Best Value Groceries in Australia: Where to Shop and What to Buy
From Aldi's everyday prices to local markets and discount clearance stores, here's where Australians find the best value groceries in 2026.
Australia's best value groceries are consistently found at Aldi, where a CHOICE comparison found a standard basket costing $51.51 against $68.58 at Woolworths and $69.33 at Coles — around 25–30% cheaper overall. But Aldi isn't the only place to look: local markets beat supermarkets on seasonal fresh produce, discount clearance stores like NQR and Crazy Don's undercut everyone on surplus stock, and Coles or Woolworths can still win on specific items during genuine half-price specials.
Finding the best value groceries in Australia isn't just about which supermarket is cheapest overall. It depends on what you're buying, where you live, and how much effort you're willing to put into the process. Here's the full picture.
Aldi: Consistently Cheapest for Everyday Staples
For a standard basket of common groceries, Aldi is consistently the cheapest option. A Choice comparison found an average Aldi basket at $51.51 against Woolworths at $68.58 and Coles at $69.33 — roughly 25–30% cheaper across the board.
Aldi's model is everyday low prices rather than rotating specials. You don't need to track catalogues or activate loyalty offers. The price is the price, and it's consistently low on milk, eggs, bread, pasta, rice, tinned goods, dairy, and most pantry staples.
The trade-offs: limited brand range (roughly 90% own-brand), no loyalty program, fewer store locations than the major chains, and a more limited fresh produce and deli offering. For more detail on the Aldi vs Coles vs Woolworths comparison, see our full price breakdown.
Best for: staples, dairy, pantry basics, cleaning products, eggs, bread.
Coles and Woolworths: Best Value When Specials Align
Coles and Woolworths sit at a similar overall price point — a September 2024 Choice comparison found them "almost identical" when comparing equivalent baskets. Both run half-price specials on a rotating 5–6 week cycle.
Where these stores beat Aldi is on specific branded products during genuine half-price promotions. If you buy a particular coffee brand, breakfast cereal, or cleaning product that Aldi doesn't stock, catching it on half price at Coles or Woolworths will often undercut Aldi's own-brand equivalent.
The practical approach: use both. Buy Aldi for everyday staples; buy Coles or Woolworths for whatever's genuinely on special this week, particularly proteins and branded items. For the full head-to-head on everyday pricing, see our cheapest supermarket in Australia guide.
Best for: branded items during specials, fresh produce (larger range), deli and bakery, convenience.
Local Fruit and Veg Markets: Often Cheaper for Fresh Produce
Independent fruit and vegetable shops and local markets frequently offer fresher produce at lower prices than supermarkets, particularly for seasonal items. This is especially true for smaller regional shops buying direct from nearby farms.
The savings vary significantly by location and season. Markets like the Queen Victoria Market in Melbourne, Paddy's Markets in Sydney, and similar operations in other cities offer seasonal produce at wholesale-adjacent prices. For fresh herbs, specific vegetables, and seasonal fruit, local options are often meaningfully cheaper and higher quality than the major chains.
Best for: seasonal fresh produce, herbs, specialty vegetables.
Worth noting: Smaller independent grocers are not legally required to display unit prices, so comparisons are less straightforward.
Discount and Clearance Stores
NQR (Not Quite Right) stocks surplus, discontinued, and near-best-before groceries at significantly reduced prices — typically 30–70% off. Ideal for pantry staples and packaged goods where you're comfortable with shorter remaining shelf life. Mostly Victorian locations.
Crazy Don's operates on a similar model — overstocked and near-expiry items at heavily discounted prices. Good for irregular bulk-buy opportunities when something you use regularly appears at a big discount.
These stores require flexibility — you can't plan your shop around them — but checking them periodically for items you buy in quantity can deliver significant savings.
Best for: non-perishable bulk buys, pantry stockpiling when specific items appear.
Budget Meal Kits: Convenient, Not Always Cheaper
Services like EveryPlate start from around $4.79 per serve — cheaper than most restaurant meal kits, but generally more expensive per serve than cooking equivalent meals from scratch using supermarket ingredients.
The value proposition for budget meal kits is convenience and reduced food waste (exact ingredient quantities, no surplus), not pure price competitiveness. For households where meal planning is the bottleneck and food waste is high, they can still represent good value overall.
Best for: households that struggle with meal planning and food waste more than raw grocery cost.
How to Find the Best Value Each Week
The problem with any fixed answer to "where's cheapest?" is that it changes weekly depending on specials. Aldi's everyday prices are consistently lower, but Coles or Woolworths specials can undercut Aldi on specific items in a given week.
Grocero solves this by showing prices across Coles, Woolworths, and other Australian supermarkets for your specific shopping list. Rather than checking each store separately, you enter your list and see which store is cheapest for each item this week. This is how most households move from picking a default store to actually shopping where the value is. It pairs well with the broader habits covered in our guide to reducing your grocery bill.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which supermarket has the best value groceries overall in Australia?
Aldi consistently wins on overall basket price — around 25–30% cheaper than Coles and Woolworths for a standard basket of everyday items. But "overall" doesn't mean every item, every week. On specific products during genuine half-price specials, Coles or Woolworths can undercut Aldi. Using a price comparison tool like Grocero shows you the specific answer for your shopping list each week.
Is Aldi produce good quality?
Generally yes. Aldi's fresh produce quality has been consistently rated well in independent taste tests and consumer surveys. The trade-off is less variety — Aldi typically stocks one or two options per produce category rather than the full range available at Coles or Woolworths.
Are local markets actually cheaper than supermarkets?
For seasonal fresh produce, often yes — particularly for specialist markets buying direct from nearby farms. For everything else (packaged goods, dairy, pantry staples), supermarkets — particularly Aldi — are typically cheaper. Local markets shine for fresh fruit and vegetables, especially seasonal items.
What are NQR and Crazy Don's?
Both are Australian discount grocery chains selling surplus, discontinued, and near-best-before products at significant discounts. They're not suitable for planned weekly shopping but can be excellent for bulk buying specific items when they appear. NQR has mostly Victorian locations; Crazy Don's operates in Melbourne and regional Victoria.
Is it worth splitting my shop between multiple stores?
If the stores are close together and you're buying significant quantities, yes. A typical Aldi + Woolworths split — Aldi for staples, Woolworths for whatever's on special — can save 15–20% compared to shopping at Woolworths alone. The key is knowing which items to get where before you go. A price comparison tool removes the guesswork.
How do I know when something is actually a good deal vs. just "on special"?
Check the unit price (per 100g, per kg, per litre) rather than the sticker price. Compare the "special" item's unit price against: the home brand version at full price, the same item at Aldi, and how it compares to the previous price you paid. A deal is only a deal if it's genuinely below what you'd otherwise pay. See our unit pricing guide for how to use this in practice.
Are home brand products good value?
Consistently, yes — for staples. Woolworths, Coles, and Aldi own-brand products are typically 20–40% cheaper than national brand equivalents on items like flour, sugar, pasta, rice, canned goods, cleaning products, and basic dairy. Quality across these categories has improved significantly and is now comparable to most national brands for everyday use.
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