Person holding a Kraft peanut butter jar at Costco. Right: Person holding a bottle of Great Value olive oil at Walmart.
Since grocery prices are still pretty expensive at grocery stores in Toronto, we decided to compare the costs of food, pantry items, and household essentials.
So, we did the same shop at Costco, Walmart, and Metro stores in the city to find the cheapest products.
But since not every store has the same sized products — we're looking at you, Costco — we compared the price tags and the price breakdown for how much you get.
Let's get into the grocery shopping we did at Toronto stores so you can find the cheapest products.
Yellow potatoes
Potatoes at Costco. Centre: Potatoes at Walmart. Right: Potatoes at Metro.
These are the prices for bags of yellow potatoes at each store:
- Costco — $8.99 for a 4.54-kilogram bag
- Walmart — $4.97 for a 2.27-kilogram bag
- Metro — $5.99 for a 2.27-kilogram bag
These are the prices per kilogram:
- Costco — $1.98 per kilogram
- Walmart — $2.18 per kilogram
- Metro — $2.63 per kilogram
Tomatoes
Tomatoes at Costco. Centre: Tomatoes at Walmart. Right: Tomatoes at Metro.
The price of tomatoes at each store is:
- Costco — $6.99 for a three-pound pack
- Walmart — $3.97 for a one-pound pack
- Metro — $4.99 for a one-pound pack
Breaking it down by what you pay for what you get, the price is:
- Costco — $2.33 per pound
- Walmart — $3.97 per pound
- Metro — $4.99 per pound
Ozery bread
Ozery Morning Rounds bread at Costco. Centre: Ozery Morning Rounds at Walmart. Right: Ozery Morning Rounds at Metro.
The price of Ozery Morning Rounds bread at each store is:
- Costco — $6.49 for a 900-gram bag with 12 rounds
- Walmart — $4.67 for a 450-gram bag with six rounds
- Metro — $4.69 for a 450-gram bag with six rounds
When it's broken down, the price per 100 grams is:
- Costco — $0.72 per 100 grams
- Walmart — $1.03 per 100 grams
- Metro — $1.04 per 100 grams
Kraft peanut butter
Kraft peanut butter at Costco. Centre: Kraft peanut butter at Walmart. Right: Kraft peanut butter at Metro.
These are the prices for Kraft peanut butter:
- Costco — $10.49 for a two-kilogram jar
- Walmart — $10.97 for a two-kilogram jar
- Metro — $14.99 for a two-kilogram jar
Tim Hortons coffee
Tim Hortons coffee at Costco. Centre: Tim Hortons coffee at Walmart. Right: Tim Hortons coffee at Metro.
These are the prices at each store for Tim Hortons Original Blend coffee:
- Costco — $21.99 for a 1.36-kilogram canister
- Walmart — $22.97 for a 930-gram canister
- Metro — $24.99 for a 930-gram canister
However, the price for what you actually get is:
- Costco — $1.61 per 100 grams
- Walmart — $2.46 per 100 grams
- Metro — $2.68 per 100 grams
Olive oil
Costco Kirkland olive oil. Centre: Great Value olive oil at Walmart. Right: Selection olive oil at Metro.
The price of house-brand extra virgin olive oil at each store is:
- Costco — $34.99 for a two-litre bottle
- Walmart — $13.97 for a one-litre bottle
- Metro — $16.49 for a one-litre bottle
Breaking it down by what you pay for what you get, the price is:
- Costco — $17.49 per litre or $1.74 per 100 millilitres
- Walmart — $13.97 per litre or $1.39 per 100 millilitres
- Metro — $16.49 per litre or $1.64 per 100 millilitres
Mutti strained tomatoes
Mutti passata at Costco. Centre: Mutti strained tomatoes at Walmart. Right: Mutti strained tomatoes at Metro.
These are the prices of Mutti passata — aka strained tomatoes:
- Costco — $14.99 for a six-pack of 796-millilitre jars
- Walmart — $4.77 for a 680-millilitre jar
- Metro — $3.99 for a 680-millilitre jar
When it comes to the price per, here are the costs:
- Costco — $0.31 per 100 millilitres
- Walmart — $0.70 per 100 millilitres
- Metro — $0.58 per 100 millilitres
Rio Mare tuna
Rio Mare tuna at Costco. Centre: Rio Mare tuna at Walmart. Right: Rio Mare tuna at Metro.
The price of Rio Mare solid light tuna in olive oil at each store is:
- Costco — $13.99 for a four-pack of 160 gram cans
- Walmart — $6.97 for a three-pack of 80 gram cans
- Metro — $6.99 for a three-pack of 80 gram cans
These are the prices broken down:
- Costco — $2.18 per 100 grams
- Walmart — $2.90 per 100 grams
- Metro — $2.91 per 100 grams
Bubly water
Bubly water at Costco. Centre: Bubly at Walmart. Right: Bubly at Metro.
These are the prices for a case of Bubly water:
- Costco — $10.99 for a case with 24 cans that are 355 millilitres
- Walmart — $5.57 for a case with 12 cans that are 355 millilitres
- Metro — $7.49 for a case with 12 cans that are 355 millilitres
Then, the price breakdowns are:
- Costco — $0.45 per can or $0.12 per 100 millilitres
- Walmart — $0.46 per can or $0.13 per 100 millilitres
- Metro — $0.62 per can or $0.17 per 100 millilitres
PopTarts
PopTarts at Costco. Centre: PopTarts at Walmart. Right: PopTarts at Metro.
The price of PopTarts at each store is:
- Costco — $12.49 for a 2.30-kilogram variety pack with 48 PopTarts
- Walmart — $3.47 for a 384-gram single pack with eight PopTarts
- Metro — $3.99 for a 384-gram single pack with eight PopTarts
But breaking it down to how much you get for how much you spend, the price is:
- Costco — $0.26 per tart and $0.54 per 100 grams
- Walmart — $0.43 per tart and $0.90 per 100 grams
- Metro — $0.49 per tart and $1.03 per 100 grams
Quaker instant oatmeal
Quaker instant oatmeal at Costco. Centre: Quaker oatmeal a Walmart. Right: Quaker oatmeal at Metro.
Here are the prices for Quaker instant oatmeal variety packs:
- Costco — $16.99 for a 2.45-kilogram box with 66 packets
- Walmart — $5.97 for a 674-gram box with 18 packets
- Metro — $4.49 for a 314-gram box with eight packets
When it comes to the price per, here are the costs:
- Costco — $0.25 per packet and $0.69 per 100 grams
- Walmart — $0.33 per packet and $0.88 per 100 grams
- Metro — $0.56 per packet and $1.42 per 100 grams
Frosted Flakes cereal
Frosted Flakes at Costco. Centre: Frosted Flakes at Walmart. Right: Frosted Flakes at Metro.
These are the prices for Frosted Flakes cereal at each store:
- Costco — $9.79 for a 1.41-kilogram box
- Walmart — $4.97 for a 425-gram box
- Metro — $11.99 for a 1.06-kilogram box
Then, the price per 100 grams is:
- Costco — $0.69 per 100 grams
- Walmart — $1.16 per 100 grams
- Metro — $1.13 per 100 grams
Drumstick ice cream
Drumstick ice cream cones at Costco. Centre: Drumsticks at Walmart. Right: Drumsticks at Metro.
The price of Drumstick ice cream packs are:
- Costco — $19.99 (regularly priced) for a 2.52-litre box with 18 cones
- Walmart — $5.47 for a 560-millilitre box with four cones
- Metro — $6.49 for a 560-millilitre box with four cones
Breaking it down by the cost for what you get, the price is:
- Costco — $0.79 per 100 millilitres
- Walmart — $0.97 per 100 millilitres
- Metro — $1.15 per 100 millilitres
Kind bars
Kind bars at Costco. Centre: Kind bars at Walmart. Right: Kind bars at Metro.
Here are the prices for Kind bars:
- Costco — $21.99 for a 720-gram box with 18 bars
- Walmart — $18.97 for a 480-gram box with 12 bars
- Metro — $8.99 for a 720-gram box with five bars
Then, the price per 100 grams is:
- Costco — $3.05 per 100 grams
- Walmart — $3.95 per 100 grams
- Metro — $4.49 per 100 grams
Dove bar soap
Dove bar soap at Costco. Centre: Dove bar soap at Walmart. Right: Dove bar soap at Metro.
These are the prices of Dove bar soap packs at each store:
- Costco — $17.99 for a 1.69-kilogram pack with 16 bars
- Walmart — $16.97 for a 1.27-kilogram pack with 12 bars
- Metro — $11.99 for a 636-gram pack with six bars
When it comes to how much you get for that cost, the price breakdown is:
- Costco — $1.06 per 100 grams
- Walmart — $1.33 per 100 grams
- Metro — $1.88 per 100 grams
Tide laundry detergent
Tide laundry detergent at Costco. Centre: Tide detergent at Walmart. Right: Tide detergent at Metro.
The price for Tide original laundry detergent at each store is:
- Costco — $29.99 for a 4.82 litre bottle
- Walmart — $24.79 for a 3.9-litre bottle
- Metro — $28.99 for a 3.9-litre bottle
The price per 100 millilitres is:
- Costco — $0.62 per 100 millilitres
- Walmart — $0.63 per 100 millilitres
- Metro — $0.74 per 100 millilitres
Downy scent boosters
Downy scent boosters at Costco. Centre: Downy scent boosters at Walmart. Right: Downy scent boosters at Metro.
These are the prices for Downy scent boosters:
- Costco — $21.99 for a 963-gram bottle
- Walmart — $15.97 for a 515-gram bottle
- Metro — $17.99 for a 515-gram bottle
Breaking it down by the cost for how much you get, the price is:
- Costco — $2.28 per 100 grams
- Walmart — $3.10 per 100 grams
- Metro — $3.49 per 100 grams
Perrier bottled water
Perrier water at Costco. Centre: Perrier at Walmart. Right: Case of Perrier at Metro.
The price of Perrier bottled water is:
- Costco — $24.99 for a 24-pack of 500-millilitre bottles
- Walmart — $8.27 for a six-pack of 500-millilitre bottles
- Metro — $10.99 for a six-pack of one-litre bottles
Then, the price per 100 millilitres is:
- Costco — $0.20 per 100 millilitres
- Walmart — $0.27 per 100 millilitres
- Metro — $0.18 per 100 millilitres
TOTAL
Here is the total cost before tax of all the products at each store:
- Costco — $306.12
- Walmart — $183.68
- Metro — $196.52
Costco has the highest total price for this grocery haul and Walmart has the lowest total.
But when you look at the price breakdown on how much you get for the cost, all but one product (olive oil) is cheaper at Costco!
Also, two products are cheapest at Costco compared to the other stores even though they're bulk-sized items — peanut butter and Tim Hortons coffee.
The cheapest products at Walmart are potatoes, tomatoes, Ozery bread, olive oil, Rio Mare tuna, Bubly, PopTarts, Frosted Flakes, Drumsticks, Tide detergent, Downy scent boosters, and Perrier.
Based on the price tag, the cheapest products at Metro are Mutti strained tomatoes, Quaker instant oatmeal, Kind bars, and Dove bar soap.
So, where are you shopping?