Price Comparison

Sprouts vs. Whole Foods Price Comparison: Which Grocery Store is Better?

Rebecca Choi

September 17, 2021

1 comment

As the fourth most popular grocery store in America (as of 2021), Whole Foods is perhaps the most popular health foods store in the US. With over 500 stores in North America and the United Kingdom, Whole Foods is big news.

But Sprouts is a growing competitor with over 300 stores in 19 US states. Most popular in California (where almost half of those stores are located), Sprouts offers many of the same perks as Whole Foods.

Both stores are oriented towards consumers who want to eat clean, healthy produce, and they carry lots of organic produce.

So, we wanted to find out which store is cheaper, Whole Foods or Sprouts? And the results were surprising.

Comparison Methodology: How We Compared Whole Foods and Sprouts

To compare Sprouts and Whole Foods, we created an ultimate price comparison with a comprehensive shopping list used at both stores.

We looked at various categories, from packaged snacks and drinks to organic produce. When comparing items, we looked at either the cheapest available options at both stores (which tended to be the in-house Sprouts or 365 by Whole Foods Market brands) or the same exact product.

This mixture of in-house and national brand products gives you the full picture of which store is really cheaper.

And at the end, we explore other differences between Sprouts and Whole Foods, like the quality of products, services offered, and public perception. Finally, we summarize which store is best for you, based on your unique shopping habits.

We completed this price comparison in July 2021 in the southwestern region of the US. That’s important to know because prices change all the time (even day to day!), and they vary per location.

Although this price comparison will give you a good idea of where to shop for the lowest prices, don’t expect to find the same exact deals you see here at your local stores.

Sprouts vs. Whole Foods Price Comparison Summary

Here’s a summary of each category we examined in this ultimate price comparison between Sprouts and Whole Foods. The results are clear: Sprouts is cheaper than Whole Foods.

We ended up saving about $40 total on a $300 shopping trip. Shopping at Sprouts instead of Whole Foods is like using a 14% off coupon on your entire Whole Foods order–which is a good enough reason to switch if you ask us!

From organic and non-organic produce to bottled drinks to freshly prepared food, Sprouts offered lower prices overall in every single category. But that doesn’t mean every single item was a better deal at Sprouts than Whole Foods.

For a deeper look into how Sprouts and Whole Foods compare, let’s dive into each section.

Sprouts vs. Whole Foods: Organic Produce Price Comparison

First, we’re exploring the organic produce aisle. Since Sprouts and Whole Foods are both health foods stores, many of their customers come specifically for the selection of organic produce so they can avoid the dirty dozen fruits and veggies.

Sprouts defeated Whole Foods to win the award for lowest prices in the organic produce department. In fact, Whole Foods only offered a better deal on one item, and that was the organic romaine hearts.

Whole Foods and Sprouts did tie on three prices: spinach, spring mix, and kiwi. But other than that, Sprouts dominated this section.

Sprouts vs. Whole Foods: Non-Organic Produce Price Comparison

Most people look to health foods markets like Whole Foods and Sprouts for the best quality organic produce, and while both stores have lots of options, one clearly has lower prices.

Again, Sprouts demolished Whole Foods. This time, the stores tied on one item, the bananas. Whole Foods won a mere one item again, and it was only 8 cents.

If you’re shopping at a store like Whole Foods or Sprouts, our guess is that fresh produce makes up a large portion of your shopping list. And, it’s not worth it to run to Whole Foods just to save 8 cents on a head of cauliflower.

So, if you’re buying produce–organic or not–Sprouts is the store you want to shop at. 

Sprouts vs. Whole Foods: Dairy Products Price Comparison

The next aisle we’re going to look at contains dairy (and faux dairy) products. Most shoppers buy items like milk (or oat milk) and cheese regularly, so the savings in this category can add up. 

Yet again, Sprouts offers customers lower prices than Whole Foods. In the dairy category, we saved a total of $4 (almost 18%) on six items.

Whole Foods prices beat Sprouts on only one item, the Organic Valley 2% Milk–but there’s a catch.

The cheapest milk option at Whole Foods was Organic Valley–and we compared the Sprouts Organic Valley price since they offered it. But, Sprouts offered a cheaper alternative, Shamrock. You could pay $2.99 for 128 oz of milk, which is less money for twice as much.

So depending on how you look at it, Whole Foods really didn’t help us save any money on dairy products.

Sprouts vs. Whole Foods: Meat Price Comparison

Now, let’s look at the meat and meat alternatives at Sprouts and Whole Foods.

Even though Sprouts and Whole Foods tied in this category for the flat number of cheaper items (both won two items each and tied on one item), we saved about $2 by shopping at Sprouts instead of Whole Foods.

At Whole Foods, the hot dogs and chicken breasts were cheaper, but we saved more on the shrimp and salmon at Sprouts.

It’s important to acknowledge that Whole Foods might have cheaper meat options depending on your buying habits. If you eat a lot of chicken and hot dogs and never buy seafood, shopping at Whole Foods for these items could save you some money.

Sprouts vs. Whole Foods: Frozen Foods Price Comparison

Although Sprouts and Whole Foods are most well-known for their selection of fresh foods, frozen foods are convenient, delicious, easy, and can be healthy! Here’s how Sprouts and Whole Foods prices on frozen foods compare.

In this category, Sprouts was only slightly cheaper than Whole Foods–we saved just 79 cents. Three items were cheaper at Sprouts, and three items were cheaper at Whole Foods, so it nearly evened the savings out. With results like this, it’s safe to say that either store could have come on top in the frozen foods section.

Our normal recommendation would be to compare the prices of items you usually buy weekly to find out which store you’ll save the most money at. But since Sprouts is cheaper than Whole Foods in so many other categories, the meager savings in the frozen foods department might not be worth it unless you only eat frozen foods.

Sprouts vs. Whole Foods: Non-Perishable Groceries Price Comparison

We all need to stock our pantries with essentials, so knowing which store offers cheaper non-perishable items is important for savvy shoppers.

Again, Sprouts reigns supreme as the store with lower prices. We saved $3.47 across six pantry items.

In this section, we saved the most money on the Chosen Foods Avocado Oil Spray, where Sprouts offered the same item at half the price as the one sold at Whole Foods. But, it’s important to know that Whole Foods did have lower prices on staple foods like rice and almond butter.

Sprouts vs. Whole Foods: Fresh Prepared Foods Price Comparison

Sprouts and Whole Foods both offer freshly prepared foods, which are great for shoppers who need to save time. But now let’s find out which store will save you more money when you need to eat as soon as you get home from the store.

Again, the winner for the cheapest health foods store is Sprouts! We saved about 15% by choosing Sprouts over Whole Foods. Even though Whole Foods had cheaper broccoli cheddar soup and ravioli, Sprouts lower prices on salads and burritos tipped the scales in their favor.

Sprouts vs. Whole Foods: Packaged Snacks Price Comparison

Although cutting back on packaged snacks is a great way to save money, these yummy and convenient foods are a weekly buy for many shoppers.

Once again, Sprouts reigns supreme–but only by 86 cents. Whole Foods offered lower prices on more items in the packaged snacks, but Sprouts still ended up being the cheaper store. That’s probably because the savings on the raw almonds were so steep.

When it comes to packaged snacks, you might save more by shopping at Whole Foods instead of Sprouts. Similar to our findings for the meat, fresh, and frozen foods aisles, it really depends on your shopping habits.

Sprouts vs. Whole Foods: Beverages Price Comparison

Finally, let’s take a look at how the drinks at both stores compare. Is Whole Foods or Sprouts cheaper?

Although Sprouts and Whole Foods nearly tied on the number of cheaper items, Sprouts was over 20% cheaper when it came to beverages. We saved the most on red wine and cold brew coffee, which together saved us a whopping $10 on just two items.

However, Whole Foods did offer a better deal on La Croix sparkling water. For the drinks category, Sprouts is the clear winner.

Sprouts vs. Whole Foods: Quality, Services, and Public Perception Comparison

Sprouts is clearly cheaper than Whole Foods, but prices aren’t the only thing that matter when choosing a grocery store. Here’s how the two stores compare when it comes to the shopping experience. 

FAQs About Sprouts and Whole Foods

Final Thoughts: Sprouts vs. Whole Foods

Since Amazon acquired Whole Foods in 2017, they’ve attempted to remove the “whole paycheck” reputation of outrageously high prices. And for some customers, it worked.

However, when you compare Whole Foods’ current prices to competitors like Sprouts, it’s clear that they still charge more than nearly any other grocery store around. Sprouts is definitely cheaper than Whole Foods. Just look at our total cart summary!

With that said, not every item at Sprouts is cheaper than the same or similar item at Sprouts. Whole Foods did offer lower prices on a few staple items like chicken breasts, rice, frozen broccoli, and La Croix.

If you’re on the fence about where you should shop, we recommend trying out your own price comparison by keeping the receipts of where you shop and switching stores every so often to compare prices on items you buy all the time.

But, if you want answers now, here’s a shopping guide.

Whole Foods may be a better buy if:

• You care about quality first and price second.
• You already have an Amazon Prime account.
• You have a Prime account and often buy grocery delivery.
• You often get grocery pickup.

Sprouts is probably better if:

• You want cheaper deals on health items like organic and specialty foods.
• You rarely get grocery delivery or pickup.

The location of these stores to your home may also play a large factor in which store is better for you to shop at. We wouldn’t recommend driving far out of your way just to shop at Sprouts instead of Whole Foods or Whole Foods instead of Sprouts.
Now that you know the differences between Whole Foods and Sprouts, it’s time to learn more money-saving tips and get great coupons on Koopy.com!