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I Compared Millions of Products: Costco isn't always better

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Chris Moody
Chris Moody

Costco has famously low bulk prices, right? Yeah, we thought so too. We compared a million products and... turns out you can still save ~40% off of Costco's prices. Read below to see us prove it for batteries, deodorant, and more common daily essentials. And then check out Popgot to find the best prices on your daily essentials across Amazon, Target, Walmart, and, yes, Costco.

Skeptical of Popgot? We keep track of the price per unit of daily essentials, and we're pretty good at it. Combine that with sifting through millions of products, and we find better deals than Costco.

Costco Batteries aren't cheaper

Are AAA Batteries cheaper at Costco? No.

The best buy:

Cheaper than 88%
Better rated than 74%
24 count
Best AAA Batteries

(That data on this page updates every hour or so, so it has nearly live pricing. )

But the best Costco buy?

Cheaper than 76%
Better rated than 60%
24 count
Costco's Best

And at the time of this writing Costco is a little more expensive per battery than the next cheapest retailer. That per-battery price beats ~90% of the other batteries, so it is still a great price -- but not the best. Besides, the Kirkland batteries get a poor rating from customers -- evidently they leak.

If you have the room to really buy bulk, you can actually cut your costs by 50%:

Cheaper than 99%
Better rated than 84%
24 count

What about across other batteries? Does Costco fare better?

AA Batteries
amazon
Amazon Basics 100-Pack AA Batteries
26¢ / ct
Save 45%
4.7842.6k
100
count
vs
costco
Duracell AA Batteries, 40-count
47¢ / ct
4.61.3k
40
count
AAA Batteries
amazon
AAA Batteries - 8 Pack
25¢ / ct
Save 25%
4.57.3k
24
count
vs
costco
Kirkland Signature AAA Batteries, 48 Count
33¢ / ct
4.4437
48
count
9V Batteries
amazon
8 Pack 9V Alkaline Batteries
$1.25 / ct
Save 47%
4.61.9k
8
count
vs
costco
Duracell 9V Alkaline Batteries, 8-Pack
$2.37 / ct
4.8947
8
count
C Batteries
walmart
Great Value C Batteries 4 Pack
$1.24 / ct
Save 8%
4.6453
4
count
vs
costco
Duracell C Batteries, 14-Pack
$1.36 / ct
4.81.7k
14
count
D Batteries
walmart
Duracell 1.5V D Batteries, 4 Pack
56¢ / ct
Save 54%
4.71.9k
44
count
vs
costco
Duracell D Alkaline Batteries, 14-Pack
$1.21 / ct
4.7932
14
count

From AA to D, Costco's prices consistently clock in at a few cents more than its rivals. Ten or twenty cents doesn't sound like much, but multiply that by 48 and you'll see where the bulk "bargain" starts to unravel. Every row in this table tells the same story: Costco is pricier, sometimes by a few cents per battery, sometimes by a dollar, but perhaps surprisingly, the best deals are often found not on Costco. By searching deep into the Amazon, Target, and Walmart price lists, we can usually find batteries that are both better rated and cheaper (per battery) than Costco's picks.

Costco's Hygiene & Toiletries are expensive

Fine, batteries are a mediocre category for Costco. What about toiletries?

Starting with Men's Antiperspirant Deodorant here's the best deal:

Cheaper than 99%
Better rated than 76%
7 oz
Best Men's Antiperspirant

But the best Costco buy?

Cheaper than 99%
Better rated than 78%
7 oz
Costco's Best

Note that we're comparing the price of deodorant per-ounce, not the total price. That makes sense, when you buy deodorant regularly or in bulk, you want to buy by the ounce. Nevertheless, deodorant isn't a great category for Costco. It's a quite a bit more expensive than the next cheapest retailer.

Expanding beyond deodorant, here's a look at body wash, toothpaste, mouthwash, diapers, and pull ups:

Men's Antiperspirant Deodorant
amazon
Mennen Speed Stick Irish Spring 2pk
83¢ / oz
4.68.1k
22.7
oz
vs
costco
Degree Men UltraClear+ 2.7 oz, 5-pack
78¢ / oz
Save 6%
4.7542
52.7
oz
Body Wash
walmart
Suave Essentials Milk & Honey Body Wash 30 oz
16¢ / fl oz
Save 30%
4.71.9k
30
fl oz
vs
costco
Kirkland Signature Citrus Body Wash, 27 fl oz, 2-pack
22¢ / fl oz
4.6702
227
fl oz
Best Whitening Toothpaste
walmart
Ultra Brite Whitening Toothpaste, 6 oz
19¢ / oz
Save 65%
4.71.3k
6
oz
vs
costco
Crest 3D White Toothpaste, 5.2 oz, 5-pack
54¢ / oz
4.7243
55.2
oz
Mouthwash
walmart
Equate Antiseptic Mouthwash, 1.5L, 50.7 fl oz
8.6¢ / fl oz
Save 12%
4.82.9k
50.7
fl oz
vs
costco
Crest Pro-Health Advanced, 3-pack
10¢ / fl oz
4.8372
333.8
fl oz
Diapers, Size 1
walmart
Parent's Choice Size 1 Diapers, 44 Count
11¢ / ct
Save 42%
4.552.9k
44
count
vs
costco
Kirkland Signature Diapers Size 1-2
18¢ / ct
4.75.4k
192
count
Pull Ups, Size 2T-3T
walmart
Parent's Choice Paw Patrol 2T/3T, 94 Count
21¢ / ct
Save 35%
4.612.0k
94
count
vs
costco
Huggies Pull-Ups Girls Training Pants
33¢ / ct
4.710.2k
128
count
Baby Wipes
walmart
Parent's Choice Fragrance Free Wipes, 50 Count
2.0¢ / ct
Save 12%
4.63.5k
50
count
vs
costco
Kirkland Baby Wipes, 900-count
2.2¢ / ct
4.811.7k
9100
count

Now, before you email me (which is [email protected]) about comparing Costco to sketchy dollar store toothpaste that might actually be wall spackle in disguise, let me explain our methodology. We're not trying to compare Kirkland Signature to junk toothpaste. Here's how we keep things fair:

  • Unit Price: You go to Costco to buy in bulk. That's why we break it down to price-per-unit, not just "big box costs more than small box".
  • Quality Control: Costco selects products that are both great quality and low price. So to keep things fair, we only compare it to products that also have great ratings and enough reviews to prove they weren't all written by a content farm.
  • Apples-to-Apples: We match attributes. Costco whitening toothpaste is compared to non-Costco whitening toothpaste; our antiperspirant deodorant is compared to non-Costco antiperspirant deodorant.

Other Daily Essentials are expensive

Moving on from batteries and toiletries, here's a look at cleaning supplies, paper towels, toilet paper, and more:

Dishwasher Detergent Pods
walmart
Great Value Dishwasher Pacs, 96 Count
18¢ / ct
4.71.5k
96
count
vs
costco
Kirkland Platinum UltraShine 115 Pacs
12¢ / ct
Save 33%
4.61.2k
115
count
Dishwasher Detergent Liquid
amazon
Ajax Ultra Dish Soap, 90 oz
6.6¢ / fl oz
Save 17%
4.7513
90
fl oz
vs
costco
Cascade Advanced Power Liquid, 125 oz
8.0¢ / fl oz
4.82.5k
125
fl oz
Paper Towels
walmart
Sparkle Tear-A-Square 6 Triple Rolls
$1.03 / 100-sheets
Save 18%
4.61.8k
6165
sheets
vs
costco
Kirkland Signature 12 Rolls 2-Ply
$1.25 / 100-sheets
4.833.5k
12160
sheets
Toilet Paper, 2-Ply
amazon
Angel Soft 6 Super Mega Rolls
22¢ / 100-sheets
4.710.9k
6480
sheets
vs
costco
Kirkland Signature 2-Ply Bath Tissue, 30 Rolls
22¢ / 100-sheets
Save 1%
4.713.9k
30380
sheets

Note that for the dishwasher detergent pods we compare the price per pod, for the dishwasher detergent liquid we compare the price per fluid ounce, and the powder per ounce.

And for coffee, tea, peanuts, dog supplies, and more -- Costco prices aren't necessarily better.

Ibuprofen
walmart
Equate Ibuprofen 200mg, 100 Count
2.0¢ / ct
Save 71%
4.816.7k
100
count
vs
costco
Advil Ibuprofen 200 mg, 360 Tablets
6.9¢ / ct
4.8361
360
count
Coffee, Ground
walmart
JFG Special Blend Medium-Dark Roast 30.6 Oz (2 Pack)
27¢ / oz
Save 25%
4.877
230.6
oz
vs
costco
Yuban Gold Coffee, Medium Roast, 46 oz
36¢ / oz
4.7929
46
oz
Coffee, Whole Bean
amazon
Cameron's Breakfast Blend Whole Beans 32oz
$5.49 / lb
Save 27%
4.45.4k
2
lb
vs
costco
Kirkland Colombian Supremo Whole Bean 3 lbs
$7.50 / lb
4.71.4k
3
lb
Green Tea Teabags
walmart
Yogi Blueberry Slim Life Tea Bags, 16 Ct
4.6¢ / ct
Save 66%
4.6262
616
count
vs
costco
Kirkland Signature Green Tea, 100 Bags
13¢ / ct
4.81.6k
100
count
Gum
walmart
Albert's 3-Pack Bubble Gum Eggs
3.3¢ / pieces
Save 47%
4.215
310
pieces
vs
costco
Dentyne Ice Peppermint Gum, 12-Count
6.2¢ / pieces
4.7139
1216
pieces
Peanuts
target
Good & Gather Lightly Salted Peanuts 16oz
17¢ / oz
4.61.3k
16
oz
vs
costco
Planters Dry Roasted Peanuts 3.25 lbs
16¢ / oz
Save 3%
4.6219
52
oz
Dog Food, Dry
walmart
Ol' Roy Dry Dog Food, 15 lbs
73¢ / lb
Save 27%
4.612.4k
15
lb
vs
costco
Kirkland Signature Small Breed Dog Food 20 lb
$1.00 / lb
4.74.9k
20
lb
Dog Dental Chews
amazon
Pedigree Dentastix Small Dog Treats
18¢ / ct
Save 65%
4.730.2k
24
count
vs
costco
Kirkland Dental Chews, 72 Count
51¢ / ct
4.75.9k
72
count

Dig deeper to beat Costco's prices

Look, Costco's pricing game is solid about 90% of the time – they consistently beat the first page of search results on Amazon, Target, or Walmart. And Costco's margins are famously low, so how can we find better deals? The answer is simple: we calculate the price per unit of each product, and then search millions of products. If you're willing to exhaustively dig through each page of search results, you would stumble upon some truly killer deals with even better ratings -- or you could just use Popgot!

So check out Popgot; we make hunting for high quality but inexpensive daily essentials easy.