Aldi is the cheapest UK supermarket in 2026. In the latest Which? basket survey (June 2026), a 95-item shop cost £163.34 at Aldi – the sixth month running it has held the crown, completing a clean sweep of the first half of the year. Lidl was a whisker behind at £164.79 with Lidl Plus, effectively tying for value. The big four trailed badly: Asda £190.39, Sainsbury’s (with Nectar) £193.30, Tesco (with Clubcard) £194.67 and Morrisons £198.41. Waitrose was dearest at £229.88 – roughly £66 more than Aldi for the same trolley.
That is the headline, but the honest answer to “which supermarket is cheapest?” is more nuanced than a single winner. The discounters win the like-for-like basket almost every time, yet loyalty schemes, own-brand ranges and which specific products you buy can flip the maths for your household. This guide breaks down exactly what the 2026 data shows, why the till receipt does not always match the headlines, and how to shave real money off your weekly shop whichever shop you prefer.
What the 2026 Which? data actually shows
Every month Which? prices an identical trolley of branded and own-label groceries across Aldi, Lidl, Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Morrisons, Ocado and Waitrose, tracking up to 200 products daily to calculate an average cost per item. It is the most rigorous like-for-like comparison in the UK, because it holds the basket constant rather than letting each shop cherry-pick its own cheapest lines.
Through the first half of 2026 the pattern has been remarkably consistent: Aldi and Lidl swap the top two spots by pennies, while everyone else sits £25–£65 higher. In June 2026, Lidl’s shop without Lidl Plus discounts came to £164.92 – just 13p more than the same items with the loyalty app, and only £1.58 behind Aldi. In other words, for the core weekly shop the two German discounters are essentially the same price, and both are dramatically cheaper than the traditional supermarkets.
| Supermarket | Basket (~95 items) | Loyalty scheme applied | Difference vs Aldi |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aldi | £163.34 | None (no scheme) | — |
| Lidl (with Lidl Plus) | £164.79 | Lidl Plus | +£1.45 |
| Asda | £190.39 | None applied | +£27.05 |
| Sainsbury’s | £193.30 | Nectar Prices | +£29.96 |
| Tesco | £194.67 | Clubcard Prices | +£31.33 |
| Morrisons | £198.41 | More Card | +£35.07 |
| Waitrose | £229.88 | None applied | +£66.54 |
Aldi vs Lidl: too close to call
For most shoppers the practical choice for cheapest supermarket is simply “whichever of Aldi or Lidl is nearer.” The gap between them is routinely under £2 on a full trolley – well within the margin created by a single weekly special. Aldi has taken the Which? monthly title consistently in 2026, but Lidl has topped rival trackers in some months, so treat them as joint winners rather than assuming one is always dearer.
Where they differ is the extras. Lidl Plus adds app-based coupons, a “Rewards” stamp scheme and occasional scratchcards, though in the June data those discounts shaved only 0.08 per cent off the basket – useful on specific lines, negligible overall. Aldi keeps it simple with flat low shelf prices and its Super Six fruit-and-veg rotation. Both stock a narrower range than Tesco or Sainsbury’s, so a genuinely comprehensive shop – niche brands, wide free-from, big beauty aisles – can still send you to a big-four store for the balance.
How loyalty pricing distorts the comparison
The single biggest reason the “cheapest supermarket” question feels confusing is loyalty pricing. Tesco Clubcard Prices and Sainsbury’s Nectar Prices show one price on the shelf for cardholders and a higher one for everyone else. Which? applies these discounts where relevant, which is why Tesco and Sainsbury’s in the table already reflect the member price – and they still lose to Aldi by around £30.
Loyalty schemes do move the needle within the traditional pack, though. In June there were 47 loyalty discounts across the basket: Sainsbury’s offered the most at 27 and Tesco 17. Nectar cut Sainsbury’s bill by 5.17 per cent versus 2.97 per cent for Clubcard that month. Head-to-head analysis of more than 900 identical products found Tesco cheaper on 317, Sainsbury’s on 146, and the rest level – so Tesco tends to have the lowest price on branded staples, partly because it folds multibuys into Clubcard Prices.
The catch: without the card you pay full whack, and the discount is only “real” if the pre-discount price was fair to begin with. Loyalty prices narrow the gap to Aldi and Lidl on individual products, but they do not close it across a full shop. If your priority is the lowest total at the till, a discounter still wins; if you are loyal to a big-four store for range or convenience, always scan the card to avoid paying the inflated non-member price.
Own-brand vs branded: where the savings really live
The reason Aldi and Lidl win is structural: roughly nine in ten products they sell are own-label, made to tight specifications and sold without the marketing premium attached to big brands. Blind taste tests routinely put discounter own-brands level with, or above, name brands on staples like tinned tomatoes, frozen veg, cereal and dairy. Switching branded items for own-label – the classic MoneySavingExpert “downshift challenge” – is the highest-impact change you can make, and it works at every supermarket, not just the discounters.
At the big four, most chains now run a value own-label tier (Asda Just Essentials, Tesco Stockwell/own-label, Sainsbury’s and Morrisons Savers) priced to compete directly with Aldi. Fill your trolley from that tier and a Tesco or Asda shop can land far closer to discounter prices than the headline basket suggests – the Which? figures include mid-range branded items that the discounters simply do not stock, which widens the gap on paper.
2026 food inflation: why every pound counts
The good news for 2026 is that grocery inflation has cooled sharply. ONS figures show food and non-alcoholic drink prices rose 2.2 per cent in the year to May 2026 – down from 3.0 per cent in April and the lowest annual rate since December 2024, helped by falling meat and dairy prices. On a monthly basis prices even dipped 0.1 per cent.
That is a slowdown in the rate of increase, not a fall in the shelf price you got used to before the cost-of-living squeeze – a typical weekly shop still costs meaningfully more than it did three years ago. With budgets stretched, the £30-plus gap between a discounter and a big-four store on the same trolley is real money: shopping at Aldi rather than Waitrose could save a family well over £3,000 a year on groceries alone. That makes where you shop one of the most powerful single levers in a household budget.
Which supermarket is cheapest for whom? The verdict
- Lowest total bill, no fuss: Aldi – cheapest full basket in 2026 with no card or app required.
- Same value, better app perks: Lidl with Lidl Plus – effectively tied with Aldi, plus coupons and rewards stamps.
- Big-four range on a budget: Asda – consistently the cheapest of the traditional supermarkets, no loyalty card needed for the base price.
- Branded staples and multibuys: Tesco with Clubcard – strongest on name-brand deals, widest range and click-and-collect.
- Best loyalty discount depth: Sainsbury’s with Nectar – the most loyalty discounts applied in June and points that stack with eBay/Argos.
- Premium quality (at a price): Waitrose/M&S – dearest by a wide margin; worth it only for specific ranges, not a weekly shop.
10 tactics to cut your grocery bill in 2026
- Split your shop. Do the bulk at Aldi or Lidl and top up niche items at a big-four store – you capture the discounter saving without missing brands you love.
- Always scan the loyalty card. At Tesco and Sainsbury’s the non-member price can be 20–40 per cent higher on promoted lines; the card is free.
- Downshift one tier. Move from branded to own-label, or own-label to value range, on staples where taste barely differs – the biggest single saving available.
- Shop the yellow-sticker window. Reduced-to-clear markdowns hit shelves early morning and again in the evening; freeze what you can.
- Write a list and stick to it. Unplanned buys are where budgets leak; a plan built around what you already have cuts waste and impulse spend.
- Batch cook and freeze. Cooking in bulk from cheap base ingredients slashes per-portion cost and reduces food waste, the hidden tax on every shop.
- Check the price per unit, not the pack price – the per-100g or per-litre figure on the shelf label reveals which size is genuinely cheaper.
- Avoid shopping hungry and shop online if impulse buys are your weakness – a fixed basket total keeps you honest.
- Stack loyalty points strategically. Save Clubcard and Nectar points for reward partners or Christmas rather than spending them the same week.
- Track your total. Set a weekly grocery budget and review it monthly – awareness alone typically trims 5–10 per cent of spend.
Slash your grocery bill
For more UK money-saving food and shopping guides, visit GetSmartSaver.
Explore GetSmartSaver →Put the savings to work
Knowing the cheapest supermarket is only half the job – the win comes from turning that £30-a-week gap into a permanent budget saving. Our deep dive on how to cut your grocery bill in the UK for 2026 walks through meal planning, waste-cutting and downshifting in detail, while our guide to the best supermarket loyalty schemes shows how to squeeze genuine value from Clubcard, Nectar and Lidl Plus rather than being lured by inflated “member” prices. Once you know your typical weekly spend, drop the numbers into our free budget planner tool to see exactly how much switching supermarkets frees up each month – and where that money could go instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the cheapest UK supermarket in 2026?
Aldi is the cheapest UK supermarket in 2026 according to Which?, which named it cheapest for six consecutive months to June 2026. A 95-item basket cost £163.34 at Aldi in June, with Lidl a close second at £164.79 including Lidl Plus discounts. The two discounters are effectively tied and both are far cheaper than the big four.
Is Aldi or Lidl cheaper?
They are so close it rarely matters. In June 2026 Aldi’s basket was £163.34 and Lidl’s was £164.79 with Lidl Plus – a difference of under £1.50 on a full trolley. Aldi has edged the Which? title most months in 2026, but Lidl tops some rival trackers. Shop at whichever is closer; the price difference is smaller than a single weekly special offer.
Does a Clubcard or Nectar card make Tesco or Sainsbury’s cheaper than Aldi?
No. The Which? figures already apply Clubcard and Nectar member prices, and Tesco (£194.67) and Sainsbury’s (£193.30) still cost around £30 more than Aldi on the same June basket. Loyalty cards genuinely lower prices on individual promoted products, but they do not close the gap to the discounters across a full shop. Always scan the card, though – the non-member price is significantly higher.
Which is the most expensive UK supermarket?
Waitrose is consistently the most expensive of the mainstream supermarkets in the Which? survey. In June 2026 its version of the same basket cost £229.88 – about £66 more than Aldi, or nearly 41 per cent dearer. You pay a premium for range and quality, so Waitrose can be worth it for specific items but rarely for a full weekly shop on a budget.
How much can I save by switching supermarket?
Potentially a lot. The gap between a discounter and a big-four store on the same June 2026 basket was around £30 a week, and between Aldi and Waitrose it was £66. Over a year, moving a weekly family shop from a mid-priced or premium chain to Aldi or Lidl could save well over £1,500–£3,000, making where you shop one of the biggest levers in a household budget.
Is supermarket own-brand as good as branded food?
On most staples, yes. Independent taste tests regularly rate supermarket own-label products – especially from Aldi and Lidl – level with or better than name brands on items like tinned goods, frozen veg, dairy and cereal, at a fraction of the price. Switching branded items to own-label, and own-label to value ranges where taste barely differs, is the single most effective way to cut a grocery bill.
Last reviewed: July 2026. This article is for general information only. Supermarket prices change constantly — basket figures cited are from the referenced Which? surveys at the time stated and are for comparison only.
