Choose the right Spanish supermarket to save €3,000 a year, survey shows

Nationwide, Alcampo offers Spain’s cheapest grocery prices, on average.

The price difference between Spain’s cheapest and most expensive supermarkets can be as much as €3,013 per year in some regions, a new consumer group study has found…If you live in Madrid, shopping at Alcampo – the cheapest supermarket chain in Spain – an annual shopping bill for an average family can be as low as €2,850, compared to up to €7,329 at the most expensive chain, Sanchez Romero.

The survey, by the Organization for Consumers and Users (OCU), found that as a national average, the disparity between the most expensive and cheapest stores is €909 a year.

Madrid and Barcelona remain home to Spain’s most expensive supermarkets, while the cheapest in the country is located in the Andalusian city of Granada: the Dani supermarket on Melchor Almagro street is a favourite among students due to its low prices. Vigo’s Alcampo is the second-cheapest supermarket in Spain, followed by three further Dani chains in Granada.

Granada itself is the cheapest city in Spain in which to shop for groceries, with the average bill just €4,051 per year; of course, this could be way lower if consumers stuck to the Dani stores, but the OCU analysis wanted to paint a more realistic picture of grocery prices in Spain.

The data looked at more than 164,000 prices across 1,137 stores nationwide, covering a total of 233 different products including fresh foods, drugs and hygiene commodities. Small cities offer less choice, making Segovia and Ciudad Real both some of Spain’s most expensive cities.

After Alcampo, Mercadona, Carrefour, Simply Market, Maxi Dia, Lidl and Eroski were the cheapest chains, with Mercadona taking the distinction of being the cheapest option in around half of the Spanish cities studied.

El Corte Ingles, Supercor and Carrefour Express were among the most expensive chains.

The OCU data showed that the German chain Lidl increased its prices by 4.3 % since last year – the highest rise in Spain – while BM urban, Lupa and Mas y Mas were between 2-3 % cheaper this year compared to 2016.