The Real Reason Why Costco Is Better than Other Warehouse Stores

Lisa Freedman
Lisa FreedmanExecutive Lifestyle Director
Lisa Freedman is the Executive Lifestyle Director at The Kitchn. She has never met a cheese or a washi tape she didn't like. She lives in New York state with her husband and their pup, Millie.
updated May 1, 2019
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(Image credit: Andriy Blokhin)

There are a lot of great things about Costco. There’s the fact that Costco prices frequently beat stores like Walmart, the magical food court with the $1.50 hot dog, all the healthy snacks, and more. And despite all we’ve written about Costco lately, there’s one major thing that we haven’t really talked about: the gas prices.

We haven’t really talked about it because, well, it’s not food- or kitchen-related. But. But! Gas can help you get to the grocery store and Costco is kind of a grocery store … and people who fill up at Costco are fanatical about the option. So here we go.

(Image credit: Andriy Blokhin)

An old survey (read: March 2017) from Oil Price Information Service (OPIS) found that Costco beat out other warehouse stores and major gas chains to take the title as the cheapest place to buy gas in the United States.

Because that was a year ago (and gas prices fluctuate a lot!), Business Insider just decided to check out today’s prices to see how three warehouse brands compared on the price of a regular gallon of gas.

The site checked Google Maps in Pennsylvania and found “customers will pay between $2.53 and $2.66 a gallon at Costco gas stations in the state. At Sam’s Club, the estimate was between $2.56 and $2.75 a gallon. At BJ’s, it was between $2.59 and $2.66 a gallon. The average price for a gallon of regular gas in the state is $2.75, according to GasBuddy.”

That means in Pennsylvania, Costco gas can be purchased for 22 cents less per gallon than the average! That really adds up when you’re filling a tank. Just think of how many cans of diced tomatoes you can buy with that saved money!

Note: You either have to be a member or have a Costco gift card (which your friends with memberships can buy you!) in order to get the cheap gas.

Read more: Costco’s cheap gas gives it a huge advantage over Sam’s Club and BJ’s — here’s why members are crazy about it at Business Insider

Do you gas up at Costco?

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