Target vs Walmart, which one is cheaper when it comes to groceries? I’ve been tracking the grocery prices of these two for over a year now and update them often as they keep changing. As of January 2024, Walmart is almost $6 cheaper than Target overall for the 30+ items I’ve been tracking for over a year. The prices didn’t change much over the past month.
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Why Target vs Walmart?
Target and Walmart have been rivals for many years, especially when it comes to low prices. Typically Walmart is cheaper, but sometimes Target has the best deals! As both stores have turned from small grocery sections to a full grocery store within a one-stop shop including clothing, home goods, household items, and more, the competition continues to increase!
With the online marketplace growing both brands plus others including Amazon Prime, they have to keep their prices even lower to bid for your business!
Target and Walmart both have self-checkout lanes, competitive pricing, grocery items, home decor, reasonable pricing, and a huge online presence that makes them a couple of the leaders of the retail industry. In either store you can find yourself easily picking up more than you meant to in a shopping trip where you went in to just grab essential items but end up with tons of discretionary items that you aren’t sure how made it into your cart.
Grocery Price Comparison
Comparing Target vs Walmart is a huge undertaking so I started with comparing grocery prices.
We all want to pay the least amount of money for everything, even groceries! It doesn’t make sense to spend more money for the same groceries, especially if you have a Walmart and a Target nearby.
While I wouldn’t suggest going to both stores to save a few dollars on certain items because that’ll mean more hassle and more gas you’ve used (more $$), if you are wondering which store you should pick this week depending on your shopping list, this will help you decide!
See below the comparison to download your own free worksheets to compare your groceries and stores!
Both stores have curbside pickup, loyalty programs, same-day delivery, and similar shopping experience overall.
Target vs Walmart Grocery Prices
If prices are more than $0.10 different, I’ve put a * next to the cheaper option.
All items are off brand/generic unless one wasn’t available. Prices are from Target and Walmart’s websites. Prices may vary from in-store and from region to region.
| Item | Target | Walmart |
|---|---|---|
| Off Brand Almond Milk – 64oz | $2.59 | $2.44* |
| Off Brand Yogurt – 6oz | $0.79 | $0.77 |
| Off Brand Yogurt – 32oz | $3.69 | $2.76* |
| Muffins – 4 pack | $4.19 | $3.29* |
| Off Brand Lunchmeat – 9oz | $3.99 | $3.29* |
| Ground Beef – 93% | $7.49 | $6.97* |
| Multicolored Peppers – 3pk | $2.99 | $2.97 |
| Off Brand Peanut Butter – 16oz | $1.99* | $2.19 (18oz) |
| Strawberries – 1lb | $4.99 | $4.50* |
| Off Brand Hamburger Buns – 8 count | $1.59 | $1.45* |
| Off Brand Vanilla Wafers | $2.89 | $2.73* |
| Off Brand Diced Tomatoes – 14.5oz | $0.99 | $0.99 |
| Hawaiian Sweet Rolls – 12ct | $4.69 | $2.99* |
| Fuji Apples – 3lb bag | $4.99 | $3.67* |
| Unsweetened Applesauce Cups – 6ct | $2.49 | $2.45 |
| Family Pack of Chicken | $2.69/lb | $2.19/lb* |
| Wheat Bread | $1.49 | $1.39* |
| Gluten Free Bread | $6.99 (18oz) | $5.97 (20oz)* |
| Cheese Slices (count) | $2.29 (12ct) | $2.24 (11ct) |
| 1 Gallon of 2% Milk | $3.69 | $2.72 |
| Frozen Mixed Veggies (12oz) | $0.99 | $1.05 |
| Eggs | $5.29 | $4.17* |
| Cheese Cubes | $2.59 | $2.45* |
| Bagels | $2.29 (5ct)* | $2.45(6ct) |
| Shredded Cheese (16oz) | $4.29 | $4.22 |
| Baby Carrots (16oz) | $1.39 | $1.32 |
| Bag of Frozen Chicken Breasts | $8.49 (40oz)* | $9.48 (48oz) |
| Almonds – Lightly Roasted | $5.29 (11oz)* | $6.39 (16oz) |
| Peanuts | $2.59 | $2.45* |
| Raisins – 20oz | $4.49* | $4.69 |
| Dried Cranberries | $1.99 (5oz) | $1.95 (6oz) |
| Total | $106.19 | $100.80* |
And The Winner Is…
As of January 2024, Walmart is almost $6 cheaper than Target overall for the 30+ items I’ve been tracking for over a year. The prices didn’t change much over the past month.
As of December 2024, Walmart is $4 cheaper overall for the items listed above.
As of August 2024, many prices have changed but the overall cost of the Target cart decreased whereas the cost of the Walmart cart increased to be about the same as Target.
As of June 2024, Walmart remains a few dollars cheaper overall than Target when it comes to the groceries above. Many items changed price at Target over the past couple of months but most of Walmart’s groceries stayed the same.
As of April 2024, only a few items changed at Target, with a few more at Walmart. Target and Walmart are still within $4 of each other.
As of March 2024, several items changed price yet for Target, the overall price of the cart only increased by $0.20. Eggs are back on the rise in price at Target, Walmart, and Aldi. Walmart continues to be about $4 less expensive than Target overall.
As of February 2024, several items changed prices at Target and Walmart, mainly reductions in price. They remain about $5 apart in overall cart cost, with Walmart continuing to be cheaper than Target.
As of January 2024, only a few items changed at Target and nothing at Walmart. Walmart remains a bit cheaper than Target but not by much.
2023
As of December 2023, Walmart remains the overall lowest price by just about $4. Eggs are increasing in price at both stores, as are strawberries.
As of November 2023 Walmart remains the overall lowest price by $5 for the cart above. Not many groceries changed in price from last month to this month, milk, eggs, and strawberries seem to change monthly.
As of October 2023 only one item changed in price at Target and 5 changed at Walmart, all increased. Walmart is still about $5 less expensive than Target for the groceries listed.
As of September 2023 there weren’t many items that changed price significantly from last month. Walmart is still the cheaper option between Target and Walmart when it comes to groceries by about $5.
As of August 2023 there are only 3 items that cost $0.10 or more less at Target than Walmart. Walmart is surely less expensive than Target with 17 items being less expensive at Walmart than Target. Walmart didn’t have many price changes this month but Target did.
As of July 2023 only 2 items changed in price at Target and 3 at Walmart. Only 4 items are less expensive at Target and 17 are less expensive at Walmart by $0.10 or more.
Between May and June only 4 items changed price at Walmart and 3 at Target, which is a huge change from previously. Eggs have gone down significantly over the past few months which is great to see! There are 18 items that are $0.10+ cheaper at Walmart than Target and only 3 that much cheaper at Target than Walmart. Walmart continues to be the winner.
As of May 2023 there are still 19 items that are $0.10+ cheaper at Walmart than Target. Prices aren’t changing as much as they were in months past and are lower overall.
As of March 2023 there are 19 items that are $0.10+ cheaper at Walmart than Target and only 3 that are cheaper at Target.
As of February 2023 there are 21 items that are more than $0.10 cheaper at Walmart than at Target. Some of which are over a dollar different!
As of January 2023, there are 5 items that are cheaper at Target, some by $2. I’m assuming that Target’s prices will climb soon on those items.
We don’t have a Walmart near us so I’m going to stick to Target because gas isn’t cheap, but if you have both near you, it may be worth switching to Walmart if you have the option.
I do have to say though, that over the years I have noticed that Target is becoming more like Walmart in that they have their own brands, they have clothing at much lower price points than previously, and are trying to be more of a one-stop shop than ever before. I do like a lot of Target’s brands, though some of them that I liked the most have been discontinued in terms of clothing, but they are constantly evolving.
Drive Up & Delivery Options
Both Walmart and Target have free curbside pickup / drive up options at their stores where someone else will shop your order for you and bring it to your car. We use this a lot with Target.
They both have delivery options as well, for a fee.
Target Delivery via Shipt/Target Circle 360
If you’d like to have your groceries and other essentials delivered from Target, I highly suggest singing up for a Shipt Membership. The membership is $99 a year for unlimited deliveries on orders of $35 or more. You can get a 14-Day Free Trial where you can get deliveries from many of your favorite stores, beyond Target.
We have a Shipt Membership and use it almost every week, at least once a week which equates to less than a $2 per delivery. You can’t even get a pizza delivered for that! If you want to have items delivered just once in a while it’d be about $10 a week so even if you think you’d use it once in a while it’s worth signing up for.
You can also tip your driver through Shipt but it’s not required. We do tip since we use the service so heavily and really, really appreciate the convenience.
Worried about food quality? We order a lot of produce, meat, and specialty foods that are gluten free, dairy free, and soy free and have found the quality to be great! The Shipt shoppers do a great job at picking great produce, meat, and helping find alternatives when what we have on our order isn’t available.
Save More with Target Circle (Free)
One thing I absolutely love about Target is Target Circle and how easy they’ve made it to save.
Clarification here: Target Circle is FREE. Target Circle 360 is a paid version where you also get other perks such as delivery.
Back to Target Circle (Free): Previously, you’d have to add each individual offer to your cart prior to checking out. I remember shopping in the store and crouching down in an aisle before checking out to scan all of my items to see if I could save a few more cents.
Luckily, that’s no longer needed! Now as long as you are a member of Target Circle it will automatically apply the savings to your cart!
Target Circle is free to sign up and use and has more features than just saving on particular items. There are often gift card deals where if you spend a certain amount on products you can get a gift card added to your account! We do this all the time with household essentials such as toilet paper, tissue, paper towels and more. When we had 3 kids in diapers we always took advantage of the Target Circle deals where we’d spend $100 on diapers and wipes then get $15 or so back in gift cards, depending on the promotion.
They also have special deals on groceries such as fresh produce and fresh meat and other various categories depending on the week. I stock up on things when they have the special Target Circle deals when I can.
They often have a lot of Target Circle exclusive deals for the holiday season including Black Friday, and bonuses throughout the year!
You can sign up for Target Circle on their website or mobile site.
Looking to Save More Money?
Are you looking to save more money? Click below the images below to see my other blog posts regarding saving money at home and cost comparison between other stores.
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Food Allergies in the House?
If you’re looking for more advice regarding groceries, I’ve compiled some of our favorite places to get allergen-friendly foods as well as our favorite items.
This post is over on my other blog, The Way it Really Is, with more tips about food allergies and sensitivities, parenting tips, and more!
Throughout my parenting journey with 3 kids on a single income, I have become an expert in living comfortably within our means without feeling restricted and I will help you do the same.
I'm a former school psychologist who left my career to stay home with my children, hence the one-income family and needing to adapt to that mentality while still living comfortably.