Cheapest way to fill up a school lunchbox essentials revealed: Which supermarket delivers the best value

Aldi has been crowned the cheapest store to shop for lunchbox essentials in a new survey by CHOICE.

The consumer group compared the price of 17 products from Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and IGA, including 10 things you would typically find in a lunchbox, including ham, cheese slices, bread, Vegemite, yogurt, chips, blueberries, baby cucumbers, sultanas and tinned tuna.

The other seven items were what CHOICE calls their "base basket items," including Full-cream milk, Weetbix, apples, carrots, bananas, strawberries and Chicken breast fillets.

The survey found Aldi was the most affordable, coming in at $75.98 a basket.

Woolworths was the next most affordable at $90.08, while Coles came in just behind at $90.90.

IGA was the most expensive basket, coming in at $101.84.

"Without including specials, the best deal was found at Aldi, with our full basket of 17 items coming in at $75.98," CHOICE Editorial Director Mark Serrels said.

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"When including specials, Aldi was still the most cost-effective option, with their full basket costing exactly the same at $75.98."

The consumer group also checked how much just the 10 lunchbox items were at each supermarket, with Aldi still coming in the cheapest at $41.96.

Aldi's Chief Commercial Officer told nine.com.au that they are focused on "providing high-quality products at the lowest possible prices."

"Simply put, we won't be beaten on the cost of the weekly shop. We're delighted that our approach continues to deliver the prices ALDI is known for, helping customers shop with a little less stress, and without compromising on quality," he said in a statement.

At Woolworths, the same 10 lunchbox essentials came to $54.71, while Coles was marginally more expensive at $55.17.

The lunchbox items bought at IGA totalled to $59.19.

A Spokesperson for IGA said the survey "compared small format regional and remote IGA stores with large format metro chain stores, which is not a like for like comparison."

"When you move past the headlines, as noted in the Choice article, the cheapest IGA metro basket is $92.50 - just $1.60 more than a metro Coles store ($90.90), showcasing the great value that can be found at IGA, and the minimal price difference when you compare similar-sized large format metro stores."

CHOICE found that special prices would save about 80c at Coles, $1 at Woolies and $2.47 at IGA.

At Aldi, the group used five name-brand and five home-brand items. Name-brand products were purchased at Coles, Woolworths and IGA.

A Coles spokesperson told nine.com.au that they are "focused on delivering value on the everyday items our customers buy most."

"While we welcome comparisons that help customers make informed choices, it's important to note this survey does not compare like-for-like products across retailers," they added.

"Comparing a mix of home brand and name brand products with a basket of proprietary brands does not provide a fair comparison to help customers save at the checkout."

CHOICE said prices were mostly consistent across supermarkets, however, the variation of pricing at different IGA stores meant their average cost was higher.

"You may find prices at your local IGA to be closer to what you'll pay at other supermarkets, such is the significance of the variation between prices at different IGA stores," the report reads.

They added that eight of their 17 basket items were exactly the same price at Coles and Woolworths.

The survey also noted that strawberries fell the most in price since last quarter, while the cost of milk rose across all four supermarkets.

The price of the average basket from Woolies dropped 16 per cent since last quarter; meanwhile, the cost of the Aldi basket dropped by 11 per cent.

At Coles, it dropped by 6 per cent, while at IGA it was 4 per cent cheaper than last quarter.

Nine.com.au has reached out to Woolworths and IGA for comment.

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