Which Groceries Are Actually Cheaper at Costco?

As someone who lives in a small, 1940s house with precious little storage space, I’ve never considered becoming a member of a warehouse store, thinking all items are sold in bulk. On a recent visit to see my sister, I ran an errand to Costco with her and the experience changed my mind. While plenty of items that line the shelves in Costco are sold in bulk, I spied items I buy regularly priced much lower than what I pay at grocery stores.  

That visit got me thinking more seriously about becoming a member myself, so I reached out to family and friends and asked which staples they buy at Costco to get the most out of their membership, and warrants paying the annual fee incurred to shop the store. Their answers surprised me, ranging from fresh produce to gasoline, over the counter and prescription drugs to travel deals, and pretty much everything in between. One friend tells me that the items she buys, from produce to paper goods to gas and more, “come almost exclusively from Costco in my house.”

Obviously, Allrecipes has always been a fan of the grocery deals—and we aren't the only ones. The Costco shoppers in my inner-circle rely on the warehouse store for a variety of groceries to stock their refrigerators and shelves at home, from fresh produce to milk, soda, cheese, wine and more. 

Several also mention that they buy their meat from Costco, from steaks to salmon and even frozen shrimp. One went as far to say, “the rotisserie chickens are THE BOMB!,” and another added, “The pies at the holidays are a great deal."

 Here's a look at their most popular items on their shopping lists, and how they stack up price-wise in comparison to other stores. 

Pantry Items

Costco shoppers find that they can save money on pantry items, too. The warehouse store’s private label, Kirkland, has better-than-grocery-store deals on everything from olive oil to spices, flour and other baking items, rice and even coffee.

Fresh Produce

Comparing prices on Costco’s fresh produce can be a bit tricky since items in stock can vary by store geography. But when I shopped with my sister, I spotted a four-pound box of Honeycrisp apples for about $4.50, whereas I pay around $4 per pound (when not on sale) at my local grocery store.

My friends share that they buy a lot of their fresh produce at Costco, including cucumbers, bell peppers, romaine lettuce, berries and other fruit, and say it’s definitely worth swinging by the store’s produce department when shopping to save money. 

Breakfast Cereal

Strolling down the grocery aisles recently, the price of cereal caused sticker shock—I couldn’t believe how much a box of my favorite cereal cost. Comparing prices, I found that Costco definitely offers better deals. Take Cheerios, for example: a two-pack of 20.35-ounce boxes costs $9.99 at Costco, or 25 cents an ounce, whereas one 20-ounce box at Target rings up for $6.69, or 33 cents an ounce, and the same 20-ounce box at Kroger is $8.49, or 42 cents an ounce.

Wine and Spirits

Costco’s wine selection is extensive and quite impressive, as is its selection of spirits. In addition to recognizable labels from around the U.S. and indeed the world, the Kirkland private label is prominent here, too. In fact, one Costco shopping friend says the Kirkland label wine is her “every day wine,” and others buy the branded vodka and gin. Selection can vary by store, so again it’s worth breezing by when shopping to see if your favorite makers are available at a better cost than your go-to liquor store. 

 Additional Kitchen Items

Two more popular items that people shop for at Costco as opposed to their grocery stores or other big box stores are household staples and cleaning supplies including dishwasher and laundry detergents and paper products like paper towels, toilet paper, napkins, baby wipes, Q-tips and more. As one friend says, she and her family buy these types of items “at Costco, way cheaper than anywhere else.” 

Dishwasher Detergent

In my research I found that a 92-pod tub of Cascade Platinum Dishwasher Detergent ActionPacs rings up for $24.99 at Costco, whereas the same tub comes in at $36.99 at Walmart—that’s a substantial savings and may just be worth the Costco membership fee alone.

 Paper Products

As an example, let’s take a look at paper towels and compare pricing: Costco has 12 rolls of Bounty Advanced Paper Towels, each with 101 two-ply select-a-size sheets, for $29.99, while Walmart offers the same pack for a whopping $47.67. Or, 24 rolls of Viva Multi-Surface Cloth Paper Towels, each with 110 two-ply select-a-size sheets rings up as $46.99 at Costco, while the same option is $64.94 at Walmart.