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Costco / Allrecipes
Shopping at Costco is a real treat for a lot of people. They love browsing the seasonal selections, nibbling on the latest trendy samples, and hunting for big sales. But I shop at the mega warehouse market like someone on a mission. I jot down exactly what I need to buy and pilot a giant cart through the crowded aisles, precisely adding items to my cart almost robotically. No, I don’t love shopping at Costco, but as my family’s grown, I’m finding it necessary to save some money on groceries.
Lately, I’ve been wondering if Costco is actually saving me money compared to any of my other local grocery stores. Is buying in bulk really cheaper? Am I actually saving money by stocking up on a giant bag of all-purpose flour, a hefty 5-pound box of Dino Buddies, or a big bottle of olive oil? To find out if groceries are less expensive at Costco, I did what any thrifty parent would do: I went shopping with a notebook and did some homework.
Which Foods Are Cheaper at Costco
The two most important considerations when comparing prices are the unit price, which is the only way to get a true one-to-one comparison across stores, and storage requirements when buying in bulk. For example, a large pork loin may be cheaper per pound at Costco, but if you aren’t cooking the whole thing at once, you’ll need the skill to break it down into chops, seal those properly, and have room in your freezer. Similarly, that six-pack bag of avocados is a good deal, but only if you can use them all up when they are ripe or learn to store them properly.
It should come as little surprise that most of the groceries at Costco end up being cheaper than a regular grocery store. While it may not feel great dropping $40 or more for a giant jug of Italian olive oil, once you compare the unit price, you’ll feel better about that big bill at checkout.
Here are some of the biggest savings you can get on popular grocery items at Costco. Something to keep in mind: Prices at Costco and your local grocery stores will vary.
Olive Oil
Costco / Allrecipes
Just about all the cooking oils at Costco are a good deal—and some are even great. Kirkland Signature 100% Italian Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil is one of those great deals. A 2-liter jug of good quality extra-virgin olive oil is about $18, which is about $8 per quart compared to $19 to $35 per quart at other stores. Consider transferring some of the oil into a smaller bottle and storing the big jug in a cool, dark place.
Kirkland Signature Pecans
Costco / Allrecipes
Whether you use pecans as a salad topper, for pies, or just as a snack, it’s always a great idea to have a bag of these versatile nuts on hand. You can pick up a 2-pound bag of pecans for about $12, or $6 per pound. You may find bulk nuts at your local grocery store, which will likely be cheaper than pre-packaged, but even those will be more than at Costco. For reference, Diamond of California Pecan Halves run about $14 per pound at other markets. This is actually a decent price considering a generic brand at another store ran $20 per pound. Nuts are generally a great buy at Costco, just be sure to store them in the freezer to extend their shelf life.
Kirkland Signature Organic Peanut Butter
Costco / Allrecipes
Our household practically lives off peanut butter. And it’s not just the kids’ peanut butter and jelly sandwiches for lunch, I happen to be a nut butter fanatic as well. Lucky for me, Costco’s peanut butter is a terrific price at $10 for two 28-ounce jars (that’s $2.85 per pound). This is natural peanut butter, so you’ll have to stir it before using. Once stirred, I store leftovers in the fridge to prevent the oil from separating. But is buying the two-pack actually saving money? Yes, and it offers great savings. The closest comparison at my local markets is Teddie All Natural Smooth Peanut Butter, which typically runs about $3.70 per pound.
Pure Vanilla Extract
Costco / Allrecipes
Buying vanilla extract in bulk is the way to go, especially if you bake more than once or twice a year. At Costco you can snag a 1-pint bottle of Pure Vanilla Extract for about $10. That is an incredibly attractive price considering vanilla extract at my other local shops range from $50 to $70 for the same quantity. Sure, imitation vanilla is cheaper, but what’s the point when you can get the real stuff at Costco for such a great price?
Kerrygold Unsalted Irish Butter
Costco / Allrecipes
There is a reason so many people, even Martha Stewart, love Kerrygold butter. It has a distinctively rich flavor and creamy texture that’s unlike traditional butter. But this lovely butter is not cheap. At most grocery stores near me, it costs $12 per pound. Let that sink in: $12 per pound! Luckily, at Costco, the price is nearly half that, at about $7.50 per pound.
Related
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Organic Frozen Blueberries
Costco / Allrecipes
Another Costco item I keep in my freezer are the Kirkland Signature Organic Blueberries, which cost about $8 for a 3-pound bag, or $2.60 per pound. I use them in smoothies, muffins, waffles and pancakes. And the price certainly wins out over my local grocery store, which sells frozen organic blueberries for about $4 per pound.
Maple Syrup
Costco / Allrecipes
We are lucky here in Vermont to have the very best maple syrup in the country—a brief humble brag for the Green Mountain State. Even our Costco sells great syrup, Coombs Organic Maple Syrup, and the price is just right at $12.49 for a 33.8-ounce jug, which equals about $12 per quart. The same product is sold at our local markets for $20 per quart. While your Costco may sell another brand, like the Kirkland Signature Maple Syrup, the price is still going to easily beat out other grocery stores.
Dino Buddies
Costco / Allrecipes
I swear by Dino Buddies Chicken Breast Nuggets. As a former line cook, culinary school grad, and food writer, I never thought I’d serve my kids chicken nuggets—especially ones shaped like dinosaurs—but I greatly underestimated sheer exhaustion. The kids devour these nuggets, and I appreciate them since they aren’t packed with a bunch of extra ingredients. The price at Costco is about $15 for a giant 5-pound package, which equals about $3 per pound. By comparison, local grocery stores sell them for about $5 per pound. The one challenge is storing the big box from Costco. I simply recycle the box and leave the handy resealable bag in the freezer.
Cheese
Costco / Allrecipes
You can find a decent assortment of cheeses at Costco, especially hard cheese and semi-soft cheeses like Parmigiano Reggiano, aged Parmesan, Cheddar, and Jarlsberg. Kerrygold Dubliner sells for $7 per pound at Costco while local grocery stores sell it for $14 or more per pound. Parmigiano Reggiano goes for $12.49 per pound at Costco but $21 or more per pound at regular markets. Perhaps the most notable savings come from Kirkland Signature Sliced Mozzarella at $3.77 per pound compared to $9 per pound at local grocery stores.
Cereal
Costco / Allrecipes
The cereal supply at Costco seems to rotate, or at least fluctuate, but you’ll generally find Cheerios sold for $2.75 per pound. Ever since the pandemic, it seems cereal prices at grocery stores have yet to come down and this is true for Cheerios, which sells for $6 per pound or more.
Chicken Stock
Costco / Allrecipes
The Kirkland Signature Organic Chicken Stock is quite good. It’s one of my favorite boxed chicken stocks, and at $1.50 per quart, it’s a great price. There are plenty of other brands at regular grocery stores that are also good quality, but none come close in price.
Which Foods Don't Offer Huge Savings
While just about every grocery item at Costco has a better unit price, some things don’t represent a huge savings, or they may simply be too challenging for some people to store. These are the groceries I consider to provide decent but not huge savings:
Coffee
Costco / Allrecipes
In general, Costco has a good price on whole bean coffee. But the prices at local grocery stores can sometimes be nearly as good. Plus, buying coffee in bulk may not be the best bet if you don’t drink it often. You’ll want to store the beans in an airtight container to extend their quality (be sure to avoid storing beans in the refrigerator or freezer), but even well-stored beans will lose flavor over time. If you are a moderate to heavy coffee drinker, consider Kirkland Signature 100% Colombian Supremo, which at the time of writing costs about $6.60 per pound. I found some local beans as low as $7 per pound, but most were around $10 per pound.
Flour
Costco / Allrecipes
Another item that’s technically a solid savings but with a caveat is flour. At our local Costco, we can grab a 25-pound bag of King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour for $19, or about 75 cents per pound. Local grocery stores sell the same flour for about $1.20 per pound, but importantly, that price is for a 5-pound bag of flour. The challenge with buying flour in bulk is having a proper sealable storage container to keep it fresh (and safe from critters). Still, buying bulk flours (and even sugar) is worth a trip to your local restaurant supply store to buy a large Cambro storage container.
Salmon
Adobe / Allrecipes
Fresh farm-raised Atlantic salmon fillets at our local Costco sell for about $12 per pound. Wild sockeye salmon sells just a bit more at $13 per pound. These are both solid and reliable prices, but you may find a better deal at your neighborhood grocery store. One store had farm-raised salmon as low as $7 per pound, but most stores had the same $12 per pound as Costco. Wild salmon prices also ranged from $12 up to $20 or more.
Bacon
Costco / Allrecipes
Sliced bacon at Costco sells for about $4.50 per pound, which is a really good price. Most bacon from other stores costs double that at $9 per pound, sometimes more. However, several brands were $7 per pound, and one generic brand was $5 per pound.
Ground Beef
Costco / Allrecipes
Meat in general is typically cheaper at Costco than other stores, but it can come with a catch. You’ll have to use it up quickly or have enough freezer space to store it. I often buy large roasts here when I’m entertaining for holidays or parties, but that’s about it. I simply don’t have the room in my freezer. It’s still mostly a great deal, though. Grass-fed ground beef sells for about $6.25 per pound compared to $9 or $10 at other stores. Regular ground beef is $5 per pound, which is the same price as generic ground beef at some other markets.
Pasta
Costco / Allrecipes
You can often find an assortment of pastas at Costco and they are all typically a bit less money than a regular grocery store. For example, Barilla Thin Spaghetti sells for $1.25 per pound, whereas most other stores stock it for $2 to $2.20 per pound. If you are willing to buy generic, however, you can often find it for $1.50 per pound and sometimes less.
Canned Tomatoes
Costco / Allrecipes
Cento Fine Foods San Marzano Tomatoes are some of my favorite canned tomatoes, and Costco sells them for $2.28 per pound while other stores sell them for $3.40 and sometimes less (as low as $2.60 at one store).
Bottom Line
Across the board, it was clear to see the savings when shopping at Costco. Of course, it comes with the catch of needing to buy a membership, navigating the crowds of fellow value-seekers, and making sure your pantry and freezer can store bulk items. If you have the room, and membership, then you can save money on everything from bottled water (19 cents per quart compared to 31 cents per quart at other stores), frozen french fries ($1.35 per pound compared to $2 per pound) and even garlic powder ($6.85 per pound compared to $20 per pound). Just be sure you’ll go through all those bulk items, or the savings will mean nothing if they go bad before you can enjoy them.
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