The home brand challenge: Which supermarket is really the cheapest?

Feeling the pinch at the supermarket checkout? You’re not alone. With major supermarkets like Coles and Woolworths locked in a fierce price war for your dollar, it’s getting harder to tell real savings from clever marketing. While weekly specials grab the headlines, one of the simplest ways to cut your grocery bill is often hiding in plain sight: switching to home-brand products.

Home-brand products have similar, and sometimes identical, ingredients to brand-name products but are sold for a fraction of the price. But how much can you really save by making the switch?

How we compared home brand items

We created a shopping list of everyday staples such as bread, milk, eggs and meat. We then compared the cost of the home-brand versions of these items at Coles, Woolworths, and Aldi.

Where possible, we matched items by weight or volume to give you the most accurate comparison. We didn’t include fresh produce, as prices for fruit and vegetables can change often due to seasonal availability and store location.

Coles vs Woolworths vs Aldi: Which has the cheapest home-brand range?

Aldi has consistently been named as Australia’s most affordable supermarket, with a 2025 Canstar survey showing shoppers spend $174 on average per week on groceries at Aldi, compared to $178 per week at Coles and Woolies. But does Aldi still come out on top when shoppers switch to home-brand products?

Cost of home-brand shopping basket at Coles

• White bread – $2.40
• Milk 2L – $3.20
• Dozen eggs – $6.50
• Pasta sauce – $2.50
• Spaghetti – $0.90
• Rice – $4.00
• Beef mince 500g – $10.00
• Pork sausages – $9.00
• Canned lentils – $1.00
• Chicken stock – $1.90
• Flour – $2.25
• Ice cream – $7.00
• Frozen mixed veggies – $4.20
• Multipurpose cleaning spray – $1.95

Total – $56.80

Cost of home-brand shopping basket at Woolworths

• White bread – $2.40
• Milk 2L – $3.20
• Dozen eggs – $6.50
• Pasta sauce – $2.50
• Spaghetti – $1.00
• Rice – $4.00
• Beef mince 500g – $10.00
• Pork sausages – $9.00
• Canned lentils – $1.00
• Chicken stock – $1.90
• Flour – $2.25
• Ice cream – $7.00
• Frozen mix veggies – $5.00
• Multipurpose cleaning spray – $1.95

Total – $57.70

Cost of home-brand shopping basket at Aldi

• White bread – $2.29
• Milk 2L – $3.19
• Dozen eggs – $6.19
• Pasta sauce – $2.49
• Spaghetti – $0.89
• Rice – $3.99
• Beef mince 500g – $9.99
• Pork sausages – $7.99
• Canned lentils – $0.95
• Chicken stock – $1.85
• Flour – $2.19
• Ice cream – $6.99
• Frozen mix veggies – $3.59
• Multipurpose cleaning spray – $1.85

Total – $54.44

Which supermarket has the cheapest home-brand range?

Our basket of home-brand essentials was cheapest at Aldi, but Coles and Woolworths weren’t far behind.

The total shop cost $54.44 at Aldi. At Coles, the same items cost $56.80—just $2.36 more—while the Woolworths basket came in at $57.70.

This means the price difference between the cheapest supermarket, Aldi, and the most expensive, Woolies, was just $3.26.

The takeaway is that the price race was tight. This is good news for the 69% of Australians who say they choose a supermarket based on convenience, not just price. It shows you can find significant savings simply by switching to home brands, rather than going out of your way to drive to a cheaper supermarket.

The final word

While our comparison shows that switching to home brands can deliver real savings, it’s not the only way to cut your grocery costs. One of the most effective tactics for shoppers, regardless of which supermarket you prefer or which brands you buy, is to check the unit price.

You’ll find the unit price in smaller print on the shelf ticket. It shows the cost per standard measurement (such as per 100g, per litre, or per item). This allows you to accurately compare two products of different sizes—like a bulk packet versus a smaller box—to see which one offers better value.

In an environment where supermarkets are competing hard for every dollar, combining savvy habits like checking the unit price with smart switches to home-brand items can make a significant difference to your grocery bill.