The WiseList Basket Test · September 2026
Cheapest supermarket in Australia — September 2026
ALDI was the cheapest single supermarket in 5 of 7 regions we priced this month. Splitting the same basket across two stores saved a further $3.21–$4.56. Same 34-item basket, priced at Woolworths, Coles and ALDI.
The answer, region by region
Every figure below is the total for the identical 34-item basket. We publish the regions where the split barely helps, too.
| Region | Woolworths | Coles | ALDI | Cheapest single shop | Split by Store | Split saves |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sydney NSW | $122.58 | $125.41 | $116.32 | ALDI $116.32 | $111.76 | $4.56 |
| Melbourne VIC | $120.83 | $122.05 | $113.12 | ALDI $113.12 | $109.91 | $3.21 |
| Brisbane QLD | $122.99 | $123.22 | $116.56 | ALDI $116.56 | $112.31 | $4.25 |
| Adelaide SA | $123.85 | $125.25 | $114.85 | ALDI $114.85 | $111.18 | $3.67 |
| Perth WA | $120.53 | $131.93 | $115.52 | ALDI $115.52 | $111.74 | $3.78 |
| Hobart TAS | $121.09 | $126.76 | no ALDI | Woolworths $121.09 | $116.89 | $4.20 |
| Darwin NT | $122.69 | $127.93 | no ALDI | Woolworths $122.69 | $118.37 | $4.32 |
Cheapest single shop, by region
Axis starts at $100.00 — not $0 — so the real spread is visible instead of exaggerated.
Common questions
Which supermarket is cheapest in Australia?
In our September 2026 basket test, ALDI was the cheapest single supermarket in 5 of 7 capital-city regions, using the same 34-item basket priced at Woolworths, Coles and ALDI.
Is ALDI cheaper than Coles and Woolworths?
In 5 of the 5 regions where ALDI trades, yes. ALDI has no stores in Hobart and Darwin, so those regions were priced at Woolworths and Coles only — Woolworths was cheapest in Hobart and Woolworths was cheapest in Darwin.
How much can you save by splitting a shop across two stores?
Splitting the same basket across two stores saved between $3.21 and $4.56 on top of the cheapest single shop, depending on the region. We publish the smallest figures as well as the largest.
How is this measured?
The same 34-item basket is priced every month at Woolworths, Coles and ALDI in 7 metropolitan regions, using WiseList’s own price data. The basket composition, the matching rules and the per-item CSVs are published on our methodology page.
How we measured this
The same 34-item basket, priced every month at Woolworths, Coles and ALDI across 7 metropolitan regions, using WiseList’s own price data. The basket composition, the numbered matching rules, the per-item CSVs and every past run are published in full.