Money & Budgeting

Cheapest Supermarket UK 2026 — Monthly Price Comparison

Which UK supermarket is cheapest in 2026? Monthly price tracker comparing Aldi, Lidl, Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury's, Morrisons, and others on a typical weekly shop.

By PocketWise · · 5 min read

With food prices remaining high, choosing the right supermarket can save a typical family £50–£80 per month. Here is how the major UK supermarkets compare on price in 2026.

Overall Price Ranking — March 2026

Based on a basket of approximately 65 commonly purchased grocery items:

Rank Supermarket Typical weekly basket cost vs. cheapest
1 Aldi ~£68 Baseline
2 Lidl ~£69 +£1 (+1.5%)
3 Asda ~£76 +£8 (+11.8%)
4 Tesco (with Clubcard) ~£78 +£10 (+14.7%)
5 Morrisons ~£80 +£12 (+17.6%)
6 Sainsbury’s ~£81 +£13 (+19.1%)
7 Tesco (without Clubcard) ~£83 +£15 (+22.1%)
8 Co-op ~£86 +£18 (+26.5%)
9 M&S ~£95 +£27 (+39.7%)
10 Waitrose ~£98 +£30 (+44.1%)
11 Ocado ~£96 +£28 (+41.2%)

Prices are indicative based on independent price comparison sources (Which?, The Grocer, trolley.co.uk). Actual costs vary by location and individual basket.

Annual Savings by Switching

Switch from Switch to Estimated annual saving
Waitrose → Aldi ~£1,560
Sainsbury’s → Aldi ~£676
Tesco → Aldi ~£520
Morrisons → Lidl ~£572
Co-op → Asda ~£520
Tesco (no Clubcard) → Tesco (with Clubcard) ~£260

Supermarket-by-Supermarket Breakdown

Aldi

Feature Detail
Price position Consistently cheapest or joint cheapest
Own brand quality High — often wins blind taste tests against branded equivalents
Range Limited — ~1,800 product lines vs ~30,000+ at Tesco
Online shopping No standard grocery delivery
Loyalty scheme None
Best for Budget-conscious shoppers who are flexible on brands
Weaknesses Small stores, limited range, no delivery, queues at checkouts

Lidl

Feature Detail
Price position Joint cheapest with Aldi — sometimes fractionally more
Own brand quality High — regularly wins quality awards
Range Limited — similar to Aldi
Online shopping No standard grocery delivery
Loyalty scheme Lidl Plus app — offers and coupons
Best for Those who want Aldi-level prices with an app for extra savings
Weaknesses Small stores, limited range, “middle aisle” impulse buys

Asda

Feature Detail
Price position Cheapest of the big four most months
Own brand Smart Price (budget), Just Essentials, Asda own
Range Full range — ~30,000+ product lines
Online shopping Delivery from £3.50, click and collect available
Loyalty scheme Asda Rewards — cashback on selected items
Best for Those wanting big-four range at lower prices
Weaknesses Quality perception lower than Sainsbury’s/Tesco on premium lines

Tesco

Feature Detail
Price position Mid-range — but Clubcard Prices close the gap
Own brand Everyday Value (budget), Tesco own, Finest (premium)
Range Largest range of any UK supermarket
Online shopping Full delivery and click and collect
Loyalty scheme Tesco Clubcard — significant discounts, points for Clubcard Plus/Avios
Best for Those who want range, convenience, and are using Clubcard
Weaknesses Expensive without Clubcard — one of the priciest without it

Sainsbury’s

Feature Detail
Price position Upper mid-range — similar to Morrisons
Own brand Stamford Street (budget), Sainsbury’s own, Taste the Difference
Range Full range
Online shopping Full delivery and click and collect
Loyalty scheme Nectar — personalised app offers, Nectar Prices
Best for Those who value quality own-brand and use Nectar app actively
Weaknesses Pricier than Asda/Tesco on many everyday items

Morrisons

Feature Detail
Price position Mid-range — sometimes cheaper than Tesco on fresh items
Own brand Savers (budget), Morrisons own, The Best
Range Strong fresh food counters — deli, butcher, fishmonger
Online shopping Delivery via Amazon (Morrisons on Amazon) and own service
Loyalty scheme Morrisons More Card — points and offers
Best for Those who value fresh food counters and in-store preparation
Weaknesses Fewer stores, online delivery less developed

Loyalty Cards Compared

Card Supermarket Key benefits Worth it?
Clubcard Tesco Clubcard Prices (huge discounts on 100s of items), points (1p per £1), Clubcard Plus subscription Yes — essential if you shop at Tesco
Nectar Sainsbury’s Nectar Prices, personalised offers via app, points at multiple retailers Yes — especially with active app use
Asda Rewards Asda Cashback on selected items, Star Products Modest savings — worth using
Morrisons More Morrisons Points, personalised offers Moderate — smaller discounts
Lidl Plus Lidl In-app coupons, weekly offers, scratch cards Yes — small but regular savings
myWaitrose Waitrose Free tea/coffee, 10% off selected items Small perks — won’t offset premium prices
Co-op membership Co-op 2p per £1 on own-brand, community support Limited savings unless you shop there regularly

Tips to Cut Your Grocery Bill

Shopping Strategy

Tip Estimated saving
Switch from big four to Aldi/Lidl £40–£80/month
Buy own-brand instead of branded £15–£30/month
Plan meals weekly and shop from a list £20–£40/month
Use yellow-sticker reduced items £10–£20/month
Buy frozen veg instead of fresh (where appropriate) £5–£10/month
Batch cook and freeze £20–£30/month
Use loyalty card offers actively £10–£20/month
Check unit prices (price per kg/litre) not just total price Variable
Avoid shopping while hungry Impulse buys add £5–£15/trip
Try online delivery to reduce impulse purchases £15–£25/month

Apps and Tools

App/Tool What it does
Too Good To Go Surplus food bags from supermarkets and restaurants — typically £3–£4 for £10+ of food
Approved Food Online clearance store for short-dated stock
trolley.co.uk Price comparison across major supermarkets
Latest Deals / HotUKDeals Community-sourced deals and offers
Supermarket own apps Personalised offers, digital coupons, and loyalty points

Price Comparison by Category

Everyday Essentials (March 2026)

Item Aldi Lidl Asda Tesco (Clubcard) Sainsbury’s
Semi-skimmed milk (2 pint) £1.15 £1.15 £1.15 £1.15 £1.15
White bread (800g) £0.39 £0.39 £0.47 £0.47 £0.50
6 free-range eggs £1.29 £1.29 £1.50 £1.40 £1.60
Butter (250g) £1.69 £1.69 £1.85 £1.79 £1.85
Cheddar cheese (400g) £2.19 £2.19 £2.50 £2.35 £2.60
Chicken breast (1kg) £5.49 £5.49 £5.99 £5.75 £6.00
Bananas (5 pack) £0.69 £0.69 £0.73 £0.75 £0.75
Pasta (500g own brand) £0.55 £0.55 £0.70 £0.70 £0.75
Tinned tomatoes (400g) £0.29 £0.29 £0.33 £0.35 £0.35

Prices are indicative and vary by region and date.

The Split-Shop Strategy

Many savvy shoppers use a split-shop approach:

Shop What to buy
Aldi / Lidl Fresh fruit, veg, meat, dairy, bakery, own-brand staples (70–80% of your shop)
Tesco / Sainsbury’s (with loyalty card) Specific branded products on Clubcard/Nectar Prices, anything you can’t get at discounters
Local market Fresh fruit and veg (often cheapest and freshest)

This approach gets you the best prices on bulk essentials while still picking up specific branded items at the best loyalty-card price.

Sources

  1. ONS — Consumer price inflation