Whole Foods vs. Trader Joe’s — Which Store Is Better for Your Money?

Known for its expensive brand selection — it earned the nickname “Whole Paycheck” for its outrageous prices — Whole Foods hoped to shed that reputation following its acquisition by Amazon in 2017.

After buying out Whole Foods, the digital retailer immediately slashed prices on nearly 500 popular items. But if you thought your days of overpaying for organic avocados were over, you might want to hold on to your wallets. According to The Wall Street Journal, Whole Foods has raised its prices as of February 2019. Some items have only gone up by 10 cents, whereas others have increased by as much as a few dollars.

But there is a cheaper alternative: Trader Joe’s.

Trader Joe’s business model of selling hard-to-find items without charging suppliers a shelf fee is a part of what makes its selections so affordable. The company buys directly from suppliers, and in volume, which also helps lower costs.

So if you’re pining for some granola or organic pasta, but the new Whole Foods prices are beyond your budget, you might want to consider stopping by your local Trader Joe’s to see if you can find a better deal and save on your groceries.

You won’t find as many organic fruits and vegetables at Trader Joe’s as you would at Whole Foods, but you will find better savings.

For example, at Trader Joe’s, it would cost about $17 to buy all of the following:

• 1 pound of organic baby carrots
• 10 ounces of organic cherry tomatoes
• 1 pound of bananas
• 3 pounds of apples
• 5 ounces of spring mix

To buy the same items in the same quantities at Whole Foods, the cost would be at least $25.

Generally, non-organic produce at Trader Joe’s is significantly cheaper than at Whole Foods. For example, you can get 11 ounces of blueberries for $3.99 at Trader Joe’s, but at Whole Foods, you’ll spend a bit more for a pint of blueberries at $5.99.

Beef isn’t considered bargain meat, especially the organic variety. You’ll pay $9.99 at Whole Foods for a pound of organic, grass-fed ground beef. Whereas Trader Joe’s store brand organic, grass-fed ground beef is just $7.49 per pound.

If your next recipe calls for some organic chicken breast you’ll want to head to Trader Joe’s once again. A pound of chicken breast there costs $6.99 per pound. It will cost you an extra dollar per pound at Whole Foods at $10.99.

A half gallon of low-fat milk at Whole Foods costs $5.49 and the same product will cost you $4.49 Trader Joe’s. You can snag a half gallon of soy milk at both retailers for $2.99.

Once a little-known grain-like seed, quinoa now is touted as a superfood and has become almost commonplace. If you’re a fan of it, stock up at Trader Joe’s, where it sells for $2 less than at Whole Foods.

However, pasta costs a bit more at Trader Joe’s than at Whole Foods — $2.99 will get you 16 ounces of brown rice and quinoa spaghetti versus $1.09 for a bag of spaghetti at Whole Foods. But, if you prefer your pasta with sauce, you’ll still pay 20 cents less for a 25-ounce jar of organic marinara at Trader Joe’s versus Whole Foods. Trader Joe’s marinara sauce sells for $2.49 whereas the Whole Foods 365 brand equivalent sells for $2.69.

Cheese aficionados might know that Trader Joe’s takes the wheel when it comes to cheese prices. A block of sharp cheddar cheese is $3.79 at Whole Foods, while it’s a only $2.99 at Trader Joe’s. And when it comes to shredded parmesan, Trader Joe’s has more bang for your buck as a 12-ounce pack is $5.49 compared to $3.99 for a much smaller 5-ounce bag at Whole Foods.

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. Savings are just as important, and you’ll know you’ve started your day by saving money if you eat Trader Joe’s organic breakfast items. An 18-ounce package of store brand old fashioned organic oats costs $2.99 at Trader Joe’s versus $3.79 for the 365 brand at Whole Foods.

If you prefer cereal, you can get a 10-ounce bag of organic fruit and seed granola at Trader Joe’s for $3.99. At Whole Foods, you’ll pay $5.49 for a 17-ounce box of fruit and nut granola, which makes it the better deal proportion-wise.

If you prefer organic, fair trade coffee, you’ll pay $8.99 for a 13-ounce canister of it at Trader Joe’s. At Whole Foods, you can buy 24 ounces of their brand, Pacific Rim roast, for $13.99, which might make that the better deal if you go through several cups of coffee every day. Both are cheaper deals, at any rate, than what you could buy at Starbucks.

Fresh fruits and veggies tend to spoil quickly and could potentially hurt your pockets in the long run, so opting for frozen produce can be the best option if you’re trying to save money and eat healthily. For a bag of frozen organic spinach, you’ll spend $2.99 at Whole Foods but at Trader Joe’s organic spinach is only $1.99 per 16 ounces.

Organic strawberries cost much less at Trader Joe’s than at Whole Foods — $5.99 will get you a 16-ounce pack versus $8.99 at Whole Foods for the same amount.

You’ve succumbed again to the insurmountable shift in gravity that happens when you get home from work that makes cooking dinner for the night impossible. So, the next logical step? You grab something quick and easy, like a frozen pizza.

At Trader Joe’s, a crusty cheese pizza is $5.99 but the same type of pizza at Whole Foods costs $4.79. If you’re a pepperoni lover, both stores list their pepperoni pizzas at $4.99.

If pizza isn’t your thing, both stores carry already-made frozen tamales. Trader Joe’s cheese and green chile tamales are $3.79 while Whole Foods has sweet corn tamales for $5.99.

Cooking oils are a pantry staple — and you’ll save by buying them at Trader Joe’s. A 16.9-ounce bottle of Trader Joe’s organic, extra virgin olive oil is $8.49. The same-size bottle of 365 organic, extra virgin olive oil sells for $11.99.

Coconut oil, which can be used for skin and hair care in addition to cooking, also sells for less at Trader Joe’s than at Whole Foods while giving you a bit more — $4.99 for a 16-ounce jar versus $6.79 for a 14-ounce jar of the organic variety.

Trader Joe’s also undercuts Whole Foods on the price of sugar. For 32 ounces of organic cane sugar, the price is $3.49 at Trader Joe’s versus $4.49 at Whole Foods for the same amount.

However, Whole Foods has bulk options on other sweeteners. You can get 23.5 ounces of raw agave nectar for $6.49 whereas you’ll be paying $3.79 at Trader Joe’s for 11.75 ounces. On the other hand, Trader Joe’s carries 16 ounces of honey for $5.49, but Whole Foods sells its 365 brand for $5.69 for 12 ounces.

Paper towels and toilet paper are everyday essentials that can add up over time. If you’re looking for recycled bath tissue, Whole Foods has a 12-count package for $7.99. Trader Joe’s brand offers the same product for only $5.99.

As for paper towels, a three-count package of recycled paper towel rolls goes for $5.49 at Whole Foods. And although Trader Joe’s paper towels are not recycled, the cost is a bit cheaper — $4.49 for three rolls.

A 12-ounce package of gluten-free organic yellow lentil and brown rice spaghetti is $3.29 at Trader Joe’s, while the smaller-sized 12-ounce package of gluten-free spaghetti at Whole Foods costs $2.99.

Both stores also carry gluten-free pancake mix. An 18-ounce package of gluten-free buttermilk pancake and waffle mix is $3.99 there. Whole Foods has a 24-oune bag of gluten-free pancake mix for $4.89.

Laura Beck, Amen Oyiboke-Osifo and Priscilla Aguilera contributed to the reporting for this story.

_{Pricing is accurate as of May 4, 2023 and is subject to change.}