Aldi vs Kroger vs H-E-B: I compared prices on 30 items across DFW

I bought the same 30 items at all three stores in the same week. Here are the actual numbers.

The basket: Milk, eggs, bread, chicken breast, ground beef, rice, pasta, canned tomatoes, bananas, apples, onions, potatoes, butter, cheese, yogurt, cereal, coffee, OJ, chips, salsa, frozen pizza, laundry detergent, paper towels, trash bags, + 6 more staples.

Results:

• Aldi (Garland): $87.42
• H-E-B (Frisco): $94.18
• Kroger (Richardson): $109.53 (with digital coupons: $96.71)

Key findings:

• Aldi wins overall by 10-15% on almost everything
• H-E-B store brand quality is noticeably better than Kroger and close to Aldi
• Kroger without coupons is a ripoff. With coupons it's competitive.
• H-E-B produce quality was the best of the three
• Aldi meat prices are unbeatable but selection is limited

The H-E-B factor:

• H-E-B is still expanding in DFW. Current locations: Frisco, Plano, McKinney, Allen, Mansfield, and more opening.
• Their house brand (Hill Country Fare, H-E-B brand) competes with Aldi on price AND beats Kroger on quality.

Sources:

• Receipts from all three stores, same week March 2026
• H-E-B store locator: heb.com/store-locator

Where do you shop and why?