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How much does a basic grocery trip cost at different Montreal stores? We did the math

<img src="https://www.mtlblog.com/media-library/a-super-c-store-right-an-iga-grocery-store-in-quebec.jpg?id=61014218&width=1200&height=800&coordinates=96%2C0%2C96%2C0"/><br/><br/><p>Trying to figure out which <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/grocery-store-montreal" target="_blank">grocery store in Montreal</a> actually has the lowest prices right now? With <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/canada-grocery-items-too-expensive" target="_blank">grocery costs still hitting hard</a> for a lot of Quebecers, knowing where to get the most for your money really matters.</p><p><span></span>While spots like <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/dollarama-brand-names-finds" target="_blank">Dollarama</a> or <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/grocery-store-liquidation-marie-laval" target="_blank">Liquidation Marie</a> have become go-to options for budget shoppers, most people still count on the big-name supermarkets for their weekly haul. So we set out to answer a simple question: which major grocery chain offers the best deal on the basics?<strong></strong></p><p>To find out, we priced out nine everyday items across five of the <a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/grocery-stores-quebec-avril" target="_blank">province's biggest grocery chains</a>: Metro, IGA, Super C, Maxi, and Provigo.</p><p>Our test basket included the following items:</p> <ul> <li> 2L of 2% milk (Québon)</li> <li> 12-pack large eggs</li> <li> White sandwich bread (Villaggio)</li> <li> 410g spaghetti (Barilla)</li> <li> 400g cheddar cheese (Cracker Barrel)</li> <li> 796 mL canned diced tomatoes</li> <li> 1 lb of Granny Smith apples (about 3)</li> <li> 454g unsalted butter</li> <li> 450g lean ground beef</li> </ul> <p>And yes, we know milk prices are regulated across the board, but it felt wrong to leave it out of the cart. </p><p>We also stuck to regular (non-organic) items and did our best to match exact brands across stores — or use near-identical house-brand substitutes when necessary — to keep things fair. All prices were pulled from each store's official website on June 16, 2025 (<a href="https://www.mtlblog.com/tag/costco-canada" target="_blank">Costco</a> was excluded since it requires a membership).</p><p>Here's how the final bills stacked up before tax:<span></span></p><h3>Metro - $43.05</h3><br/><p>Shopping at Metro? You're looking at $43.05 for this basic grocery basket — not outrageous, but definitely not the cheapest option in town. Local staples like Québon milk and Selection-brand eggs and butter help keep some costs down, but name brands like Cracker Barrel cheese and Barilla pasta bump the total up.</p><ul><li>2L of 2% milk (Québon) - $4.51</li><li>12-pack large eggs (Selection) - $4.09</li><li>White sandwich bread (Villaggio) - $4.59</li><li>410g spaghetti (Barilla) - $2.99</li><li>400g mild cheddar cheese (Cracker Barrel) - $8. 29</li><li>796 mL canned diced tomatoes (Selection) - $2.29</li><li>1 lb of Granny Smith apples - $2.99</li><li>454g unsalted butter (Selection) - $4.88</li><li>450g lean ground beef - $8.42</li></ul><h3>IGA - $44.31</h3><br/><p>Despite IGA's reputation as Quebec's bougier, more upscale grocery chain, this basic basket only came out to $44.31 — just a buck or so more than Metro. House-brand items like Compliments eggs, tomatoes, and butter help balance out the premium pricing on things like ground beef and cheese. </p><p>If you're brand-loyal (or just enjoy having someone bag your groceries) but still trying to keep costs reasonable, IGA might surprise you.</p><ul><li>2L of 2% milk (Québon) - $4.51</li><li>12-pack large eggs (Compliments) - $4.15</li><li>White sandwich bread (Villaggio) - $4.49</li><li>410g spaghetti (Barilla) - $2.99</li><li>400g mild cheddar cheese (Cracker Barrel) - $7.99</li><li>796 mL canned diced tomatoes (Compliments) - $2.29</li><li>1 lb of Granny Smith apples - $2</li><li>454g unsalted butter (Compliments) - $6.89</li><li>450g lean ground beef - $9</li></ul><h3>Super C - $42.09</h3><br/><p>Known for their ultra-low prices, Super C delivered one of the cheapest baskets on our list at $42.09. Meat and butter came in cheaper than at IGA, helping shave a couple of bucks off the total. But based on this basket, the difference (a little over $2) isn't huge.</p><p> That said, it could mean the difference between adding another item to your cart. </p><ul><li>2L of 2% milk (Québon) - $4.51</li><li>12-pack large eggs (Selection) - $4.09</li><li>White sandwich bread (Villaggio) - $3.99</li><li>410g spaghetti (Barilla) - $2.29</li><li>400g mild cheddar cheese (Cracker Barrel) - $8.29</li><li>796 mL canned diced tomatoes (Selection) - $1.79</li><li>1 lb of Granny Smith apples - $2.99</li><li>454g unsalted butter (Selection) - $5.88</li><li>450g lean ground beef - $8.26</li></ul><h3>Maxi - $42.80</h3><br/><p>Maxi kept things competitive with a total of $42.80 for the full basket. A sale on Cracker Barrel cheddar knocked the cheese price down to just $6.22, making a noticeable difference. While items like butter and apples were on the pricier side, budget-friendly house brands like No Name and President's Choice helped balance things out.</p><ul><li>2L of 2% milk (Québon) - $4.51</li><li>12-pack large eggs (No Name) - $4.09</li><li>White sandwich bread (Villaggio) - $4.50</li><li>410g spaghetti (Barilla) - $2.19</li><li>400g mild cheddar cheese (Cracker Barrel) - $6.22</li><li>796 mL canned diced tomatoes (President's Choice) - $2</li><li>1 lb of Granny Smith apples - $3</li><li>454g unsalted butter (President's Choice) - $7.79</li><li>450g lean ground beef - $8.50</li></ul><h3>Provigo - $45.69</h3><br/><p>Coming in at $45.69, Provigo had the priciest basket in our comparison. </p><p>While the use of President's Choice and No Name products helped offset costs a bit, high prices on butter and ground beef pushed the total up. It's worth noting that this store used D’Italiano bread instead of Villaggio, which was the closest available match. </p><p>Overall, Provigo leans more expensive, even with house brands in the mix.</p><ul><li>2L of 2% milk (Québon) - $4.51</li><li>12-pack large eggs (No Name) - $4.23</li><li>White sandwich bread (D'Italiano) - $3.99</li><li>410g spaghetti (Barilla) - $2.99</li><li>400g mild cheddar cheese (President's Choice) - $6.49</li><li>796 mL canned diced tomatoes (President's Choice) - $2</li><li>1 lb of Granny Smith apples - $3</li><li>454g unsalted butter (President's Choice) - $8.49</li><li>450g lean ground beef (President's Choice) - $9.99</li></ul><p><br/></p> <p>In the end, Super C had the cheapest basket and Provigo was the priciest, but the gap between them was only about $3.50.</p><p>So, if you've got a go-to grocery store or prefer sticking with certain brands, you're probably not losing out on much. But if every dollar counts (and these days, it usually does), even a small difference like that can add up fast, especially with a full cart.</p>