8 Items That Are Cheaper at Costco Than at Dollar Stores

Dollar stores and Costco are in hot competition these days as consumers, who are still fighting the effects of inflation, are desperate to save as much money as possible.

Quite often discount destinations like Dollar Tree come out on top, as you can frequently find the same (or similar) products that Costco sells for less. But there are times when Costco is the more affordable route.

You’ll have to buy in bulk to see the savings at Costco. That said, here’s a look at eight specific items that are cheaper at Costco than at dollar stores.

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At Costco, a 208-ounce jug of Gain laundry detergent sells for $23.49. At Dollar Tree, a mere 10 ounces of the stuff will cost you $1.25.

You would have to buy upwards of 20 products to get the same amount, and that endeavor alone would cost you $25 — not to mention you’d be wasting so much plastic in going that route. 

Plus, a $4 manufacturer’s coupon is available through July 21 when you purchase on Costco’s website, bringing the price down to $19.49.

At Dollar Tree, a single blue Sharpie sells for $1.25. At Costco, you can get a vast assortment of Sharpies (65 in a case) for $27. That works out to be about 41 cents per marker at Costco.

A 2.29-ounce bowl of flavored ramen sells at Dollar Tree for $1.25. A 24-count of a very similar product, Nissin Cup Noodles, 2.5 ounces, sells at Costco for $13.99.

Breaking that cost down, it’s about 4.3 ounces per dollar, significant savings over Dollar Tree’s 1.8 ounces per dollar. 

At Dollar Tree, a single 3.5-ounce pack of Cinnamon Toast Crunch sells for $1.25, or $0.36 per ounce. At Costco, you can get two boxes of Cinnamon Toast Crunch (24.75 ounces each) for $10.99, or $0.22 per ounce.

You’re forgoing the convenience of the mini pouch, but you’re also getting quite dramatic savings by buying at Costco. 

A single heavy-duty scrub sponge by Scrub Buddies sells for $1.25 at Dollar Tree.

Meanwhile, at Costco, Scotch-Brite Non-Scratch Sponge sells for $18.49 for a 24-count, which works out to be about 77 cents per sponge. Since sponges need to be replaced often, buying these in bulk makes sense.

Admittedly it’s not a huge difference, but 2-ply facial tissue at Costco is just a tad cheaper than at Dollar Tree.

At Costco, you can get 3,300 tissues for $34.99. That works out to be $0.01 per tissue. At Dollar Tree, 64 2-ply facial tissues cost $1.25.

That’s about $0.02 per tissue — and hey, every little bit counts!  

Hand soap goes fast, which is why it makes sense to buy a 2-pack jug of hand soap at Costco. You’ll get 160 ounces in total for $12.99. That’s $0.08 per ounce.

At Dollar Tree, a 7.5-ounce container of hand soap sells for $1.25, which works out to be double the amount (at 17 cents per ounce). 

It may be convenient to pick up some deodorant at your local Dollar Tree, but you’ll spend much more than if you shopped at Costco.

Dollar Tree sells tiny 0.8-ounce travel-size containers of Old Spice deodorant for $1.25, while Costco has a five-pack of 3-ounce Old Spice deodorant for $12.99. That works out to 87 cents per ounce at Costco and an astonishing $1.56 per ounce at Dollar Tree.

Nicole Spector contributed to a previous version of this article.