We Compared the Price of Avocados at Aldi, Costco, and Trader Joe’s — Here’s What We Found

A few weeks ago, we started comparing prices at Aldi, Costco, and Trader Joe’s for items we regularly add to our carts. You see, we’re big fans of (and frequent shoppers at) these retailers. Each one has its own strengths: Aldi is no-frills and budget-friendly, Costco has bulk favorites at wholesale prices, and Trader Joe’s stocks unique items (not to mention their incredibly cheap bananas). 

All three focus on budget-friendly offerings, and we decided to see for ourselves which one truly has the lowest prices in town. (We visit the three stores in the same neighborhood, on the same day, to keep things consistent.) This week we’re looking at you, avocados.

Salsas! Salads! Breakfast sandwiches! Fries! Desserts! Is there anything an avocado can’t do? We think not, which is why it’s a staple on our grocery lists and the latest in our three-way price comparison. Here’s the cheapest one.

At Aldi and Trader Joe’s you can pick up exactly how many avocados your heart desires and your avo toasts (or brownies!) require. Costco, however, solely sells the buttery fruit in bags of six. So once again, we focused on the fine print to compare apples to apples — or, in this case, avocados to avocados. 

A bag of six avocados at Costco will run you $5.79 (in the middle), but if you look at the lower left side of the price tag, you’ll notice the “price per each” is $0.965, or 97 cents if we’re rounding up. Less than $1 is a big deal compared to the avocados at Trader Joe’s, which are $1.79 each, roughly 82 cents or a whopping 85% more per avocado. (The non-organic avocados at Trader Joe’s were also priced at $1.79 each.) You’ll also want to keep the quantity in mind: Are you someone who goes through half a dozen avocados in a relatively short period of time? Then by all means, consider buying them in bulk. 

If you happen to live near Aldi, to bulk or not to bulk is a moot point. Aldi had the cheapest avocados by far ($0.75 each); they were more than 50% less ($1.04) than the ones at TJ’s and just under 30% less than at Costco (22 cents).

Best price: Large Hass Avocados, $0.75 each at Aldi

As their name suggests, these avocados are smaller than the ones shown above and ideal if you’re not team save-half-for-later. Ironically, they’re sold in quantities of six, so you’ll want to consider your overall avocado consumption before grabbing a bagful. If you do decide to forge ahead, know that Aldi is where you’ll get the most ‘cado for your money. 

Costco didn’t have mini avocados, so this comparison is between Aldi and Trader Joe’s. At the time we visited, Aldi had a red-sticker sale on its mini bagged avocados ($1.99 per bag). TJ’s retails for $3.99, which comes out to roughly 67 cents per avocado versus 33 cents at Aldi — that’s basically a 50 percent savings on avocados alone! Even at full price, $2.59, the six-pack is still $1.40 less than the one at TJ’s. For avocados of all shapes and sizes, Aldi has the best price!

Best price: Mini Bagged Avocados, $1.99 (on sale) for 6 at Aldi

What groceries do you want to see price comparisons for? Tell us in the comments.