Grocery price comparison in Australia: how to actually work out who's cheaper
Coles, Woolworths, Aldi, IGA and the independents all claim to be the cheapest. Here's a practical way to compare them aisle by aisle, plus how to keep your household's shopping organised so the savings stick.
Which store tends to win, by category
No supermarket wins everything. These are the patterns most Australian households run into once they start tracking what they actually buy.
Fresh produce
Independents and local greengrocers often win here, especially in season. Aldi is consistent but the range is narrow; Coles and Woolies swing hard on weekly produce specials.
Pantry staples
Aldi's private label is the baseline. Compare it against Coles and Woolworths house brands on unit price — the gap is smaller than most people assume once a special lands.
Meat and seafood
Butchers and IGA/Drakes specials frequently beat the majors on mince, chops and whole chickens. Watch the per-kilo price, not the pack price.
Cleaning and laundry
Aldi is hard to beat week to week, but the majors run deep half-price cycles on branded laundry liquid roughly every six weeks — that's the moment to stock up.
Pet food
Specialist pet retailers and the majors' bulk packs trade places. Compare per-kilo dry food pricing and check subscription pricing before defaulting to the supermarket aisle.
Nappies and baby
Half-price nappy cycles at Coles and Woolworths are the single biggest saving lever for young families. Buy the size up when the special hits.
Four habits that beat any single "cheapest supermarket" claim
- 1
Read the unit price, not the ticket price
Per 100g, per litre, per 100 sheets. It's on every shelf label in Australia and it's the only comparison that survives different pack sizes.
- 2
Shop the specials cycle, not the week
Coles and Woolworths rotate half-price lines on a roughly six-week cycle. Buy two or three of the staples you always use when they hit the bottom of the cycle.
- 3
Time the big shop for Wednesday
New catalogues start Wednesday at both majors and Aldi's Special Buys drop the same day, so you get the full week of discounted lines instead of the tail end.
- 4
Know what's already in the cupboard
The most expensive grocery item is the second jar of something you already own. A running pantry stocktake removes more waste than any price comparison.
Store by store: what each one is good at
- Coles
- Strong weekly half-price rotation, solid house-brand range, reliable click & collect and direct-to-boot. Best when you shop the catalogue rather than the aisles.
- Woolworths
- Broadest range of the majors and the most granular online list tools. Prices track Coles closely, so the deciding factor is usually which specials line up with your list.
- Aldi
- Lowest baseline trolley cost for staples and cleaning. Limited range means most households pair it with a second shop rather than replacing one.
- IGA
- Pricing varies store to store because operators set their own. Locals-only specials can be excellent, and it's often the closest store for a top-up shop.
- Drakes
- Strong in SA and QLD with aggressive meat and produce specials. Worth checking the weekly catalogue before committing to a major.
- Foodworks
- Convenience-weighted and typically dearer per item, but genuinely useful for regional and small-town households where it's the only option nearby.
Where Fair Dinkum Shop-Share fits (and what it doesn't do)
Shop-Share is not a live price scraper and doesn't pretend to be one. What it does is remove the part of the problem that actually costs you money: a list that lives in three places, a household that buys duplicates, and specials you meant to check and never did.
- Split one shared list by store — Aldi items in one tab, Coles in another, so a two-store run takes minutes.
- Deep-link straight into each retailer's own specials and click & collect from inside the list.
- Keep a pantry stocktake with low-stock triggers so the next list builds itself instead of relying on memory.
- Export a clean, quantity-first image of your list to drop into the Woolworths or Coles app for click & collect.
Grocery price comparison FAQs
Which supermarket is cheapest in Australia?
Aldi is usually cheapest on a full trolley of pantry staples and cleaning products because of its private-label range and smaller assortment. Coles and Woolworths often beat it on any given week for branded items on half-price special, and independents like IGA, Drakes and Foodworks can undercut everyone on local produce and meat specials.
How do I compare grocery prices properly?
Compare the unit price (per 100g, per litre, per 100 sheets), not the shelf price. Australian supermarkets are required to display unit pricing, and it is the only fair way to compare a 750g box against a 1.2kg box, or a house brand against a branded product.
When do supermarket specials change?
Coles and Woolworths refresh their weekly specials on Wednesday, and catalogues run Wednesday to Tuesday. Aldi's Special Buys land Wednesday and Saturday. Planning your big shop for Wednesday or Thursday gives you the full week of half-price lines to work with.
Is it worth splitting a shop across two stores?
Often, yes — but only if the stores are close together. A common Australian pattern is Aldi for staples and cleaning, then Coles or Woolworths for the branded items and fresh lines Aldi doesn't carry. Splitting is only worth it when the saving beats the extra time and fuel.
Does Fair Dinkum Shop-Share show live prices?
No. Shop-Share doesn't scrape live prices from retailers. It splits your shared list by store, deep-links you straight into each retailer's own specials and click & collect, and tracks what your household actually buys so you can spot where your money goes.
How can I cut my grocery bill without changing stores?
Shop from a list built over the week rather than in one rushed pass, buy the half-price staples you already use in bulk, check unit pricing on house brands, and keep a pantry stocktake so you stop re-buying things you already have.