Which? compares Aldi, Lidl, Tesco, Asda and more. Here are the latest results for everyday shopping and branded groceries.
Last updated: 9 October 2026 | Price data: September 2026
One question comes up again and again in our supermarket savings community: where is the cheapest place to shop?
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Claim sign-up bonusAldi was the cheapest for Which?’s September 2026 list of 93 everyday groceries, costing £159.48. Lidl with Lidl Plus was just £2 behind.
But in a separate comparison of 219 branded products, Tesco with Clubcard narrowly beat Asda. These are different shopping lists, so it doesn’t mean Tesco is the cheapest supermarket overall.
What works out cheapest for your family will still depend on what you buy.
Cheapest supermarket for everyday groceries
In its September 2026 supermarket price comparison, Which? checked 93 everyday items, including a mix of branded and own-label groceries.
These were the average prices across the month:
| Supermarket | 93-item shop |
|---|---|
| Aldi | £159.48 |
| Lidl with Plus | £161.48 |
| Lidl | £161.84 |
| Asda | £186.71 |
| Tesco with Clubcard | £187.71 |
| Sainsbury’s with Nectar | £188.95 |
| Morrisons with More | £192.93 |
| Morrisons | £193.13 |
| Tesco without Clubcard | £193.45 |
| Sainsbury’s without Nectar | £195.01 |
| Ocado | £208.64 |
| Waitrose | £223.38 |
Aldi was £63.90 cheaper than Waitrose for the same list. Asda was the cheapest supermarket outside Aldi and Lidl, at £186.71.
Cheapest supermarket for branded groceries
The result changes for people who buy lots of brands. In a separate comparison, Which? checked 219 branded groceries, including products from Heinz, Nescafé and Mr Kipling.
Tesco with Clubcard came first at £757.71, beating Asda by just £2.65. Here are the September 2026 prices:
| Supermarket | 219-item shop |
|---|---|
| Tesco with Clubcard | £757.71 |
| Asda | £760.36 |
| Morrisons with More | £771.81 |
| Morrisons | £773.42 |
| Sainsbury’s with Nectar | £786.82 |
| Ocado | £801.71 |
| Waitrose | £829.04 |
| Tesco without Clubcard | £861.50 |
| Sainsbury’s without Nectar | £869.65 |
Tesco only came top with Clubcard prices. Without a Clubcard, the same list cost £861.50 at Tesco, making Asda much cheaper.
Aldi and Lidl aren’t included in this test because they don’t stock enough of the same branded goods. The two comparisons use different shopping lists, so their totals cannot be compared directly.
Skint Dad says:
I wouldn’t switch supermarkets just because Tesco has moved into first place. It beat Asda by only £2.65 across 219 branded products, and an extra journey could easily wipe out that saving.
Compare the things you actually buy, including Clubcard discounts, before deciding where to shop. The cheapest supermarket in a comparison isn’t always the cheapest for your family.
We’ve also looked at why Tesco Clubcard beat Asda on branded groceries and what the result means for shoppers.
Do supermarket loyalty cards save money?
They can, although it depends on what’s in your trolley.
In the 219-item branded comparison, Tesco’s Clubcard prices cut £103.79 from the total. Sainsbury’s Nectar prices reduced its total by £82.83.
For the smaller everyday basket, Clubcard saved £5.74 at Tesco, Lidl Plus saved 36p and Morrisons More saved just 20p.
Aldi was still cheapest for that everyday list without a loyalty scheme.
A loyalty price isn’t always the lowest price elsewhere, so it’s still worth comparing.
How to save money on your supermarket shop
Before switching supermarkets, make a list of 10 or 15 things you buy regularly and compare their prices.
You might find another supermarket works out cheaper for your family, even if it didn’t come top in the Which? comparison.
A few other ways to save:
- Check the price per 100g or litre. A bigger pack or loyalty offer isn’t always better value.
- Try an own-brand alternative for the items you buy most often.
- Use loyalty discounts if they help, but don’t buy something just because it’s on offer.
- If you shop at more than one supermarket, weigh up the savings against the extra travel costs.
How Which? works out the prices
Which? tracks supermarket prices throughout each month to calculate average costs, including applicable loyalty discounts.
The everyday basket includes own-label and branded products, while the separate larger comparison covers branded products only.
The products and number of items can change from month to month, so the totals aren’t a direct measure of food inflation. They also won’t match everyone’s weekly shop.
Where do you get the best value?
Does your usual supermarket come out well in these comparisons, or do you find another one cheaper for the food your family buys?
We’d love to hear where you’re finding the best prices. Join the conversation in our Reduce Your Supermarket Spend Facebook community, where thousands of shoppers share tips and ideas for cutting their food bills.
Tony says
There are some problems here, it depends which town or city you’re in when you go to the supermarket and in Kent for example; Tesco express are higher priced than the other Tesco stores, and (I’m picking on Tesco) their prices change from town to town. When I asked about higher prices in the express stores, the response was that the stores were open later. By definition, the Tesco on the Isle of Sheppey should be charging more as it’s 24 hour but it is cheaper. Lastly, alot of Tesco store prices are ending in multiples of 5, in other words, you won’t find prices of £1.27 or 86p or £4.56, it is either 90p, £1.30, £4.65 it seems as though prices are being made artificially high
Martin says
I don’t trust the results personally as it all depends on what you buy. And not just what you buy but whether you prefer branded or supermarkets own products.
Claire says
We’ve tried a few supermarkets this winter. Tesco works out cheaper for me than Asia because I cook from scratch and bake a lot – their own brand flour is very good for instance.
My parents and their friends swear by Lidl and Aldi as they enjoy pizzas and salads. It obviously depends on your specific needs.
Anne Sweet says
It’s so difficult to compare supermarkets these days. We like a lot of branded products but when we go for supermarket brands we like Sainsburys best. I’ve just done some maths (eek) and my average shop works out at 109 items for £167 but there are seven of us in our family (only one child)
When the supermarkets where smaller and on the high street I remember being dragged around by my Mum and her shopping trolley where she bought bargains from the different shops, fruit and veg from grocers, tea bags and bread from Tescos, tinned food from Liptons, boxes of broken biscuits and sweet snacks from the local market hall. Shopping would take nearly all day but she knew exactly where to go for the best prices. (Mum was a widow with two young children)
Craig says
LIDL is no where near the cheapest Supermarket on a range of products. Try getting Kiwis and note they’re almost 30p each whilst in Asda, Aldi etc they’re 82p for six. Lidl has had the kiwis at 29p for a long time when the rest were doing six for 69p. There are numerous other examples. In Aldi the Muesli if far more expensive than the cheaper one just as good in Asda. When it comes to things like fresh Ginger you can forget Lidl and Aldi as they’re way to expensive like Tesco when compared to Asda. Asda is hopeless on cheap chicken and this is where Lidl and Aldi work out better but not much if anything against Tesco. This is why I shop of all of the stores and mooch around to keep an eye on what’s really going on. These corporations hope you rely on just one of them and thus they can rip you off. Try visiting them all and on a daily basis, then you can collect the bargains, reductions etc.