Kroger tops low-cost grocery study

Kroger ranked as the most affordable option in a new study comparing the prices of 15 store-brand essentials across four major US grocery chains, with a basket totaling $30.

The research from Restaurant Furniture Plus, reported by Southern Living, compared groceries at Kroger, Walmart, Aldi, and Albertsons. The items analyzed include staples like milk, bread, eggs, chicken breast, spaghetti, canned beans, and baking supplies.

Kroger, which operates around 1,229 stores across 16 states, offered the lowest prices on 10 of the 15 items looked at.

Walmart finished a close second with a basket total of $30.95, followed by Aldi at $33.15 and Albertsons at $35.58.

These findings arrive as US food prices have surged 32% over the past five years, according to a recent Urban Institute study. It also revealed that these rising costs have pushed more than one in four working Americans into credit card debt to cover regular food bills.

Overall, budget-conscious shoppers might want to head to Kroger for their next grocery run.