Last year Dublin Live bought twenty like-for-like items in two major supermarkets, Tesco and Aldi, to find out which store is the best value for money.
However, grocery prices have since hit record levels of inflation, with recent data from Kantar showing that families' annual food shop costs are now more than €1,159 more expensive than the same groceries bought last year.
We wanted to see how much the same groceries on our shopping list would cost now - and we were shocked at the difference. In 2022, both grocery lists came in at under €30 but one year later, there has been a major 25% increase in the prices at one shop, and another large 22% increase at the other.
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We found that a few items such as baked beans and chocolate biscuits have almost doubled in price, but some of the biggest jumps we saw were in the price of meat and dairy.
We chose exactly the same items off the list, which included essentials such as; a loaf of bread, butter, pasta, minced beef, eggs, tea and more. We always went for the cheapest option available and bought store-brand products, where possible, to get the best value for money.
Tesco
The total amount for the Tesco shop in February 2022 came to €29.57. Here are the prices in 2023:
- Penne Pasta (1kg) = €1.20
- Pasta sauce (500g) = €0.65
- Rice (1kg) = €1.19
- Minced Beef 18% (1.028 kg) = €4.99
- Whole Chicken (2kg) = €6
- Loaf of bread (800g) = €1.15
- Milk (2l) = €2.29
- Butter (454g) = €3.39
- Ham (125g) = €1.65
- Cheddar Cheese (200g) = €2.39
- 6 Eggs = €1.39
- Corn Flakes (500g) = €0.99
- 6 Apples = €1.99
- 5 Bananas = €1.79
- Carrots (2kg) = €1.89
- Onions (1kg) = €0.69
- Baked beans (420g) = €0.45
- Low fat yogurt (500g) = €0.89
- Bourbon creams (296g) = €0.60
- Tea bags (250g) = €1.39
TOTAL in 2023: €36.97
Aldi
The total amount for the Aldi shop in February 2022 came to €27.83. Here are the prices in 2023:
Penne Pasta 1kg = €1.09
- Pasta sauce 500g = €0.69
- Rice 1kg = €1.19
- Minced Beef 18% (1kg) = €3.99
- Whole Chicken (1.9kg) = €5.69
- Loaf of bread (800g) = €1.09
- Milk (2l) = €2.29
- Butter (454g) = €3.39
- Ham (125g) = €1.65
- Cheddar Cheese (200g) = €1.69
- 6 Eggs = €1.39
- Corn Flakes (500g) = €0.99
- 6 Apples = €1.49
- 6 Bananas = €2.09
- Carrots (2kg) = €1.89
- Onions (1kg) = €0.69
- Baked beans (420g) = €0.25
- Low fat yogurt (500g) = €0.69
- Bourbon creams (200g) = €0.35
- Tea bags (250g) = €1.39
TOTAL in 2023: €33.98
What we found
In 2023, the same twenty items in Tesco are €7.40 more expensive than they were last year - a 25% price increase. The Aldi shop is now €6.15 more expensive than it was last year, which is a 22% increase.
Every single item on our list has increased in price - except for a tin of baked beans from Aldi, which remains at 25c. However, the baked beans from Tesco have almost doubled in price in a year, going from 25c to 45c. A packet of bourbon cream chocolate biscuits from Tesco has also nearly doubled in price, going from 36c in 2022 to 60c in 2023.
Some other notable items that have jumped in price include the cost of two-litre carton of milk, which was €1.69 in 2022 and has increased by 60c to €2.29 in 2023.
Butter is almost €1 more expensive than last year, with a 454g block costing €2.49 in 2022 and now up to €3.39 in 2023.
It is worth noting that both stores have simply reduced the size of their Cornflakes box, from 750g to 500g, rather than increase the price. It is also of note that some of the Tesco items, such as the bourbon creams, the chicken and the minced beef, came in slightly larger quantities than Aldi, but Aldi was still cheaper by kg.
Conclusion
Aldi is still cheaper to shop in than Tesco but now by a bigger amount.
In 2022, the Aldi groceries were €1.74 cheaper to buy than the same ones in Tesco - but in 2023, they are €2.99 cheaper for the same twenty items.
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