Go to these supermarkets in N.C. and save money on your next grocery run.
If you’ve been getting sticker shock looking at your grocery store receipts lately, you’re not alone. According to exclusive Nelson IQ data that Forbes received, the average price of the “top 10 most consumed categories” has increased by 60% from 2019 to 2025. These categories include beef, soft drinks, chicken, chocolate, dog food, eggs, water, cow’s milk, cookies, and coffee.
In 2019, a basket with these ten items would cost $36, and in 2025, the same basket would cost $56. Unfortunately, U.S. shoppers may have to brace themselves for further price increases due to rising inflation. The Organization of Economic Development estimates the U.S. inflation rate will go up to 4.2% on all items for 2026, much higher than the 2.7% figure projected by the U.S. Federal Reserve.
The good news is that there are plenty of grocery shopping options across NC that will help you stay within your budget, from nationwide corporate chains to regional supermarkets. We browsed grocery stores in the Southeast Cary region to find the best deals. So whether you love trying new niche international dishes or just want to find the cheapest eggs, we have you covered.
The national grocery store chain that offers absolute steals on basic groceries
The News & Observer reports that even affordable grocery stores in Raleigh, like Aldi, have gone through similar price increases. In 2022, bananas were $0.22 per pound, and on Mar. 4, 2026, the price went up to $0.39 per pound. Within a little over a month, banana prices have continued to balloon, but Aldi still offers the lowest price at $0.46 per pound.
Aldi has some of the lowest prices in the produce section, such as broccoli that costs $1.89 per pound. The store also carries L’Oven White Bread for only $1.25—the lowest price for a loaf of bread you could probably find in all of North Carolina’s grocery stores. It’s also the best place to get a family pack of chicken breasts, with a roughly 5-lb carton costing $11.45 ($2.29/lb).
Both The News & Observer and The Charlotte Observer found Aldi to be one of the cheapest grocery stores. Just this past February, Consumer Reports cited Aldi as having 8.3% lower prices overall compared to Walmart.
The only catch with Aldi is that you have to remember to bring reusable shopping bags. If you forget, they sometimes have empty boxes you can use to carry your purchases.
This one-stop shop offers cheap prices on everything
With the average gas price nearing $4 per gallon in NC due to the war with Iran, it also makes sense to try to stock up on your groceries in one go. So if you’re looking for a one-stop shop where you can get all your groceries, drugstore essentials, and even clothes, then Walmart is your best bet. In addition to the Supercenter stores, there are also several neighborhood markets that specialize in grocery goods.
In a 2024 report, The News and Observer listed Walmart as one of four grocery stores in Raleigh and Charlotte that offered the lowest prices. From my own search, I found that Walmart has the cheapest bread, lactose-free milk, and eggs. A half-gallon of Great Value Lactose-Free Milk (Walmart’s store brand) only costs $3.16, while a dozen Great Value Eggs costs $1.67.
There are other great grocery deals at Walmart such as broccoli at $1.84 per crown ($1.98/lb), Great Value White Sandwich Bread at $1.48, and if you prefer a name brand—Sara Lee Classic White Bread for $2.82. Walmart also offers a diverse array of international food options, such as Mexican, Indian, and Chinese, that save you from making trips to multiple grocery stores.
This budget grocery store has been a longtime local fixture
The first Food Lion store was actually called “Food Town” and opened in Salisbury, NC, in 1957, and quickly grew into a chain when, in 1968, the store coined the concept, “Lowest Food Prices in North Carolina.” The concept involved cutting the prices across the board on all items to maximize sales and increase profit margins.
Food Lion is now owned by the Delhaize Group, based in Belgium. According to Open Secrets, in 2024, the Delhaize America PAC donated $4,000 to federal Republican candidates, including Rep. Virginia Foxx, and didn’t donate to Democrats. If you are politically conscious, this may be something to reconsider when ultimately deciding whether you want to shop at Food Lion.
Food Lion was listed as one of the four cheapest Raleigh grocery stores in the aforementioned 2024 report by The News & Observer. My own search found this to be generally true for Food Lion across the board, with the exception of some produce items, such as broccoli, at $2.49 per pound. Food Lion is one of two NC grocery stores with the cheapest price on milk, with a gallon of the store brand costing $2.39.
If you don’t like doing your grocery shopping at Walmart, Food Lion is a great alternative location to pick up a carton of a dozen eggs for only $1.99. It’s also a good idea to sign up for the store’s MVP rewards program to take advantage of the weekly sales. At the end of every month, you can either redeem your accrued rewards points or donate them.
The Food Lion closest to me also has a diverse range of authentic Mexican food items. So if you don’t live near a Mexican market or are in a pinch, Food Lion is the place to go for items such as the El Terrifico Tamale Co. Mexican Restaurant Style White Cheese Dip and Juanita’s Original Mexican Style Hominy.
This grocery store is perfect for those who are politically conscious
In 1954, Lowes Foods started out as “a single store in North Wilkesboro, N.C. and has since grown as a chain with locations throughout the state, in addition to South Carolina and Georgia.” The company takes pride in its Carolina roots and has a mission to “bring community back to the table.”
If you’re a politically conscious shopper and are avoiding grocery stores that donate to political parties, you might want to consider shopping at Lowes Foods. While individuals associated with Lowes Foods have contributed political donations, the chain doesn’t have an official PAC and refuses donation requests to political fundraisers.
The company even hosts the Friends Feeding Friends Food Drive to help those facing food insecurity during the holidays. The prices aren’t always the cheapest, but the store offers weekly sales through its Fresh Rewards program and gas rewards, in which you save $0.05 per gallon at Lowes Foods gas stations or participating Speedway stations on every $100 you spend at Lowes Foods.
While a gallon of milk typically costs $2.99 at Lowes Foods, I have found that the store near me often slashes prices on milk that is a few days from expiring. So you can snag milk for up to 50% off the base price. From my own search, I found the bread to be cheaper than Harris Teeter and Food Lion, with their store brand bread priced at two loaves for $4 and Pepperidge Farm Italian White Bread at a base price of $3.39.
Lowes Foods likes to highlight North Carolina condiments and also has some high-quality store-brand options like the Light My Fire Roasted Habanero Hot Sauce.
If you like to cook Italian food, I especially recommend the store’s “Clip Your Own Herbs” deal, where you can clip freshly grown herbs, such as basil and rosemary. It’s only $0.99 per bag, and you don’t have to worry about having excess herbs that wilt like the plastic packets of basil.
This regional grocery store chain has some of the best store-brand food items
Now under Kroger, Harris Teeter stores first opened in NC in 1960 and is now the largest supermarket chain in the state. Like Whole Foods, Harris Teeter has a hot bar during the day and even serves fresh pizza that tastes pretty good.
Some Harris Teeter locations, like the one near my house, also have a Starbucks inside the store, so you can grab a coffee while you shop.
Harris Teeter offers some of the highest-quality store-brand products under its premium HT Traders line. If you don’t have the time to make your own pasta sauce, I would highly recommend checking out HT Traders branded pasta sauce jars with flavors like Arrabbiata and Fra Diavolo being my personal favorites.
While Consumer Reports found Harris Teeter prices in Virginia Beach to generally be 23.5% higher than the baseline prices of Walmart, my own internal search found that Harris Teeter is one of two grocery stores in N.C. that have the best base price on milk at $2.39 for a gallon of Highcrest Whole Milk.
If you sign up for a VIC card, you can save much further on groceries with the store’s robust weekly sales for members, like broccoli crowns going for $1.65 each. You can also rack up fuel points that can then be used at “a Harris Teeter Fuel Station or other participating BP or Amoco stations.” For every 100 points you rack up, you can get $0.10 off per gallon, with a limit of 1000 points used at once.
The nationwide grocery chain that specializes in organic and international food
If you like to eat organic produce or enjoy trying international cuisine, then the thought of shopping at Whole Foods might sound great, but it could set you back financially. Consumer Reports recently found that prices in nearby Virginia Beach were 57.7% higher at Whole Foods than at Walmart.
While it’s still pricier than Walmart, Trader Joe’s is a much more affordable option to get those niche seasonal items like pumpkin spice samosas and sparkling watermelon juice—both of which I highly recommend stocking up on. If you’re a college student or if your cooking skills would have Gordon Ramsay calling you an “idiot sandwich,” then it’s also the perfect place to pick up ready-to-heat meals such as their gluten-free Protein Pancakes ($3.79 for three pancakes) or frozen Mandarin Orange Chicken ($5.49 for 22 oz).
For those prices, you’ll be saying goodbye to Panda Express and IHOP.
Prices reflect searches done before the time of publication in Cary/Raleigh-area stores and are subject to fluctuation.
