A new study from Restaurant Furniture Plus compared the cost of 15 store-brand essentials at Kroger, Walmart, Aldi and Albertsons, including milk, bread, eggs, chicken breast, spaghetti, canned beans and baking items,\u00a0Southern Living reported<\/a>.<\/p>\n Kroger ranked No. 1 with a total basket cost of $30.<\/p>\n The grocer had the lowest prices on 10 of the 15 items analyzed, more than any\u00a0other retailer in\u00a0the study, according to the outlet.<\/p>\n Kroger, which operates roughly 1,229 grocery stores\u00a0across 16 states, also offered the lowest prices on several pantry staples, including canned diced tomatoes, spaghetti and sugar, as well as a dozen large eggs.<\/p>\n Walmart came in second with a basket total of $30.95, followed by Aldi at $33.15 and Albertsons at $35.58, Southern Living reported.<\/p>\n However, Aldi\u2019s store-brand dairy products stood out as a particularly strong value, the study noted.<\/p>\n The survey did not\u00a0include Costco<\/a>, Trader Joe\u2019s, H-E-B or Piggly Wiggly. Trader Joe\u2019s was excluded because it did not carry some items in the comparison, while Costco\u2019s bulk model made single-item price comparisons difficult, Southern Living reported.<\/p>\n The findings come as\u00a0many Americans\u00a0continue to feel squeezed at the grocery store.<\/p>\n![\"Exterior](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/kroger-grocery-store-exterior-logo-134876829.jpg\"){kind=logo}
Kroger had the lowest prices for eggs, spaghetti, sugar, and more pantry staples, according to the study. wolterke \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n![\"An](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/germany\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/07\/overview-multiple-aisle-bravo-market-134876833.jpg\")
The cost of food has increased 32% over the past five years, per a new Urban Institute study. Joni \u2013 stock.adobe.com<\/p>\n