Costco vs. Sam's Club: Which Has More Affordable Frozen Foods
According to data from shopping apps like GroceryBudget, and a fairly widespread consensus on Reddit and other forums, Sam’s Club is cheaper than Costco for basic packaged goods, while Costco edges out Sam’s Club on fresh meat and produce.
What’s less clear, however, is which membership warehouse club wins in the all-important frozen aisle. Since bulk buying requires planning for long-term storage, the freezer is key for members of either store, so lower prices on frozen goods could be the deciding factor.
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To find the answer, MoneyLion conducted a head-to-head comparison of some of the most commonly purchased frozen foods at both Sam’s Club and Costco. The results could help you determine the best membership for you.
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Lots of Overall Comparisons, But What About the Freezer Aisle?
A September AARP comparison of a typical basket of goods from Costco, BJ’s and Sam’s Club found that Sam’s Club was the cheapest overall and Costco was the most expensive. However, not a single item out of the nearly 30 profiled was frozen.
The following side-by-side comparison focuses exclusively on frozen items, with the first item listed for each product coming from Costco and the second from Sam’s Club.
Frozen Pizza
Kirkland Signature cheese pizza (4-pack, 73 ounces total): $10.99 ($0.15 per ounce)
Member’s Mark 4-cheese pizza (3-pack, 87.6 ounces total): $13.76 ($0.16 per ounce)
Winner: Costco
Mozzarella Sticks
Petite Cuisine mozzarella sticks (five pounds): $15.88 ($3.18 per pound)
Member's Mark breaded mozzarella sticks (five pounds): $14.82 ($2.96 per pound)
Winner: Sam’s Club
French Fries
Kirkland Signature extra crispy french fries (five pounds): $6.99 ($1.40 per pound)
Member's Mark southern style waffle fries (four pounds): $6.98 ($1.75 per pound)
Winner: Costco
Vanilla Ice Cream
Kirkland Signature super premium vanilla ice cream (one gallon): $12.99 ($0.10 per ounce)
Member's Mark vanilla ice cream pail (five quarts): $8.12 ($0.05 per ounce)
Winner: Sam’s Club
Mixed Vegetables
Kirkland Signature organic mixed vegetables (five pounds): $10.20 ($0.13 per ounce)
Member's Mark mixed vegetables (six 12-ounce bags): $5.76 ($0.08 per ounce)
Winner: Sam’s Club
Chicken Nuggets
Kirkland Signature lightly breaded chicken breast chunk (four pounds): $14.99 ($3.75 per pound)
Member's Mark fully cooked lightly breaded chicken breast bites (three pounds): $11.87 ($3.96 per pound)
Winner: Costco
Boneless Salmon
Kirkland Signature Wild Alaskan Sockeye Salmon (three pounds): $44.99 ($15 per pound)
Member's Mark Wild Caught Boneless Alaskan Sockeye Salmon (two pounds): $28.94 ($14.47 per pound)
Winner: Sam’s Club
The Result
An apples-to-apples comparison is difficult because Sam’s Club appears to offer a greater variety of store-brand frozen products under the Member’s Mark label, which typically has a lower base price. When Costco’s Kirkland Signature brand was unavailable for a direct comparison of store-exclusive labels, the lowest-unit-price in-stock item was used as a substitute.
Aligning with AARP’s findings about overall basket prices and confirming substantial anecdotal evidence from shoppers posting in online forums, Sam’s Club generally has more affordable frozen foods than Costco.
Editor’s note: Prices and availability are subject to change.
This article was provided by MoneyLion.com for informational purposes only and should not be construed as financial, legal or tax advice.
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