Sam's Club vs. Aldi: We Priced 10 Pantry Staples at Both — Here's Who Wins

When it comes to grocery shopping, buying larger quantities of items doesn’t always mean you’re getting the better deal.

Sam’s Club is known for bulk-size packages and warehouse savings, while Aldi has built a reputation for its no-frills shopping experience, which helps keep prices low on everyday essentials. But which store actually offers the better value?

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To find out, we compared 10 basic pantry staples at Sam’s Club and Aldi. Because the two retailers sell many items in different package sizes, we calculated the cost per ounce, per egg or per sheet to determine which store offered the lowest price.

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How We Compared Prices

Aldi typically isn’t a store you’d shop in bulk, while Sam’s Club is built for buying more. So, rather than comparing checkout prices alone, we looked at unit costs to find the better deal.

Aldi Wins the Checkout Comparison

Purchasing one package of all 10 products cost $44.32 at Aldi, compared with $112.09 at Sam’s Club. That makes Aldi’s basket $67.77 cheaper, or approximately 60% less expensive at checkout. While Aldi won the total basket comparison by a substantial margin, that does not mean Aldi necessarily had the lowest price for the same quantity.

The Sam’s Club basket contained far more food and household supplies. Its package sizes included 25 pounds of rice, 25 pounds of flour, more than three quarts of olive oil, 15 rolls of paper towels, and an entire case of canned green beans.

By comparison, Aldi sold those items in much smaller quantities.

Sam’s Club Offers Stronger Bulk Value

Sam’s Club is designed to save money when buying in bulk and that’s exactly what the comparison shows. Although Aldi produced the less expensive checkout total, Sam’s Club generally offered the lower unit price.

For example, Sam’s Club’s rice cost about 46 cents per pound, while Aldi’s cost approximately 98 cents per pound. Sam’s Club’s flour worked out to about 34 cents per pound, compared with approximately 43 cents per pound at Aldi.

The same pattern appeared with several other products:

• Sam's Club olive oil cost roughly 23 cents per fluid ounce, compared with about 38 cents at Aldi.

• Sam's Club sugar cost approximately 66 cents per pound, compared with about 80 cents at Aldi.

• Sam's Club spaghetti cost roughly 91 cents per pound, compared with approximately $1.05 per pound at Aldi.

• Sam's Club peanut butter cost about 10 cents per ounce, compared with roughly 11 cents per ounce at Aldi.

Which Store Is Better for Your Budget?

Every household’s needs are different, but if you’re looking for long-term value and use bulk quantities, Sam’s Club is the winner because it’s cheaper per unit price. However, strictly on the amount a shopper must pay to place one package of all 10 staples in the cart, Aldi is the clear winner.

Editor’s note: Prices and availability are subject to change.

This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.

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