Guide
How to Compare Woolworths, Coles & Aldi Prices in 2026
By the RecipeRun team · Published 7 July 2026
Groceries are one of the biggest lines in any Australian household budget, and the same trolley can cost noticeably different amounts depending on where you shop. Woolworths, Coles and Aldi price everyday items differently, run different specials each week, and stock different brands. Comparing them properly is one of the simplest ways to cut your grocery bill without changing what you eat.
This guide covers how to compare prices across the big three the right way, plus the fastest way to do it automatically.
Why do Woolworths, Coles and Aldi prices differ?
The three chains run genuinely different models:
- Aldi stocks a smaller range (around 1,800 core products) that is mostly its own private-label brands. Fewer brands and a leaner operation usually mean lower shelf prices on everyday staples, though you get less choice.
- Woolworths and Coles carry tens of thousands of products, including big-name brands alongside their own labels. They compete hard on weekly specials: half-price rotations and loyalty offers through Everyday Rewards and Flybuys. The cheapest option often depends on what is on special that week.
Because of this, no single supermarket is cheapest on everything, every week. The winner changes by item, by week, and by where you live, which is exactly why comparing pays off.
How to compare grocery prices across the big three
1. Read the unit price, not just the shelf price
In Australia, large grocery retailers must display a unit price (the cost per 100g, per litre, or per item) next to the selling price. It is the single most useful number for comparing value across different pack sizes. A $4 pack that is cheaper per 100g than a $3 pack is genuinely better value.
2. Check the weekly specials
Woolworths and Coles refresh their specials each Wednesday, and Aldi runs Special Buys mid-week too. A brand that is dearer at full price can become the cheapest option on half-price week, so skim each catalogue before you shop.
3. Compare like-for-like
Match the product type and size as closely as you can. Compare private-label oats against private-label oats, not private-label against a premium brand, so the comparison is fair.
4. Price your basket, not a few items
You do not need to compare everything, just what you actually buy. Price the same 15 to 25 staples at each store:
| Category | Example items |
|---|---|
| Dairy & eggs | Milk (2L), eggs (12), block cheese |
| Bakery | Sandwich loaf |
| Pantry | Rice (1kg), pasta (500g), tinned tomatoes |
| Meat | Chicken breast, beef mince |
| Fresh | Bananas, brown onions, carrots |
| Frozen | Mixed veg, frozen peas |
Which supermarket is actually the cheapest?
The honest answer: it depends on your basket and the week. This is where most people go wrong. You check a few prices (milk, bread, your coffee), decide one supermarket is cheaper, and do your *whole* shop there. But the store that wins on three items often is not cheapest across your full list. Unless you compare the actual basket you are buying, you can feel like you are saving while quietly spending more.
The fix is not loyalty to one chain. It is comparing your real list each week, and shopping where *that* list is cheapest.
The fastest way to compare: RecipeRun
Most price and specials apps throw a firehose of deals at you, including plenty on things you never planned to buy. You save on paper but spend more at the checkout, and lose time browsing item by item.
RecipeRun works the other way around. It starts from your actual weekly grocery run, the list from your recipes and meal plan, and compares *that whole basket* across Woolworths, Coles and Aldi. So you see which store is genuinely cheapest for everything you are really buying, with no impulse specials and nothing to browse one by one.
From there you can shop two ways:
- One-stop: head to the single store that is cheapest for your whole list.
- Cheapest Mode: if you do not mind splitting your shop, RecipeRun picks each item at whichever store sells it cheapest, so you squeeze out the maximum saving across all three.
You can also set your preferred variant for each ingredient, the exact brand and size you would normally reach for, so the comparison reflects your real shop rather than a generic match. And any recipe (paste a link, snap a photo, or a handwritten card) becomes a clean ingredient list automatically, so the whole thing builds itself.
RecipeRun is free to download on Google Play and the App Store.
Frequently asked questions
Which app compares Woolworths, Coles and Aldi prices?
RecipeRun checks the prices on your shopping list across Woolworths, Coles and Aldi in one place, using your local stores, so you can see which supermarket is cheapest before you shop.
Why is my grocery bill still high even though I shop at the "cheapest" supermarket?
Because the store that is cheapest on a few items often is not cheapest across your whole basket. The only reliable way to know is to compare the actual list you are buying, not a handful of prices, and re-check it each week as specials change.
How often do grocery prices change?
Specials typically rotate weekly (Woolworths and Coles refresh on Wednesdays), so the cheapest store for your basket can change from week to week.
Do I have to shop at just one supermarket?
No. Many people split their shop, with staples at Aldi and specials at Woolworths or Coles. RecipeRun's Cheapest Mode does this for you: it picks each item at the store where it is cheapest and splits your list, so you get the lowest possible total across all three.