, but they can change at any time. Taxes and fees may not be included.
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