The big question every Irish shopper asks: which supermarket should I actually be using? We track live prices on over 300 products across Tesco, Dunnes Stores and SuperValu twice a week. Here's what the data says.
The short answer
It depends on what you're buying. No single supermarket wins across every category — and splitting your shop can save you significantly more than just picking one store and sticking to it.
Overall basket comparison
Across a standard weekly basket of ~80 products covering dairy, meat, veg, fruit, bakery, and staples, here's roughly what you'd pay at each store based on our latest data:
- •Dunnes Stores tends to come out cheapest on own-brand basics — bread, dairy, and staples
- •Tesco has the widest range and competitive prices on branded goods
- •SuperValu is often pricier but wins on fresh produce and premium cuts
Our price comparison page shows the current basket totals updated this week — check it for the latest numbers before you shop.
Category by category
This is where it gets interesting. The smart move is to split your shop by category:
- •Dairy: Dunnes own-brand milk and cheese typically undercut Tesco and SuperValu
- •Meat: SuperValu has strong fresh counters but higher per-kg prices. Tesco and Dunnes are closer on packaged cuts
- •Fruit & veg: SuperValu wins on quality and variety, Dunnes on price
- •Bakery: Dunnes own-brand bread is consistently among the cheapest
- •Household & toiletries: Tesco tends to have the best deals with Clubcard pricing
What about Lidl and Aldi?
Lidl and Aldi are widely regarded as the cheapest overall in Ireland — but they don't offer online grocery shopping, which makes systematic price tracking impossible. We're in talks with Lidl about a data partnership. For now, our comparison covers the five major Irish supermarkets, including Aldi — with prices scraped directly from their websites.
How to use this to save money
- •Use our AI planner to generate your weekly list — it automatically shows the cheapest store for each item
- •Do a big Dunnes or Tesco run for staples (dairy, bread, tinned goods, household)
- •Pick up fresh meat and veg at SuperValu or your local market if quality matters
- •Check Tesco Clubcard prices — some deals are exclusive to card holders and make a big difference
See live prices for your area
Our AI planner shows you exactly which store is cheapest for your specific weekly shop — not just averages.
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