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Publix and Kroger are two traditional supermarket chains that now find themselves competing with discount grocers like Aldi.
Kroger currently operates nearly 2,800 grocery stores in 35 states under dozens of banners, while Publix has close to 1,200 locations in the Southeast.
We’ve compared prices at these stores in the past, but I thought it was time to get an update for 2018…
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For this price comparison, I visited Publix and Kroger locations in Atlanta on the same day and wrote down the prices for staples like chicken breasts, milk, bananas, peanut butter, yogurt, pretzels and more.
I looked for the cheapest in-stock option for every item on my list, which was typically a store-brand product.
To make this price comparison as fair as possible, I only included items that are sold at Publix and Kroger in similar quantities or weights.
Take a look at what I found”¦
| Item | Publix | Kroger |
| Avocado, 1 medium | $1.00 | $0.99 |
| Bananas per lb. | $0.65 | $0.55 |
| Milk, 1 gallon | $2.99 | $1.79 |
| Large eggs, 1 dozen | $1.80 | $1.89 |
| Unsalted butter, 16 oz. | $2.76 | $2.79 |
| Mozzarella cheese, 8 oz. | $2.99 | $1.99 |
| Orange juice, 1 gallon | $4.09 | $3.69 |
| Ranch dressing, 16 oz. | $1.99 | $1.29 |
| Chicken broth, 32 oz. | $2.09 | $1.29 |
| Pasta sauce, 24 oz. | $0.98 | $0.99 |
| Boneless chicken breast, per lb. | $2.49* | $1.99 |
| Ground beef 80/20, 1 lb. | $4.49 | $4.29 |
| Diced tomatoes, 14.5 oz. | $0.49 | $0.49 |
| Red grapes per lb. | $2.99 | $2.49 |
| Apple juice, 64 fl oz. | $2.50 | $1.39 |
| Spaghetti, 32 oz. | $2.00 | $2.00 |
| Flavored yogurt, 6 oz. | $0.50 | $0.40 |
| Peanut butter, 1 lb. | $2.39 | $1.39 |
| Pretzels, 15-16 oz. | $1.99 | $0.99 |
| Black beans, 14-15 oz. | $0.68 | $0.59 |
| Total | $41.86 | $33.28 |
*The chart reflects the price per pound after a BOGO (buy one, get one free) discount was applied.
Kroger was $8.58 cheaper than Publix for the 20 items included in the price comparison. That’s more than 20%!
Of course, the price isn’t the only thing that’s important to shoppers. This comparison doesn’t take into consideration other factors like food quality, store cleanliness and customer service.
These prices were recorded in Atlanta, so we want to make it clear that a gallon of milk may not cost $1.79 at your Kroger.
The key takeaway is that you can cut your grocery bill by comparing prices! If you’ve been going to the same supermarket for years, stop in somewhere else and write down what things cost.
You may realize that switching to another store in town could save you money — or maybe you’ll discover that it’s not worth it.
When I conducted a similar price comparison last month that focused on private-label products at Aldi, Walmart and Kroger, the winning store was only 31 cents cheaper.
This post was last modified on July 14, 2021 5:30 pm
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