Which Store Is Cheaper: Walmart Or Target?

With prices surging across so many different sectors of the economy, it feels like everyone is looking for ways to get a deal. After all, financially surviving the current era of growing inflation requires consumers to become more resourceful. This being the case, one of the best ways for people to start saving money is by comparing the prices of different retailers in your area to determine which ones have cheaper prices. For example, Aldi is cheaper than Dollar Tree when it comes to grocery shopping, and Costco gas is significantly cheaper than your regular, run of the mill gas station. However, when it comes to price comparisons between colossal retail giants like Walmart and Target, things get a bit more complicated.

According to 2024 research from The Kitchn, when it comes to groceries, Target was cheaper overall. However, other sources have found that it can largely depend on which items you're buying at which store. For example, items like ice cream are actually cheaper at Walmart, while others, like bagged cheddar cheese, are cheaper at Target. This means it can be more important than ever to know which specific products you are shopping for, before heading out to the store.

The Kitchn conducted a study comparing the prices of eight different items at both Target and Walmart in order to determine which store had cheaper prices. The study found that some things were quite close in cost, for example a can of organic black beans was only about $0.05 cheaper at Target compared to Walmart. Similarly, a bag of frozen chicken nuggets was roughly $0.08 cheaper at Target. Other price differences were more significant, like a 12 ounce bag of frozen broccoli, listed for $1.50 at Target compared to almost $3.60 at Walmart. A gallon of milk was also an entire $2.17 cheaper at Target, listed for $2.39 compared to Walmart's $4.56. The Kitchn also found that the cost of an avocado at Target was about $0.18 cheaper than one at Walmart.

Three items in particular were cheaper at Walmart. These included a four pound bag of granulated sugar, which cost $3.59 at Target compared to $3.24 at Walmart, and baby spinach which, depending on the size of the bag, was cheaper by roughly $0.08 an ounce at Walmart. Lastly, a 5 count bag of everything bagels was $3.79 at Target compared to $3.54 at Walmart. Regardless, the total cost of all the eight items purchased for the Kitchn's experimental shopping trip was $21.43 at Target, while Walmart's cart totaled $25.02.

While the Kitchn's study determined that Target was cheaper than Walmart overall, another 2024 study, conducted by Business Insider, found the opposite to be true. Similar to the previous study, Business Insider purchased 10 of the same items at both stores to compare prices. These items included a case of plastic water bottles, a bottle of cranberry juice, flour tortillas, ice cream, shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream, olive oil, a box of macaroni and cheese, marinara sauce, and a pack of Liquid IV. 

While a bottle of olive oil was around $0.75 cheaper at Target and a bag of shredded cheddar cheese was roughly $0.25 cheaper, Business Insider found the rest of the products on the list to be more affordable when purchased at Walmart — if only by a small margin. However, it is worth noting that Target's boxed macaroni and cheese cost 3 times as much as Walmart's, and Liquid IV was $6 cheaper at Walmart compared to Target. All told, the cost for these same 10 items came to a grand total of $45 at Target, and $37.71 at Walmart.

It's clear that determining which store is cheaper depends on the type of items purchased at each retailer. This being the case, it's important to be selective with the specific items you purchase, especially as you apply money-saving grocery shopping strategies to your weekly trips.