Prices at Costco vs NZ Supermarkets: how my 2026 Grocery Prices Compared

Are New Zealand's "Lowest Food Prices" Really the Lowest?

Pak'nSave proudly claims to offer **"New Zealand's lowest food prices."**

So we decided to put that claim to the test.

In May 2026, we travelled all the way from Christchurch to Auckland to shop at Costco, then compared what we paid against the cheapest available prices at either Pak'nSave or Woolworths in Christchurch at the same time.

The results speak for themselves.

Here is a small sample of items we purchased in our MASSIVE haul:

- Butter
Price at Pak n Save: $1.71 per 100g
Price at Costco: $1.30 per 100g
Costco saved us: $0.41 per 100g

- Skippy Peanut Butter
Price at Woolworths: $1.08 per 100g
Price at Costco: $0.72 per 100g
Costco saved us: $0.36 per 100g

- Eggs Farmer Brown
Price at Pak n Save: $0.79 each
Price at Costco: $0.50 each
Costco saved us: $0.29 each

- Vegemite
Price at Pak n Save: $2.10 per 100g
Price at Costco: $1.59 per 100g
Costco saved us: $0.51 per 100g

- Dilmah Premium Ceylon Teabags
Price at Pak n Save: $0.06 each
Price at Costco: $0.05 each
Costco saved us: $0.01 each

- Kirkland Signature Saigon Cinnamon
Price at Pak n Save: $0.83 per 10g
Price at Costco: $0.33 per 10g
Costco saved us: $0.50 per 10g

- Mustard
Price at Pak n Save: $1.34 per 100g
Price at Costco: $0.88 per 100g
Costco saved us: $0.46 per 100g

- Four'N Twenty Classic Meat Pies
Price at Pak n Save: $2.67 each
Price at Costco: $0.95 each
Costco saved us: $1.72 each

- Meadow Fresh Fresh Cream
Price at Pak n Save: $8.90 per litre
Price at Costco: $8.00 per litre
Costco saved us: $0.90 per litre

- Fab Laundry Powder
Price at Pak n Save: $0.40 per 100g
Price at Costco: $0.28 per 100g
Costco saved us: $0.12 per 100g

- Purina Cat Chow Complete
Price at Pak n Save: $1.50 per 100g
Price at Costco: $1.03 per 100g
Costco saved us: $0.47 per 100g

- Pantene 5 In 1 Conditioner
Price at Pak n Save: $22.20 per litre
Price at Costco: $11.10 per litre
Costco saved us: $11.10 per litre

- Lamb Chops
Price at Pak n Save: $23.99 per kg
Price at Costco: $17.99 per kg
Costco saved us: $6.00 per kg

- Olive Oil
Price at Pak n Save: $1.50 per 100ml
Price at Costco: $1.17 per 100ml
Costco saved us: $0.33 per 100ml

- Smoked Paprika
Price at Pak n Save: $0.83 per 10g
Price at Costco: $0.52 per 10g
Costco saved us: $0.31 per 10g

- Milo Cereal
Price at Pak n Save: $1.71 per 100g
Price at Costco: $1.01 per 100g
Costco saved us: $0.70 per 100g

- Coca Cola Classic
Price at Pak n Save: $3.03 per litre
Price at Costco: $2.52 per litre
Costco saved us: $0.51 per litre

- Milk Lite
Price at Pak n Save: $2.50 per litre
Price at Costco: $2.00 per litre
Costco saved us: $0.50 per litre

- Boring Oat Milk
Price at Pak n Save: $4.49 per litre
Price at Costco: $3.50 per litre
Costco saved us: $0.99 per litre

- Nutella
Price at Pak n Save: $1.93 per 100g
Price at Costco: $1.25 per 100g
Costco saved us: $0.68 per 100g

- Milkbar Classic
Price at Pak n Save: $2.15 each
Price at Costco: $1.33 each
Costco saved us: $0.82 each

- Doritos Cheese Supreme
Price at Pak n Save: $1.33 per 100g
Price at Costco: $0.98 per 100g
Costco saved us: $0.35 per 100g

- Lays Chips
Price at Pak n Save: $3.23 per 100g
Price at Costco: $1.00 per 100g
Costco saved us: $2.23 per 100g

- Almond Barista Milk
Price at Pak n Save: $5.49 per litre
Price at Costco: $5.40 per litre
Costco saved us: $0.09 per litre

- Creamed Honey
Price at Pak n Save: $2.00 per 100g
Price at Costco: $1.80 per 100g
Costco saved us: $0.20 per 100g

So what happened after we added up everything?

Even after paying for:

* Return ferry for 2 adults and an SUV: ~$670
* Fuel from Christchurch to Auckland: ~$350
* Costco annual membership:  $60

...we still came home around $1,200 better off.

Read that again.

We travelled from Christchurch to Auckland, crossed Cook Strait, drove hundreds of kilometres, paid for fuel, ferry fares, and a Costco membership—and still saved approximately $1,200 compared with buying the same groceries locally.

We have the receipts to prove every dollar (will include photo in next update - change.org only allows one photo per update).

Perhaps the most incredible example? Our honey purchase alone saved enough to pay for the entire annual Costco membership. Everything after that was pure savings.

That raises a serious question:
if Christchurch shoppers can save this much by travelling to Auckland, just how much are Cantabrians paying in unnecessary supermarket mark-ups every single week?

Christchurch deserves real competition.

The good news is that momentum continues to build. Construction of Costco's second New Zealand warehouse in Drury is progressing quickly, with framing now up and an opening expected later in 2026.

Every new Costco warehouse brings the company closer to expanding further—and we're determined to make sure Christchurch is next.

Thanks to your incredible support, our petition is rapidly approaching 900 signatures. Every signature sends the same message:

Christchurch wants Costco. Christchurch needs Costco. Christchurch deserves Costco.

Now we need your help to keep the pressure on.

If you haven't already, sign the petition Then share it with 20 friends and ask each of them to do the same.

Together, we can make this movement impossible to ignore.

Let's stand up to New Zealand's supermarket duopoly, bring genuine competition to Christchurch, and help drive grocery prices down for everyone.

We're making progress. Let's keep going.