Costco vs. Sam’s Club: Comparing 5 Items To See Which Store Is Cheaper

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Whether you have a membership at Sam’s Club and Costco or you’re trying to decide between the two, it can help to compare the prices of the items you’re most likely to buy at each budget-friendly warehouse club. 

From paper towels to laundry detergent, here are five items we compared to see which store is cheaper.

Paper Towels: Sam’s Club Is Cheaper

• Price: $19.98

Costco’s Kirkland Signature Paper Towels come in a 12-pack for $23.99, which equals approximately $2 per roll. Each roll contains 160 two-ply create-a-size sheets, resulting in a total of 1,920 sheets per pack. 

Sam’s Member’s Mark Super Premium Paper Towels Mega Rolls come in a 15-pack for $19.98, which equals about $1.33 per roll or about 66 cents cheaper than Costco’s. Even though each roll contains 150 two-ply select-and-tear sheets instead of 160 per roll like Costco offers, the Sam’s product still offers more total sheets: 2,250 versus Costco’s 1,920.

Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil: Sam’s Club Is Cheaper

• Price: $17.48

Costco sells a two-liter bottle of Kirkland Signature Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil priced at $20.99 To compare, Member’s Mark Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil also comes in a two-liter bottle, but it’s priced at $17.48.

Dental Chew Treats for Dogs: Costco Is Cheaper

• Price: $36.99

Costco sells Kirkland Signature Dental Chews that look a lot like Greenies. They’re designed to remove plaque and tartar and don’t contain grain or gluten. They come in a pack of 72 and are priced at $36.99, which is about 51 cents each. 

Although Sam’s Member’s Mark Dental Chew Treats for Dogs aren’t green like Costco’s offering, they’re still free of grain and gluten and do what they’re designed to do — clean dog’s teeth. Shoppers give them a 4.7 rating. However, they’re more expensive than Costco’s product: 57 cents each versus 51 cents each at Costco. 

Bath Tissue: Costco Is Cheaper

• Price: $24.99

Costco’s Kirkland Signature Bath Tissue comes in a 30-roll pack (1,425 square feet) and is priced at $24.99 or 1.7 cents per square foot.

Member’s Mark two-ply toilet paper comes in a 45-roll pack (1,254 square feet) and is priced at $24.26 or 1.9 cents per square foot. Costco’s product is slightly cheaper. 

Liquid Laundry Detergent: Sam’s Club Is Cheaper

• Price: $15.98

Kirkland Signature Ultra Clean HE Liquid Laundry Detergent comes in a 194-fluid-ounce bottle  for $19.99 or around 10 cents per fluid ounce. Even so, Sam’s Club’s Member’s Mark Liquid Laundry Detergent (196 fluid ounces) is cheaper: 8 cents per fluid ounce versus around 10 cents for Costco’s version.

Editor’s note: Pricing and availability may vary depending on location.

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