Food prices have climbed nearly 28 percent over the past five years, and depending on where you shop, you might be paying dramatically more than your neighbor for the exact same carton of eggs. A major 2025 study found that the gap between the most and least expensive grocery stores in a single city can exceed 33 percent. That’s not a rounding error. That’s hundreds of dollars a month for some families.
So which stores are quietly draining your bank account? I ranked the eight priciest grocery chains in the country, starting with the ones that are expensive but defensible, and ending with the one that charges $135 for a tote bag. Yeah, a tote bag.
8. Publix
Publix is the kind of store that inspires genuine loyalty. People in the Southeast swear by their subs, their bakery, and their consistently clean stores. But that devotion comes at a cost — and it’s not a small one.
Founded in 1930 by George Jenkins (who previously worked at Piggly Wiggly), Publix now has over 1,400 locations across eight states. It’s employee-owned, which is cool. What’s less cool is that in 2022, Florida customers noticed egg prices at Publix were more than double what Target was charging. Milk prices were up 50 percent compared to Target as well. For a chain that markets itself as the place “where shopping is a pleasure,” the pleasure apparently has a surcharge.
7. Wegmans
Wegmans is one of those stores that people talk about like it’s a theme park. Massive aisles, incredible prepared food sections, a cheese selection that could make a French person blush. But that experience has a price tag.
The chain started in 1916 as the Rocher Fruit & Vegetable Company in Rochester, New York. Today, it has over 110 locations across eight states plus Washington D.C. According to research from Consumers’ Checkbook, Wegmans’ prices often surpass ACME and land more in line with Harris Teeter or Whole Foods. You’re paying for the experience — the restaurant-quality hot bar, the bakery, the European-style market layout. Whether that’s worth it depends on how much you actually use those features versus just grabbing milk and bread.
6. ACME Markets
ACME Markets is the most confusing entry on this list because it doesn’t feel like a premium store. It doesn’t have the ambiance of a Wegmans or the specialty products of a Whole Foods. And yet, it consistently shows up as one of the most expensive grocery options in the Northeast.
ACME dates back to 1891, when Samuel Robinson and Robert Crawford started the business in Philadelphia. The name came in 1937 after a series of mergers. Today, ACME runs 159 stores across six East Coast states. Reports from Consumers’ Checkbook have flagged it as one of the highest-priced chains in the Delaware Valley, and shoppers regularly complain that the quality doesn’t match the cost. A federal judge banned a proposed ACME-Kroger merger in 2024, which had given some shoppers hope that prices would finally come down. That didn’t happen.
5. The Fresh Market
The Fresh Market has a reputation as a boutique grocery store, and it earns it. With over 150 stores across 22 states — mostly on the East Coast — it was voted the best grocery store in the country by USA Today readers in 2025. People love the honey-roasted peanut butter that’s ground fresh in-store, the bulk granola, the yogurt-covered pretzels.
But all of that comes at a steep premium. A bottle of olive oil that runs about 55 cents per ounce at Walmart might cost $1.66 per ounce at The Fresh Market — triple the price. That’s the tradeoff. You’re getting a nicer atmosphere, specialty items, and a curated selection. But your grocery bill reflects all of it.
4. Bristol Farms
Bristol Farms is a Southern California chain that caters to shoppers who want their grocery store to feel like a high-end department store. Clean layouts, gourmet prepared foods, a selection that skews heavily toward premium brands.
The problem? Basic staples — we’re talking milk, bread, and eggs — can cost several dollars more than what you’d find at nearby competitors. This isn’t a place where you’re paying more for truffles and imported cheese (though you’ll find those too). You’re paying more for everyday items. Bristol Farms lives in the same upscale SoCal grocery world as Gelson’s Markets, where Tillamook cheddar costs more than double what it does at Walmart and celebrity chefs run fresh pizza stations. It’s a lifestyle store more than a grocery store.
3. Whole Foods Market
Here’s the big one. Whole Foods has been nicknamed “Whole Paycheck” for decades, and the data backs it up. According to research from the Strategic Resource Group, Whole Foods’ prices are 39.7 percent higher on average than Walmart’s. Nationally, no mainstream grocery chain charges more.
Founded in 1980 by John Mackey and three partners, Whole Foods now has 532 stores across the U.S. — only Alaska, Delaware, North Dakota, South Dakota, Vermont, and West Virginia don’t have one. When Amazon bought the chain in 2017, the promise was lower prices. And to be fair, some things did get cheaper. Amazon announced multiple rounds of price cuts, claiming customers would save an average of 20 percent on certain items. A former Whole Foods leader who spent over two decades at the company says prices are now about 10 to 13 percent higher than competitors, down from 10 to 20 percent before Amazon.
But the premium is still very real. A ribeye steak can cost up to $6 more per pound than at Kroger. A bottle of maple syrup might run $20. A bag of Mandarin oranges costs $3 more than the same bag at Trader Joe’s. Some of this is because Whole Foods sources from small organic farms and enforces strict quality standards. Some of it is because they know their customers will pay it.
2. Eataly
Eataly isn’t really a grocery store in the traditional sense. It’s an Italian gourmet market and restaurant chain that happens to sell groceries. With only eight U.S. locations, it’s more of a destination than a weekly shopping spot — and the prices reflect that.
The chain imports many products directly from Italy and makes things like fresh pasta in-house. A pot of caviar will run you $156. Want to set the mood for dinner? A candle from Eataly costs $48. To be fair, nobody goes to Eataly expecting Walmart prices. This is a place for special occasions, for gifts, for when you want to pretend you’re in Rome for an afternoon. But if you tried to do your regular weekly shopping here, you’d burn through your grocery budget by Wednesday.
1. Erewhon Market
And then there’s Erewhon. If Whole Foods is expensive, Erewhon is another planet entirely. This is the grocery store where a gallon of milk costs $20, a rotisserie chicken runs $22.50, and a 16-ounce bottle of Neptune Blue Sea Moss Gel will set you back $44.
The chain started in Boston in 1966, moved to Los Angeles in 1968, and now operates nine locations in the L.A. area. The name comes from Samuel Butler’s novel “Erewhon” — “nowhere” spelled roughly backward — about a fictional utopia obsessed with health and morality. The founders, Aveline and Michio Kushi, apparently took the book’s themes very seriously.
The price comparisons are staggering. The same carton of Vital Farms pasture-raised organic eggs costs $9.99 at Erewhon versus $8.49 at Whole Foods. That same rotisserie chicken? Whole Foods charges $11.99 for the same size. Costco sells a bigger bird for $4.99. Erewhon charges almost double Whole Foods for the same product.
But Erewhon isn’t really selling groceries. It’s selling status. The store blew up during the pandemic when grocery stores were among the few places still open, and suddenly shopping trips became social media content. Celebrities and influencers post about their $24 beef bone broth and $22 tie-dyed smoothies. You can buy an Erewhon-branded denim tote bag for $135 — not because it’s a good bag, but because it tells people you shop there.
The chain even ships nationwide via UPS, though they won’t send perishables like soups, smoothies, or that famous $20 milk. At Erewhon, the outrageous pricing isn’t a problem to solve. It’s the entire point.
What This Means For Your Grocery Bill
The Bureau of Labor Statistics data analyzed by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis shows that food prices rose 25.5 percent between December 2020 and December 2024. That increase hit everyone, regardless of where they shop. But choosing the wrong store can amplify the damage significantly.
The 2025 price comparison study that collected data in person from stores across six metro areas found that Costco and BJ’s Wholesale Club offered prices roughly 21 percent lower than Walmart. On the other end, Whole Foods charged nearly 40 percent more. That means the spread between a Costco trip and a Whole Foods trip could easily exceed 60 percent for the same items.
None of this means expensive stores are bad. Some people genuinely value the product quality, the sourcing standards, and the shopping experience at places like Whole Foods and The Fresh Market. But if you’re shopping at one of these eight chains without realizing the markup you’re absorbing — especially on basic staples that taste identical to the cheaper version — that’s worth knowing about. Your wallet will thank you for at least being aware of what you’re paying for.
