How Much Do Groceries Cost per Week?

Important: what these numbers are

These are not national statistics. Each figure is the tightest budget at which the CentMenu planner could build a full seven days of meals from whole packages. Your region, store and brand choices will move them, so use them as benchmarks to aim at.

Tightest budget by household and store

Standard (omnivore) plans, all meals, the lowest budget that fit:

• 1 person: Aldi $40, Walmart $40, Kroger $50
• 2 people: Aldi $50, Walmart $50, Kroger $50
• 3 people: Aldi $60, Walmart $60, Kroger $70
• 4 people (2 adults, 2 children): Aldi $70, Walmart $70, Kroger $80

How diet changes the number

At the base store (Aldi), the tightest budget moves with diet. Vegetarian plans came out lower for the larger households, while vegan plans needed a bit more in our tables. See the vegetarian and vegan hubs.

• 1 person: none $40, vegetarian $40, vegan $40, pescatarian $40
• 2 people: none $50, vegetarian $50, vegan $60, pescatarian $50
• 3 people: none $60, vegetarian $50, vegan $70, pescatarian $60
• 4 people: none $70, vegetarian $60, vegan $80, pescatarian $70

Dinners only is cheaper

If you only plan dinner, the tightest budgets were $30 for 1, 2 or 3 people and $40 for a family of 4, with checkout estimates of $21-$30, $25-$35, $25-$35 and $29-$41. Browse the dinners-only plans.

Is a $50 weekly meal plan for 2 realistic?

Yes, at the stores we model. A $50 plan for two adults exists at Aldi, Walmart and Kroger. See the Aldi plan, the Walmart plan and the Kroger plan.

It works because it uses cheap staples, repeated ingredients and few extras. It will not include much meat, snacks or convenience food, and it assumes pantry basics are at home.

Why there are two totals

Each plan shows food eaten and checkout. For the Aldi $50 plan for 2, that is about $27-$39 of food eaten and $40-$59 at the checkout. The difference is the leftover part of packages, which you pay for but may use next week.

That is why a budget is a target and the checkout total is a range. Our planner also builds plans to fit inside the budget at the checkout, but real shelf prices vary.

Reading the ranges

Every plan page gives a range, for example $40-$59, rather than one price. The low end assumes cheaper brands and shelf prices at the bottom of the table. The high end assumes the opposite. Your own basket will usually land somewhere in the middle, depending on your region and how closely you follow the list.

If you want more room, look one budget tier up. The plans under $75 show what changes when the target loosens: more variety, more fresh produce and fewer repeated meals.

Using the benchmarks

Pick your household, choose a store, and open the matching plan. Compare its shopping list to your usual basket. If you are far above, find where the difference comes from: usually meat, snacks, drinks or small packages.

To generate a plan for your own numbers, try CentMenu. Plans are not medical or individual nutrition advice, and you should always check packaging for allergens.