Which grocery store is the cheapest in 2024?

Updated Apr 8, 2025
Épicerie Canada-33- IGA
To the point Is a low-price grocery store cheaper than one with a loyalty program? We've done the test; find out which is the most affordable grocery store.

Comparison of grocery prices by weekly specials in Quebec

We compared prices for the same basket of groceries among the most popular chain stores at Quebec:

  • Walmart
  • Maxi
  • Super C
  • Giant Tiger
  • IGA
  • Metro

We then compared them to see which was the cheapest. But beyond the price at the bottom of the bill, there’s another factor to consider: reward points!

Is a low-price grocery store better than one that gives points?

Save at the grocery store

Would you like to save money at the grocery store? Wondering about your credit card? Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter to get all the tips you need and never miss a promotion!

And join our private Facebook group to discover tips from other members of the Milesopedia community!

Walmart economies

Which grocery store is the cheapest?

For this research, we used a grocery list with staple foods and/or foods that can easily be found in any supermarket:

  • Prices were collected in person on August 19 and 20, 2023 at IGA Extra, Maxi et Cie, Giant Tiger, Metro, Super C and Walmart grocery stores located in the Sainte-Rose area in Laval, Rosemère, Sainte-Thérèse and Boisbriand.
  • In-season vegetables and fruit are preferred
  • Formats are exact or similar
  • Given the back-to-school period, a number of items have been selected to illustrate this period.
  • For each item, the least expensive speciality product or equivalent national or private label product has been selected.
super c

For 24 specific products, here are the prices for each grocery store:

Walmart Maxi Super C Giant Tiger IGA Metro
Product Walmart Maxi Super C Giant Tiger IGA Metro
Cheese (400 g) $ 5.50 $5.49 $5.30 $ 6.48 $4.44 $5.47
Corn (12) $2.04 $3.96 $5.98 $ 6.00 $ 3.00 $5.88
Yogurt (16-pack) $7.48 $5.29 $5.99 $5.97 $5.49 $ 4.99
Rice (900 g) $4.47 $3.79 $ 2.99 $ 4.97 $5.49 $ 2.99
Rice Krispies cereals $ 3.33 $ 4.99 $5.47 $6.97 $5.47 $5.49
Peanut butter (1 kg) $5.77 $3.99 $3.99 $ 6.49 $ 4.99 $5.99
Broccoli or Cauliflower $ 2.97 $2.49 $1.76 $ 3.47 $ 2.00 $ 2.99
Peaches (3 L basket) $3.44 $3.44 $4.21 $5.97 $6.99 $6.99
Ground beef (1 kg) $13.97 $11.44 $8.53 $7.94 $14.99 $15.41
Chicken (2 kg) $8.68 $14.94 $12.88 $12.47 $13.18 $19.80
Oatmeal (1 kg) $ 3.97 $ 2.99 $ 2.99 $ 2.77 $ 4.99 3.99 $
Eggs (12) $3.95 3.99 $ $3.95 $3.95 $3.99 $3.99
Product Walmart Maxi Super C Giant Tiger IGA Metro
Hot dogs $ 5.00 $ 3.00 3.99 $ $ 3.47 $3.99 $3.99
2 cans of tuna (240 g total) $ 2.54 $ 2.98 $ 2.58 $ 2.54 $ 2.98 $ 3.58
Juice boxes $ 2.77 $2.49 $ 2.79 $ 2.78 $ 4.49 $ 3.25
Blueberries $ 2.97 $ 2.99 3.99 $ $ 2.97 $ 4.99 3.99 $
Laundry detergent (approx. 3 L) $ 7.77 $ 7.98 $ 10.99 $ 7.97 $11.99 $ 16.99
Granola bars $ 1.97 $ 1.80 $ 2.97 $ 3.47 $ 2.97 $ 2.99
Sliced ham (about 350g) $ 5.27 $ 6.00 $ 6.00 $ 6.00 $ 6.00 $ 7.93
Pasta $ 1.27 $ 2.00 $ 2.29 $ 1.97 $ 1.11 $ 1.27
2 POM (or Villagio) white breads $ 6.00 $ 8.78 $ 6.00 $ 5.50 $ 7.98 $ 7.49
Milk (4 L) $ 7.56 $ 7.56 $ 7.56 $ 7.56 $ 7.56 $ 7.56
Bananas (1 kg) $ 1.50 $ 1,52 $ 1,52 $ 2.25 $ 2,96 $ 1.96
Butter (454 g) $ 6.48 $ 6.49 $ 6.49 $ 6.47 $ 5.44 $ 6.49
Total $ 116.67 $ 120.39 $ 121.21 $ 126,40 $ 137.48 $ 151.47
Rank 1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th 6th

So, Walmart is the big winner for cheapest groceries!

Here are the standings:

Cheapest grocery basket
No. 1 Walmart $116.67
2nd Maxi $120.39
3rd Super C $121.21
4th Giant Tiger $126.40
5th IGA $137.48
6th district Metro $151.47

The price differential between the first and last positions is around $35. Over a year, this represents $1.820 in savings by shopping at Walmart versus Metro! The $1.820 saved is the equivalent of three and a half months of groceries at Walmart.

Of course, prices will change as the weeks and specials go by, but the trend is there. Moreover, the difference between the top 3 positions is so tiny that a super special at a grocery store during a week can change the ranking.

Save at the grocery store

Would you like to save money at the grocery store? Wondering about your credit card? Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter to get all the tips you need and never miss a promotion!

And join our private Facebook group to discover tips from other members of the Milesopedia community!

Which grocery store is the cheapest with rewards points?

Thanks to the above comparison, Walmart is the least expensive grocery store. But let’s not forget one tool that can tip the balance: loyalty programs.

This article selected the best credit card combinations for each grocery store. We’ll use the same best credit cards for each grocery store.

IGA entree epicerie

Walmart

Walmart offers reward dollars only for its credit card holders. In this case, it’s best to explore all the points or cash back offered by the various credit cards.

The best credit cards to use at Walmart are :

Accumulation at Walmart Supercentre Value
National Bank World Elite Mastercard 5 points/$1 purchase 583 points NBC = $5.25
BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* 5% discount 5,83 $
Tangerine Money-Back Credit Card 2% discount 3,50 $

In short, a $116.67 grocery basket at Walmart with a BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* would reduce the net bill by $5.83.

The total would be $110.84.

The only drawback of this card is its maximum spending limit, which is 5% on groceries. Only the first $500 of grocery purchases per statement period are eligible for the 5% cash back. For purchases over $501, the accumulation rate drops to 1%.

Also, note that in some Walmart stores, the American Express Cobalt® Card recognizes the expense as grocery (i.e. 5 points per dollar or 5%).

Finally, if you store regularly at Walmart.ca, you can earn 3% cash back with the Walmart World Mastercard Rewards Card (and 1.25% cash back at your Walmart grocery store). Read our article to find out if Walmart credit cards are worth it.

How to save at Walmart: advanced level

Buy Walmart gift cards at Couche-Tard!

American Express cards are accepted at Walmart, but the latter is not generally coded as a “grocery store.”

The trick is to buy Walmart gift cards with the American Express Cobalt® Card at Couche-Tard, where you earn 5 points per dollar.

With its flexible Membership Rewards points, the American Express Cobalt® Card gives you the option of simply using them to deduct from your card balance (like cash back), or converting them into Aeroplan, Marriott Bonvoy or Hilton Honors points for future travel.

Maxi (Optimum PC program)

Maxi is linked to the PC Optimum program, and the only way to earn PC Optimum points is to purchase products that earn bonus points.

In our example, the bill at Maxi amounts to $120.39. Unfortunately, none of the items we bought earned bonus points.

Personalized offers are also available every week. The current offer that appeared for me was 15,000 points for $150 in purchases. So I would have had to buy about $30 more to get $15 off (15,000 points = $15 off the bill at checkout).

Maxi only accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards. The best credit cards to use at Maxi are :

Accumulation Value
National Bank World Elite Mastercard® card 5 points/$1 purchase 602 Rewards points NBC = $5.41
BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* 5% cash back $6.02 cash back
CIBC DividendMD Visa Infinite* Card 4% cash back $4.82 cash back
Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card 4% cash back $4.82 cash back
CIBC Dividend Platinum® Visa* Card 3% cash back $3.61 cash back

Thanks to the BMO CashBack® World Elite® Mastercard® $6.02 ($120.39 X 5%) would have been saved, for a net grocery total of $114.37. Here again, the problem is the $500 monthly purchase limit.

Super C (Moi program)

Super C is associated with the Moi program. The only way to earn Moi points at Super C is to buy products that earn bonus points.

Pasta costing $2.29 gave a bonus of 20 Moi points. This has a value of 16 cents.

With the co-branded moi RBC Visa Card, I earn 1 Moi point for every dollar I spend at Super C (121 Moi points = 96 cents). The total discount would have been $1.12.

But there’s more to accumulate at Super C, thanks to those credit cards and our $121.21 grocery bill:

Accumulation Value
American Express Cobalt Card 5 points/$1 purchase 605 Membership Rewards points = $6.05
Scotiabank American Express® Card Gold 5 points/$1 purchase 605 Scene+ points = $6.05
BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* 5% cash back $6.05 cash back
Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card 4% cash back $4.84 cash back
CIBC Dividend Platinum® Visa* Card 3% cash back $3.64 cash back

With an American Express Cobalt Card or a BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* the savings would have been $6.05, for a net total of $115.16 ($121.21-$6.05).

Giant Tiger

Giant Tiger does not have a points-based rewards program. However, members of its TG VIP program get exclusive deals and offers on everything in store.

So stick to points or cash back on your payment card to save even more.

The best credit cards to use at Giant Tiger for our $126.40 grocery basket are:

Accumulation Value
National Bank World Elite Mastercard 5 points/$1 purchase 632 points NBC = $5.69
BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* 5% discount $6,32
CIBC DividendMD Visa Infinite* Card 4% cash back $5.06 cash back
Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card 4% cash back $5.06 cash back
CIBC Dividend Platinum® Visa* Card 3% cash back $3.79 cash back

Note that Giant Tiger stores no longer accept American Express cards as of July 2024.

At Giant Tiger, with the BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* $6.32 ($126.40 X 5%) would have been saved, for a net grocery total of $120.08.

IGA (Scene + program)

IGA has been with the Scene+ program since March 2023. Like Maxi and Super C, the only way to get Scene+ points is to buy products with bonus points.

The following products gave additional Scene+ points:

  • Sliced ham: 100 points
  • Rice: 60 points
  • Peach basket : 200 points
  • Butter: 50 points

In addition, there was a coupon for $500 Scene+ points, for any purchase of $100 or more. The total number of points accumulated during the purchase at the grocery store is 910 points. This has a value of $9.10.

Here are the rewards earned with certain IGA credit cards for a $137.48 grocery basket:

Accumulation Value
Scotiabank American Express® Card Gold 6 points / $1 purchase 825 Scene+ points = $8.25
American Express Cobalt Card 5 points/$1 purchase 687 Membership Rewards points = $6.19
CIBC DividendMD Visa Infinite* Card 4% cash back $5.50 cash back
Scotia Momentum Visa Infinite Card 4% cash back $5.50 cash back
CIBC Dividend Platinum® Visa* Card 3% cash back $4.12 cash back

Thus, the Scene+ points obtained during this trip to the grocery store gives the equivalent of $17.35 ($9.10 + $8.25) in rebates. The $137.48 bill at IGA then drops to $120.13.

Metro (Moi program)

Finally, Metro is linked to the Moi program, and every dollar spent earns 1 Moi point. So, the base accumulation is 151 Moi points for our example.

In addition, the peaches and ground beef had a bonus of 35 Moi points each. This purchase at Metro will have earned 221 Moi points (151 + 35 + 35).

Personalized offers came to the rescue to increase my total by an additional 175 Moi points:

  • 100 points on purchases of $50 or more
  • 75 points for cheese purchases

With the moi RBC Visa co-branded card, I earn 1 additional Moi point for every dollar I spend at Metro (151 Moi points = $0.96).

As a member of the Moi program, I was even entitled to an exclusive promotion with a free Ben’s Original side dish product, a $3.99 value.

The best credit cards to use at Metro for our $151.47 grocery basket are :

Card Accumulation Value
American Express Cobalt Card 5 points/$1 purchase 757 Membership Rewards points = $7.57
Scotiabank American Express® Card Gold 5 points/$1 purchase 757 Scene+ points = $7.57
BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* 5% cash back $7.57 cash back
CIBC DividendMD Visa Infinite* Card 4% cash back $6.06 cash back
CIBC Dividend Platinum® Visa* Card 3% cash back $4.54 cash back

Moi points gave me 396 points ($3.17 value) and the best rebate was $7.57, for a total rebate of $10.74. The net cost is $140.73 for this grocery bill at Metro (plus a free bag of Ben’s Original).

Summary

Here’s the price summary of all this analysis:

Walmart Maxi Super C Giant Tiger IGA Metro
Receipt total $ 116.67 $ 120.39 $ 121.21 $ 126,40 $ 137.48 $ 151.47
Net total with points and cash back $ 110.84 $ 114.37 $ 115.16 $ 120.08 $ 120.13 $ 140.73

Despite not having a rewards program, Walmart is still the best place to shop for less … if the right credit card is used!

An honorable mention goes to IGA. Indeed, with the earning of her Scene+ bonus points and a Scotiabank Gold American Express® Card, she’s almost on a par (give or take 5 cents) with a Giant Tiger grocery basket!

Grocery Total bill Grocery Net bill
No. 1 Walmart $116.67 Walmart $110.84 (-5%)
2nd Maxi $120.39 Maxi $114.37 (-5%)
3rd Super C $121.21 Super C 115,16 $ (-5 %)
4th Giant Tiger $126.40 Giant Tiger $120.08 (-5 %)
5th IGA $137.48 IGA $120.13 (-12,6%)
6th district Metro $151.47 Metro $140.73 (- 7,1%)
Save at the grocery store

Would you like to save money at the grocery store? Wondering about your credit card? Subscribe to our free weekly newsletter to get all the tips you need and never miss a promotion!

And join our private Facebook group to discover tips from other members of the Milesopedia community!

Low-price store with the most discounts

Despite all the analyses, it is very important to pay your credit card balances in full every month! Otherwise, all your savings will be wiped out by interest charges.

Even if using the right credit card only saves a small additional percentage, the savings are significant and real when they accumulate over months and years.

Going to Walmart AND taking out a 5% or 5 points-per-dollar credit card like the National Bank World Elite Mastercard® and BMO CashBack® World Elite®* Mastercard®* (or the National Bank World® Mastercard® with gift card trick) is a great way to save on groceries. American Express Cobalt® Card with the gift card trick) is an excellent combination for saving on groceries.

In the last table, the $30 per week difference between Walmart and Metro represents an annual difference of $1,540 .

There are also grocery stores selling grocery items on clearance or at big discounts. Check out where they are in this article.

Which supermarket is cheaper, Maxi, Walmart or Super C?

According to our analysis, Walmart is the least expensive grocery store!

Here are the top 3:

  1. Walmart
  2. Maxi
  3. Super C

Which is cheaper between Walmart and Dollarama?

According to our analysis, Dollarama, which carries many grocery items, costs the least! We compared the prices of 42 products at Walmart and Dollarama.

Here’s the result in this article comparing Dollarama and Walmart.

How do I find discounts in grocery flyers?

Flipp and Reebee (purchased by Flipp) allow you to view all flyers online, in one place.

Does Super C match prices?

No. Super C doesn’t match prices.

But if you’re not satisfied with the freshness of a product purchased from Super, they’ll give you a 100% refund, with a discount coupon equivalent to 10% of the price.

What’s more, if one of the products in the flyer is not in stock, they’ll give you a deferred coupon with 10% off the advertised price.

Come to discuss that topic in our Facebook Group!
Caroline Tremblay
Caroline Tremblay
Caroline, a loyalty program specialist, helps families maximize their points to travel more frequently and affordably. With expertise in Disney, AIR MILES, and Costco, she travels the world with her partner and two children through rewards. Passionate about the latest in loyalty programs, Caroline shares tips to help you earn more points and turn your travel dreams into reality.
All posts by Caroline Tremblay

Receive our newsletter every week!

Savings are here (if you don’t see the sign-up form, please click here):

Milesopedia