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

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Chris
Chris

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:

Selection Criteria

Cheaper than 87%
Better rated than 83%
24 count
25¢ / ct
4.62.9k
20
count
* We may earn a small commission from affiliate links at no cost to you.
Best AAA Batteries

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

But the best Costco buy?

Selection Criteria

Cheaper than 76%
Better rated than 64%
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%:

Selection Criteria

Cheaper than 99%
Better rated than 85%
24 count
19¢ / ct
4.65.4k
800
count
* We may earn a small commission from affiliate links at no cost to you.
Best Bulk Buy

What about across other batteries? Does Costco fare better?

AA Batteries
amazon
Amazon Basics 48-Pack AA Batteries
25¢ / ct
Save 49%
4.7857.7k
48
count
vs
costco
Duracell AA Batteries, 40-count
50¢ / ct
4.61.5k
40
count
AAA Batteries
amazon
KINGCELL AAA Batteries 20 Count
25¢ / ct
Save 25%
4.62.9k
20
count
vs
costco
Kirkland Signature AAA Batteries, 48 Count
33¢ / ct
4.5492
48
count
9V Batteries
amazon
9V Carbon Battery 8-Pack
94¢ / ct
Save 64%
4.6932
8
count
vs
costco
Duracell 9V Alkaline Batteries, 8-Pack
$2.62 / ct
4.8970
8
count
C Batteries
amazon
Amazon Basics 12-Pack C Batteries
75¢ / ct
Save 45%
4.7149.7k
12
count
vs
costco
Duracell C Batteries, 14-Pack
$1.36 / ct
4.71.7k
14
count
D Batteries
amazon
Rayovac High Energy D Batteries 12 Pack
$1.08 / ct
Save 20%
4.716.5k
12
count
vs
costco
Duracell D Alkaline Batteries, 14-Pack
$1.36 / ct
4.7955
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:

Selection Criteria

Cheaper than 99%
Better rated than 95%
7 oz
* We may earn a small commission from affiliate links at no cost to you.
Best Men's Antiperspirant

But the best Costco buy?

Selection Criteria

Cheaper than 99%
Better rated than 75%
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
Speed Stick Fresh Scent 3 Ounce
82¢ / oz
4.71.1k
3
oz
vs
costco
Degree Men UltraClear+ 2.7 oz, 5-pack
78¢ / oz
Save 6%
4.7569
52.7
oz
Body Wash
walmart
Parent's Choice 27.1 oz Calming Bath
14¢ / fl oz
Save 37%
4.71.5k
27.1
fl oz
vs
costco
Kirkland Signature Citrus Body Wash, 27 fl oz, 2-pack
22¢ / fl oz
4.6727
227
fl oz
Best Whitening Toothpaste
walmart
Close-Up Cinnamon Blast 8oz (2 pack)
31¢ / oz
Save 24%
4.8974
28
oz
vs
costco
Colgate Total Active Prevention, 5-pack
41¢ / oz
4.61.9k
56.4
oz
Mouthwash
walmart
Equate Original Antiseptic Mouthwash 1.5L
8.6¢ / fl oz
Save 33%
4.83.3k
50.7
fl oz
vs
costco
Crest Pro-Health Advanced, 3-pack
13¢ / fl oz
4.8428
333.8
fl oz
Diapers, Size 1
walmart
Parent's Choice Size 1 Diapers, 44 Count
11¢ / ct
Save 50%
4.563.4k
44
count
vs
costco
Huggies Plus Diapers Size 1-2
21¢ / ct
4.74.4k
192
count
Pull Ups, Size 2T-3T
walmart
Parent's Choice Paw Patrol 2T/3T, 94 Count
21¢ / ct
Save 15%
4.614.3k
94
count
vs
costco
Huggies Pull-Ups Plus Training Pants
25¢ / ct
4.1257
128
count
Baby Wipes
walmart
Parent's Choice Sensitive Wipes 200ct
2.6¢ / ct
Save 17%
4.82.0k
2100
count
vs
costco
RICO Baby Wipes, 720 Count
3.2¢ / ct
4.81.3k
980
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 78 Count Dishwasher Pacs
13¢ / ct
4.51.8k
78
count
vs
costco
Kirkland Platinum UltraShine 115 Pacs
12¢ / ct
Save 5%
4.61.3k
115
count
Dishwasher Detergent Liquid
amazon
Cascade Complete Gel - 75 oz
8.6¢ / fl oz
Save 17%
4.710.5k
75
fl oz
vs
costco
Cascade Advanced Power Liquid, 125 oz
10¢ / fl oz
4.82.6k
125
fl oz
Paper Towels
walmart
Great Value Paper Towels 6 Triple Rolls
77¢ / 100-sheets
Save 38%
4.51.3k
6165
sheets
vs
costco
Kirkland Signature 12 Rolls 2-Ply
$1.25 / 100-sheets
4.835.1k
12160
sheets
Toilet Paper, 2-Ply
walmart
Angel Soft 2-Ply, 18 Mega Rolls
22¢ / 100-sheets
Save 1%
4.748.9k
18320
sheets
vs
costco
Kirkland Signature 2-Ply Bath Tissue, 30 Rolls
22¢ / 100-sheets
4.615.5k
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
2.1¢ / serving
Save 63%
4.819.0k
100
serving
vs
costco
Advil Ibuprofen 200 mg, 360 Tablets
5.7¢ / serving
4.8361
360
serving
Coffee, Ground
amazon
Maxwell House Decaf Medium Roast Coffee
32¢ / oz
Save 11%
4.78.1k
29.3
oz
vs
costco
Yuban Gold Coffee, Medium Roast, 46 oz
36¢ / oz
4.7955
46
oz
Coffee, Whole Bean
amazon
Eight O'Clock Original Whole Bean 40oz
$6.79 / lb
Save 3%
4.618.8k
2.5
lb
vs
costco
Jose's Colombia Supremo Whole Bean, 3lbs
$7.00 / lb
4.8296
3
lb
Green Tea Teabags
amazon
Prince of Peace Organic Green Tea, 100 Bags
8.9¢ / ct
Save 34%
4.71.2k
100
count
vs
costco
Kirkland Signature Green Tea, 100 Bags
13¢ / ct
4.81.7k
100
count
Gum
amazon
Mentos Pure Fresh Spearmint Gum 120ct
5.0¢ / pieces
Save 20%
4.811.2k
120
pieces
vs
costco
Dentyne Ice Peppermint Gum, 12-Count
6.2¢ / pieces
4.8143
1216
pieces
Peanuts
amazon
PLANTERS Salted Dry Roasted Peanuts 16oz
19¢ / oz
4.72.9k
16
oz
vs
costco
Planters Dry Roasted Peanuts 3.25 lbs
16¢ / oz
Save 12%
4.6231
52
oz
Dog Food, Dry
walmart
Purina Dog Chow High Protein 32 lb
70¢ / lb
Save 30%
4.722.2k
32
lb
vs
costco
Kirkland Signature Small Breed Dog Food 20 lb
$1.00 / lb
4.75.0k
20
lb
Dog Dental Chews
amazon
Pedigree Dentastix Small Dog Treats
18¢ / ct
Save 65%
4.730.8k
24
count
vs
costco
Kirkland Dental Chews, 72 Count
51¢ / ct
4.76.1k
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.