Choice has revealed which Australian supermarket is the cheapest price for a basket of winter groceries.

The quarterly survey compared the prices of the same grocery items at Coles, Woolworths, Aldi and IGA.

For winter, the trolley included foods to make wintry meals like roasts or soups.

“We added items to our basket like a whole chicken, simmer sauce, frozen chips and leeks — all items you may purchase for a cosy meal,” said Choice editorial director Mark Serrels.

The basket’s base items were also updated, swapping out Weetbix, chicken breasts and carrots for potatoes, avocado, basmati rice and beef mince.

“This quarter, we’ve also added eight spotlight items, including a whole chicken, green beans, Tim Tam original biscuits, and frozen apple pies for your winter comfort fix,” Serrels said.

“Without including specials, our full basket of 16 items was cheapest at Aldi, coming in at $68.60.

“At Woolworths, the basket cost $77.53, followed by Coles at $78.58, and IGA at $91.65.

“When including specials, Aldi’s full basket still remained cheapest, costing the same at $68.60,” said Serrels.

“The Woolworths basket cost $76.82, and the Coles basket cost $78.50. At IGA, the basket cost $86.33.”

A special on tissues at Woolworths was responsible for the increased gap between the cost of their basket and the higher price at Coles.

The basket of eight winter essentials, without specials, was the best value at Aldi $31.46.

At Woolworths, the basket cost $37.45 and at Coles it was $38.48. IGA was the most expensive at $46.23.

With specials, you’d save 71 cents at Woolies and $5.24 at IGA. Both Aldi and Coles basket prices remained unchanged.

An entire basket includes milk, royal gala apples, strawberries, bananas, potatoes, avocado, basmati rice and beef mince.

Spotlight items were whole chicken, leek, green beans, honey mustard simmer sauce, beer-battered frozen chips, frozen apple pies, Tim Tam biscuits, large tissues.

Fieldworkers priced groceries at 104 supermarkets in 27 locations across Australia in March 2026.

This was before military action in the Middle East caused fuel prices to soar and create the potential for a knock-on effects on freighted goods.