How it works
Cheaper Eats tracks what everyday groceries cost in Houston, so you can see which store is cheapest and when prices move.
Where the prices come from
Every morning a script asks the Kroger public API for current shelf prices, including sale prices, at the 3 Kroger stores nearest downtown Houston (ZIP 77002):
- Kroger - Studemont1440 Studemont St, 77007
- Kroger - Polk4000 Polk St, 77023
- Kroger - River Oaks1938 W Gray St, 77019
Every price check is saved with its date and never changed, so the history builds up day by day.
The basket
The basket is 21 staples a household might buy in a typical week. The headline number adds up the lowest price for each one, in the amounts shown here.
Dairy & eggs
- Milk, 2%, 1 gal1 gal
- Milk, whole, 1 gal1 gal
- Eggs, large, 12 ct1 dozen
- Butter, 1 lb1 lb
- Cheddar cheese, 8 oz8 oz
Bread & grains
- White sandwich bread20 oz
- White rice, long grain, 2 lb2 lb
- Spaghetti, 16 oz16 oz
- All-purpose flour, 5 lb5 lb
- Granulated sugar, 4 lb4 lb
Produce
- Bananas, per lb2 lb
- Gala apples, per lb3 lb
- Russet potatoes, bagged, per lb5 lb
- Yellow onions, per lb3 lb
- Carrots, 2 lb bag2 lb
Meat
- Chicken breast, boneless skinless, per lb2 lb
- Ground beef, 80% lean, per lb1 lb
Pantry
- Peanut butter, creamy, 16 oz16 oz
- Black beans, canned, 15 oz15 oz
- Vegetable oil, 48 fl oz48 fl oz
- Ground coffee, per oz12 oz
How products are matched
A search for “bananas” also returns banana chips and smoothies, so each basket item has rules: words that must appear (like “milk” and “2%”), words that rule a product out (like “chocolate” or “organic”), and an allowed package size. Every brand that passes counts.
Products are compared by price per unit (per gallon, pound, dozen or ounce), so a 10 lb bag and a 5 lb bag can be compared fairly. The cheapest price per unit wins.
The U.S. average
For items the government tracks, Cheaper Eats compares prices with the Bureau of Labor Statistics' average prices, the same survey used to measure inflation. The BLS publishes a U.S. city average for each item every month, about two weeks after the month ends.
Keep in mind that the BLS averages every brand and store, while Cheaper Eats shows the cheapest option. So our prices usually come in below the average. That's the point: it shows how much you can save by picking the cheapest option.
Good to know
- Prices are the online shelf prices Kroger reports. Digital coupons and loyalty deals aren't included.
- Items sold by weight (produce, meat) show the price per pound.
- Only products sold at the stores on that day are counted. If an item is out of stock it may not show.