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Coles vs Woolworths vs Aldi vs IGA vs Costco — real price data, not opinions.
Updated August 2026 · Based on 925,142 price records tracked since January 2021 · 44,000+ products across 5 stores
Quick answer
Aldi is cheapest overall — avg $10.30/product vs Coles $10.74 and Woolworths $14.19. But Aldi only stocks ~2,800 products. For a full shop: buy pantry staples at Aldi, use Coles/Woolworths half-price specials for branded items. Scroll down for the category-by-category breakdown.
Based on average product price across current active listings. Woolworths and Coles higher averages partly reflect wider ranges including premium and non-food items.
2,781 products in current sample · Consistently cheapest on pantry, produce and snacks.
$10.3
avg/product
7,983 products in current sample · Matched with Woolworths on price for 74.
$10.74
avg/product
10,521 products in current sample · Higher average skewed by a wider range including premium, specialty and non-food items.
$14.19
avg/product
1,280 products in current sample · Lower average based on a small tracked sample (1,280 products).
$8.25
avg/product
292 products in current sample · High average price reflects bulk pack sizes — a 48-pack of toilet paper vs a 4-pack.
$685.86
avg/product
The overall average hides big differences by category. Here's where each store wins:
| Category | Aldi | Coles | Woolworths | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pantry (pasta, rice, canned goods) | $3.98 | $6.26 | $5.55 | Aldi37% vs Coles |
| Dairy, eggs & fridge | n/a | $6.00 | $5.07 | Woolworths15% vs Coles |
| Fruit & vegetables | $3.34 | $4.63 | $3.41 | Aldi28% vs Coles |
| Chips, chocolate & snacks | n/a | $4.78 | $4.80 | ColesNegligible |
| Drinks (water, juice, soft drink) | n/a | $9.17 | $7.70 | Woolworths16% vs Coles |
| Frozen food | n/a | $9.03 | $8.38 | Woolworths7% vs Coles |
| Bakery | n/a | $4.51 | $5.39 | Coles16% vs Woolworths |
| Meat & seafood | n/a | $13.05 | $14.53 | Coles10% vs Woolworths |
| Baby products | n/a | $14.15 | $10.44 | Woolworths26% vs Coles |
| Cleaning & laundry | n/a | $12.88 | $13.50 | Coles5% vs Woolworths |
Data: CheapAsMate price tracker, August 2026. Average across all current product listings per category.
Aldi operates on a fundamentally different model to Coles and Woolworths: roughly 90% of products are Aldi private-label, manufactured exclusively for the chain. No brand licensing fees, no shelf-space negotiations. This translates directly into lower shelf prices.
Our data confirms it: on pantry staples (pasta, rice, canned goods, cooking oil), Aldi averages $3.98 per product — 37% cheaper than Coles ($6.26) and 28% cheaper than Woolworths ($5.55). On fruit and vegetables, Aldi's average of $3.34 undercuts Coles ($4.63) by $1.29 per item.
The trade-off: Aldi stocks roughly 1,800 regular grocery lines vs 25,000+ at Woolworths. You can't do a complete branded shop at Aldi — there's no Vegemite, no Sanitarium Weet-Bix, no Nescafé. For households happy with private-label, Aldi is the clear winner.
We matched 3,948 identical products (same brand, same size, same barcode) sold at both Coles and Woolworths. The result: 74.7% are priced identically. Coles is cheaper on 13.2% of matched products, Woolworths on 12.1%.
Where they diverge by category:
The full Coles vs Woolworths breakdown is in our dedicated price comparison guide.
Coles and Woolworths both run half-price specials on rotation — typically updating Wednesday night for a Thursday-Wednesday cycle. A single half-price special saves 50% on that item, which often beats Aldi's everyday low price.
Our tracker shows there are currently 11,000+ active specials across Coles and Woolworths. Checking before you shop takes 30 seconds and can save $20-40 on a standard weekly shop.
For a deeper look at how supermarket specials work and how to spot fake markdowns, read our guide on how often half-price specials rotate.
CheapAsMate has tracked Australian grocery and pharmacy prices since January 2021. Our database contains 925,142 price records across 10 stores. No other Australian price comparison site publishes this history publicly.
This means we can tell you not just what something costs today, but whether today's "special" price is genuinely cheaper than its historical average — or if it was quietly raised before being "discounted". See our shrinkflation tracker for examples.
Aldi is cheapest on a straight average — $10.30 per product vs Coles at $10.74 and Woolworths at $14.19 (based on CheapAsMate data across 44,000+ products, August 2026). However Aldi's range is limited (~2,800 products tracked vs 23,000+ at Coles/Woolworths), so a full weekly shop usually requires a combination of stores.
Yes — on comparable categories. Aldi's pantry average is $3.98 vs Coles $6.26 and Woolworths $5.55. Fruit and vegetables: Aldi $3.34 vs Woolworths $3.41 vs Coles $4.63. The catch: Aldi has no fresh deli, limited branded products, and no Flybuys or Everyday Rewards points.
They are nearly identical — 74.7% of comparable products are priced the same at both stores. Coles is cheaper on 13.2% of matched products (avg saving $5.09), Woolworths on 12.1% (avg saving $4.80). For dairy and pantry basics, Woolworths often edges ahead. For drinks, Coles tends to be cheaper.
IGA is generally more expensive than Coles and Woolworths for everyday items, but varies significantly by franchise owner. IGA convenience stores charge a premium for the location. IGA's strength is local produce and customer service, not price.
Costco bulk prices look expensive at face value (average $685/product because packs are large), but the per-unit price is often 20-40% cheaper than Coles or Woolworths. Best for large households buying non-perishables: toilet paper, olive oil, protein bars, coffee. Annual membership ($65) pays off if you spend $1,300+ per year there.
Coles and Woolworths rotate their half-price specials weekly, typically updating Wednesday night for the Thursday-Wednesday cycle. Aldi's "Specialbuys" (non-grocery items) hit stores on Wednesdays and Saturdays. CheapAsMate tracks every price change in real time — visit our Smart Deals page to see what's on right now.
The data-backed strategy: (1) Buy pantry staples at Aldi — 37% cheaper on average. (2) Use Coles or Woolworths specials for branded products — half-price deals cut 50% off regularly. (3) Search CheapAsMate before you shop to compare live prices across all stores. (4) Use Flybuys (Coles) or Everyday Rewards (Woolworths) to stack points.