Aldi can be cheaper for plenty of household staples, but “Aldi is always cheapest” is too simple to be useful. The result changes with the products you buy, how closely the alternatives match and which Coles or Woolworths products are on special that week.
Why this comparison is harder than it looks
Many Aldi products are private label. A brand-for-brand comparison is often impossible, while a loose category match can be misleading. A 500g pack is not directly comparable with 750g, and two products with similar names can differ in ingredients, quality, origin or format.
Tallo keeps exact product matches separate from broader ingredient alternatives. That matters because the app should not claim a cheaper option when it has quietly changed what you are buying.
Four things that can change the winner
Your brand flexibility
If you are comfortable switching to private labels, Aldi has more opportunities to compete. If you need a particular brand, Coles or Woolworths may be the only direct match.
Weekly specials
A half-price special can temporarily move a familiar branded product below an everyday private-label price.
Pack and unit price
The shelf price can look lower simply because the packet is smaller. Compare the price per 100g, litre or item where it makes sense.
Range and availability
A cheaper store total is not useful if several items are missing and require a second stop anyway.
What the current Tallo data can safely tell us
Tallo's catalogue snapshot checked on 22 July 2026 contains current Aldi prices alongside Coles and Woolworths data. It does not, however, mark any Aldi products as weekly specials in this edition. We therefore use Aldi's entries as everyday prices and do not manufacture “was” prices.
The catalogue also shows why a sweeping winner is risky: exact barcode matches are common between Coles and Woolworths, while Aldi comparisons more often require careful product-equivalence judgement. A trustworthy comparison should narrow the claim rather than pretend unlike products are identical.
A quarterly basket comparison once a representative basket and its Aldi equivalents have been reviewed. The methodology, included products and location scope will be published with the result.
How to compare the three supermarkets fairly
- Start with your normal list.A generic media basket may have little in common with the shop your household buys.
- Separate exact products from substitutes.Keep brand and specification fixed where they matter; consciously opt into alternatives elsewhere.
- Normalise the quantity.Compare equivalent amounts, especially for meat, produce, cleaning products and family packs.
- Price the whole basket.One standout bargain should not decide a shop containing dozens of other products.
- Count the cost of a second stop.Time, fuel and missing products can outweigh a small split-shop saving.
So, should you shop at Aldi?
Include Aldi when you are happy to compare private-label alternatives and the store carries enough of your list. Keep Coles and Woolworths in the comparison because their weekly specials and wider ranges can change the result.
The most defensible answer is not loyalty to one chain. It is a repeatable habit: build the list, compare equivalent products and decide whether one store or a sensible split is cheaper this week. Our guide to the cheapest supermarket in Australia explains that basket-first approach in more detail.
