We Compared Prices for 15 Items at Aldi Versus Walmart — And One Is Clearly Cheaper

Before we get to number crunching, though, I’ve said it once, I’ve said it a half dozen times: The concept of “cheapness” really shakes down to your particular priorities. The pricing of something as personal as groceries will mean a lot of different things to as many people, depending on the value you ascribe to a product as well as your financial situation. Paying, say, $6 for a bag of potato chips isn’t for everyone. 

The short answer is: Overwhelmingly, yes! And don’t we love a short answer? I also have a long answer (i.e., the receipts), though, don’t you worry.

With that bit of housekeeping aside, let us tackle the ultimate question. To figure it out, I compared 15 staples side by side and ounce by ounce. To keep things on as equal footing as possible, I visited the stores on the same sunny Monday afternoon in Burbank, California. I aimed to compare both store- and name-brand items across the sections (produce, frozen, pantry items, snacks). In some cases, Walmart provided (larger) options that were not available at Aldi, so price per unit is reflected.

Both retailers carry store-brand frozen waffles. While Aldi only offers one flavor, those homestyle waffles will save you just a bit over a dime compared with Walmart’s buttermilk version. 

• WINNER! Aldi Breakfast Best Homestyle Waffles: $2.15 for 10 waffles 
• Walmart Great Value Buttermilk Waffles: $2.26 for 10 waffles 

Even after we account for the difference in sizes (Walmart’s bag of nuggets is 3 ounces bigger), Aldi’s nuggets are cheaper. (This is a great example of why it’s important to compare unit prices.) That being said, the price of nuggets at both Aldi and Walmart have remained steady since last year. That’s worth something, right?!

• WINNER! Aldi Kirkwood Chicken Breast Nuggets, $5.29 for 29 ounces (18 cents per ounce) 
• Walmart Great Value Chicken Nuggets, $5.97 for 32 ounces (19 cents per ounce)

Both retailers sell avocados by unit, not by weight, which makes this head-to-head comparison a no-brainer. Though Aldi’s avocados were 9 cents cheaper than Walmart’s last I checked, 2025 is a new year. Walmart takes this round with the cheapest ones on the block. (Here are a few tips on the best ways to pick avocados.)

• Aldi Hass Avocados, 87 cents per avocado 
• WINNER! Walmart Hass Avocados, 70 cents per avocado

In general, organic produce tends to be more expensive (as it is here) and exposed to fewer pesticides.  Still a carton of Aldi’s organic berries will save you a couple coins over Walmart’s. 

• WINNER! Aldi Driscoll’s Organic Raspberries, $4.19 for 6 ounces 
• Walmart Well-Pict Organic Raspberries, $4.76 for 6 ounces 

If your household regularly goes through a gallon of milk, Walmart and Aldi are both equally solid options for a restock. In an attempt to close in on the competition, Walmart even dropped the price of its store-brand milk by a whopping 80 cents from last year. 

• TIE! Aldi Friendly Farms, $3.76 for 1 gallon
• TIE! Walmart Great Value Whole Milk, $3.76 for 1 gallon

At a jaw-dropping $2 less per block, it’s worth grabbing an extra one of Aldi’s Irish butters and stashing it in the freezer so you have it on hand for your next batch of buttercream.

• WINNER! Aldi Countryside Creamery Pure Irish Butter, $3.69 for 8 ounces
• Walmart Kerrygold Pure Irish Butter, $5.76 for 8 ounces

• WINNER! Aldi: $3.49 for 12 cage-free large white eggs 
• Walmart: $4.94 for 12 cage-free large white eggs

If chicken is what’s for dinner, Aldi’s affordable chicken breasts are your surefire budget winner.

• WINNER! Aldi: $3.89 per pound 
• Walmart: $4.77 per pound

Another multi-dollar savings deal! Aldi and Walmart’s almond butters each come in 12-ounce jars, but the one from Aldi is nearly $2 cheaper and actually decreased in price from 2024 to 2025. 

• WINNER! Aldi Simply Nature Creamy Almond Butter, $3.39 for 12 ounces
• Walmart Sam’s Choice Creamy Almond Butter, $5.23 for 12 ounces

Both retailers carry store-brand granulated sugar in 4-pound bags, but the bags at Aldi will save you a quarter, a dime, and a penny for your change jar. 

• WINNER! Aldi Baker’s Corner Premium Granulated Sugar, $3.09 for 4 pounds 
• Walmart Great Value Granulated Sugar, $3.46 for 4 pounds

Once again, both retailers sell store-brand options at identical sizes, and, once again, Aldi comes in a bit lower than Walmart. Picking up the bottle of Priano extra virgin olive oil will save you 75 cents.

• WINNER! Aldi Priano Extra Virgin Olive Oil, $6.39 for 16.9 ounces
• Walmart Great Value Extra Virgin Olive Oil, $7.14 for 16.9 ounces

Both stores offer a bevy of canned beans. Unfortunately, Walmart’s black beans went up in price from 88 cents in 2024 to $1.22. Aldi, meanwhile, went the other direction dropping to 99 cents per can (down from $1.19 last year).

• WINNER! Aldi Simply Nature Organic Black Beans, 99 cents for 15 ounces
• Walmart Great Value Organic Black Beans, $1.22 for 15 ounces 

Not only are there more bagels per bag, each one of Aldi’s everything bagels is 0.3 ounces bigger. It’s truly a case of getting more for less, especially because the grocer actually decreased the price since 2024 (honorable mention for Walmart’s bagels staying the same price). 

• WINNER! Aldi L’Oven Fresh Presliced Everything Bagels, $1.99 for 6 bagels
• Walmart bettergood Everything Bagels, $3.38 for 5 bagels

If you’re of the “don’t talk to me before I’ve had my coffee” clan, you’ll want to hit up Aldi for its bag of pre-ground French vanilla beans, which are 38 cents less than a similar bag at Walmart.

• WINNER! Aldi: $5.69 for 12 ounces 
• Walmart: $5.97 for 12 ounces

To go with your coffee, why not sweeten things up with a brownie? In which case, head to Aldi for its very budget-friendly boxed mix that’s 29 cents cheaper than Walmart.

• WINNER! Aldi: $1.59 for 18.3 ounces 
• Walmart: $1.88 for 18.3 ounces 

Each retailer has its own strengths, so comparing the two side by side alone misses a few nuances.

• Consider your household size and loyalty to name brands. Walmart has great deals on larger quantities of items, including snacks, cereals, and even fresh produce, plus a larger inventory of name brands and items in general. 
• Try the store brand. On the other hand, Aldi has a wide variety of tried-and-true store-brand items, which are often significantly cheaper, plus a few more deluxe items at great prices, including cured meats, fun cheeses, and even household items like hand blenders. More of a Walmart shopper? Walmart’s newest store brand, bettergoods, has plenty of deals across the aisles. 
• Take note of the product’s size — wherever you shop. Walmart had noticeably “shrinkflated” (aka reducing the amount you get for the same price) some items, like bagels; in these instances, Aldi items were still less expensive without the shrinkage.

Which store do you prefer? Tell us about it in the comments below.