We went grocery shopping in a US city — here’s how it compared to Canadian prices

Going on vacation usually means forgetting about the mundane activities of everyday life, like grocery shopping.

But my recent trip to Arizona included stopping at a grocery store in Phoenix to stock up on food for a week in the desert. This experience made me wonder how prices in this US city compare to those back home in Canada.

I headed into Fry’s — a supermarket operated by the US grocery retail giant Kroger Co. — to pick up some staples and decided to compare the prices to those of the Real Canadian Superstore.

I was curious to see if Fry’s, a grocery store I had never heard of before, was comparable or cheaper to the Loblaw-owned Superstore. After all, many Canadians who have visited or moved to the US have recently commented on how much more affordable the prices are down south.

I converted the US dollar using the latest conversion rate as of May 15 (US$1 = C$1.36).

Of course, this is a very unscientific experiment: I visited one store in one US city, so it doesn’t speak to grocery prices in America as a whole.

Nevertheless, it’s always interesting to see how Canadian prices stack up to those in the States.

Produce

Avocados

Fry’s avocados: US$0.99 each or C$1.35

Superstore’s avocados: C$1.99 each

Winner: Fry’s

Strawberries

Fry’s strawberries: US$2.77/lb or C$3.77/lb

Superstore’s strawberries: C$2.99/lb

Winner: Superstore

Bag of mandarin oranges

Fry’s oranges: US$4.99 for a three-pound bag or C$6.79

Superstore’s oranges: C$8.99 for a three-pound bag

Winner: Fry’s

Head of Iceberg lettuce

Fry’s lettuce: US$1.99 for one head of lettuce or C$2.71

Superstore’s lettuce: C$2.99 for one head of lettuce

Winner: Fry’s

Green bell pepper

Fry’s peppers: US$0.79 each or C$1.07

Superstore’s peppers: C$2.16 each

Winner: Fry’s

Dairy

Organic 2% milk

Fry’s milk: US$3.99 or C$5.43 per 64 fluid ounces, or C$0.08/oz

Superstore’s milk: C$4.09/litre, or $0.12/oz

Winner: Fry’s

Carton of large eggs

Fry’s eggs: US$3.49 per carton or C$4.75

Superstore’s eggs: C$4.12

Winner: Superstore

Cheddar cheese

Fry’s cheese: US$4.29 per pound or C$5.84

Superstore’s cheese: C$7.89 for 700 g. When converted to pounds, this cheese would work out to C$5.11/lb

Winner: Fry’s

Meat

Chicken thighs

Fry’s chicken: 6.23 pounds is priced at US$11.15 or C$15.17 (US$1.79/C$2.43 per pound).

Superstore’s chicken: Approximately 5.8 pounds costs C$27.74, which is C$4.78 per pound.

Winner: Fry’s

Thick-cut bacon

Fry’s bacon: 1-lb package is priced at US$6.99 (regular price) or C$9.51

Superstore’s bacon: C$9.94 for a 2.2-lb package, which works out to C$4.52 per lb.

Winner: Superstore

Other staples

Whole wheat bread

Fry’s bread: US$3.99 or C$5.43 for a loaf (approximately 566 grams or C$0.96 per 100 grams)

Superstore’s bread: C$3.79 per loaf (approximately 675 grams or C$0.56 per 100 grams)

Winner: Superstore

Penne pasta

Fry’s pasta: US$1.99 or C$2.71 for a 454 g box (works out to C$0.60 per 100 grams)

Superstore’s pasta: C$1.69 for a 410 g box (works out to C$0.61 per 100 grams)

Winner: Fry’s (although this one is very close)

Organic maple syrup

Fry’s maple syrup: US$5.99 (C$8.15) for 236 ml (works out to approximately C$3.45 per 100 ml)

Superstore’s maple syrup: C$12.99 for 375 ml (C$3.46 per 100 ml)

Winner: Fry’s (this one is also very close)

Cheerios

Fry’s Cheerios: US$6.99 (C$9.51) for a 771-gram box (works out to C$1.23 per 100 grams)

Superstore’s Cheerios: C$5.47 for a 725-gram box (C$0.75 per 100 grams)

Winner: Superstore

What did you think Fry’s grocery prices compared to Real Canadian Superstore? Let us know in the comments.

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