What are the cheapest grocery stores in Canada?

No Frills, FreshCo, Food Basics, and Giant Tiger offer the lowest prices. Walmart Supercentre also has competitive grocery pricing. These budget stores can save newcomers 20-30% compared to mid-range chains like Loblaws or Sobeys.

Where can newcomers find food from their home country in Canada?

T&T Supermarket carries Asian foods across Canada, Adonis specializes in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean items, and H Mart offers Korean groceries. Most major cities also have ethnic grocery districts, such as Chinatown in Vancouver and Toronto, Punjabi Market in Vancouver, and Little India on Gerrard Street in Toronto.

Are there food banks for newcomers in Canada?

Yes, food banks serve everyone regardless of immigration status. Daily Bread Food Bank (Toronto), Greater Vancouver Food Bank, and Moisson Montreal are among the largest. Visit foodbankscanada.ca to find a food bank near you by postal code.

What is the PC Optimum loyalty program?

PC Optimum is the loyalty program for Loblaws, No Frills, Real Canadian Superstore, and Shoppers Drug Mart. You earn points on purchases that can be redeemed for free groceries. The program is free to join and available as a mobile app.

Does Costco require membership in Canada?

Yes, Costco requires an annual membership. The Gold Star membership costs $65 per year, and the Executive membership costs $130 per year but includes 2% cashback on purchases. Costco is best for families or those buying in bulk to save money.

Grocery & Food Guide

Everything you need to know about buying groceries, finding foods from home, saving money, and understanding Canadian food culture.

Canada has a wide range of grocery stores at different price points. Understanding the tiers helps you choose where to shop based on your budget and needs.

Budget

5 stores

Lowest prices, no-frills shopping experience. Stores may charge for bags and have a simpler layout.

No Frills

No Frills operates 338 discount stores across 9 provinces: ON (202), AB (57), BC (35), MB (12), SK (11), NB (7), NS (6), NL (5), PEI (3). Does not operate in Quebec. Known for lowest prices, No Name brand, coin-lock carts, and bag charges. Bring a reusable bag and a loonie.

FreshCo

FreshCo operates 156 stores across 5 provinces: ON (106), AB (23), BC (16), MB (6), SK (5). Does not operate in Atlantic Canada or Quebec. Cleaner layout than most discount stores with a stronger produce section. Price matches local competitors.

Food Basics

Food Basics is Metro's discount chain and is one of the most reliable budget options in Ontario for weekly essentials. It is especially useful for newcomers who want straightforward pricing without needing a membership or complicated app strategy.

Walmart Supercentre

Walmart operates 401 stores across all 10 provinces: ON (149), QC (72), AB (59), BC (47), NS (18), MB (16), SK (14), NB (13), NL (11), PEI (2). Grocery section in Supercentres covers produce, meat, dairy and pantry. Often cheapest for household goods, baby products, and cleaning supplies combined with groceries.

Real Canadian Superstore

Real Canadian Superstore operates 119 stores across ON (37), AB (34), BC (28), MB (11), SK (8), and Yukon (1). Consistently one of the cheapest full-service grocery options. No Name and PC-branded products are significantly cheaper than name brands, and multicultural aisles carry ingredients many newcomers need. Price matches competitors within the same city.

Everyday

7 stores

Good selection, moderate prices, loyalty programs. Most Canadians shop here regularly.

Loblaws

Loblaws operates 47 stores: ON (41), BC (4), AB (2). Strong prepared-food counters, large international aisles, and pharmacy services. Prices are higher than No Frills, so most shoppers use it for convenience or specific sale items rather than full weekly shops.

Metro

Metro is a common full-service option in Ontario and Quebec with solid produce, meat, and ready-made meals. It is easier to navigate than a warehouse-style store, which can help if you are new to Canadian packaging and product labels.

Sobeys

Sobeys operates 235 stores across 9 provinces: ON (75), AB (53), NS (42), NB (20), MB (17), NL (13), SK (9), PEI (5), BC (1). Strong bakery, deli, and meat counters. Weekly flyer deals worth chasing with Scene+ points.

Real Canadian Superstore

Real Canadian Superstore is popular for large weekly shops because it combines groceries, household basics, and baby items under one roof. It is often cheaper than Loblaws while still carrying strong multicultural aisles and a wide PC-branded selection.

Save-On-Foods

Save-On-Foods operates 187+ stores across Western Canada and Yukon. Well-organized stores with strong produce sections and a popular loyalty program. Not the cheapest for a full basket, but many shoppers use it for fresh items, bakery, and loyalty offers.

IGA

IGA operates across Quebec, Ontario, Alberta, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, and BC (as MarketPlace IGA). Especially strong in Quebec with community-focused stores, local products, and French-language service. A practical neighbourhood-sized alternative to big box stores.

Safeway

Safeway operates 150 stores across Western Canada: AB (69), BC (44), MB (19), SK (12), and ON (6). Strong deli, bakery, and pharmacy sections. Prices are mid-to-high unless shopping flyer deals, so many households combine Safeway trips with discount store shopping.

Premium

3 stores

Higher quality, specialty and organic products, higher prices.

Whole Foods Market

Whole Foods is best for organic produce, specialty diet items, and prepared foods when you need something hard to find elsewhere. It is noticeably more expensive than regular chains, so many shoppers use it selectively instead of doing a full weekly shop there.

Farm Boy

Farm Boy is popular in Ontario for fresh produce, private-label products, and strong ready-to-eat meal options. It is especially useful for small, high-quality shops when you want better produce or an easy lunch, not the cheapest possible basket.

Pusateri's

Pusateri's is a luxury Toronto-area grocer known for imported goods, premium meats, and specialty pantry items. It is useful when you need gourmet or hard-to-find European products, but it is not designed for budget shopping.

Specialty

12 stores

Stores specializing in foods from specific regions. Often the best place to find ingredients from home.

T&T Supermarket

T&T operates 30 stores across 4 provinces: ON (12), BC (11), AB (6), QC (1). Canada's largest Asian grocery chain - fresh Asian greens, noodles, tofu, seafood, and bakery in one stop. The hot food counter is great for quick meals while settling in.

Adonis

Adonis is one of the most useful chains for Middle Eastern and Mediterranean groceries, especially if you need halal meats, fresh pita, bulk spices, olives, or imported dairy. Stores also have strong hot-food counters, so it can double as both a grocery run and a quick meal stop.

Oceans Fresh Food Market

Oceans is known for strong seafood counters, broad produce selection, and shelves that cover Chinese, Southeast Asian, and other imported grocery staples. It is often a better choice than mainstream chains when you need specific sauces, noodles, mushrooms, or fresh herbs.

H Mart

H Mart is especially useful for Korean groceries, marinated meats, banchan, frozen dumplings, and prepared foods that are hard to match at regular chains. Newcomers who cook East Asian meals at home often find the produce and freezer selection more practical than mainstream supermarkets.

Arz Fine Foods

Arz Fine Foods is a single-location specialty grocer in Scarborough (Toronto) that is especially helpful for halal meat, Arabic breads, cheeses, olives, and pantry staples from the Middle East. It is a better fit than a general supermarket when you need specific regional brands rather than approximate substitutes.

Nations Fresh Foods

Nations Fresh Foods is a large multicultural market in Ontario with broad coverage across Asian, South Asian, Caribbean, and Latin American ingredients. It is particularly useful for newcomers who cook from multiple food traditions and want one large store instead of several smaller specialty stops.

Persia Foods

Persia Foods is a BC-only Persian/Iranian specialty grocery chain in the Lower Mainland (Vancouver, North Vancouver, Burnaby, West Vancouver, Port Coquitlam). Best source for saffron, dried herbs (sabzi), basmati rice varieties, pomegranate paste, kashk, feta, halal meats, and fresh Persian bread. Also useful for Afghan and broader Middle Eastern communities.

Iqbal Foods

Iqbal Foods is one of the largest South Asian supermarket chains in the GTA (Toronto area). Covers Indian, Pakistani, Middle Eastern, and Caribbean groceries with a strong halal meat section, wide spice selection, and affordable prices on lentils, flours, and rice.

Chalo FreshCo

Chalo FreshCo is a FreshCo banner redesigned for South Asian shoppers in Ontario. Carries South Asian produce (karela, tindora, drumsticks, fresh methi), South Asian dairy brands, large-bag atta flour, and South Asian specialty items alongside regular FreshCo inventory. Earns Scene+ points.

Sabzi Mandi Fresh Market

Sabzi Mandi is a South Asian supermarket chain with locations in BC (Surrey, Richmond), Alberta, and Manitoba. Excellent selection of South Asian produce, dairy (paneer, yogurt, ghee), spices, and packaged goods. Competitive prices on bulk spices and rice.

Patel Brothers

Patel Brothers is an Indian grocery chain in Calgary and Edmonton with a strong selection of regional Indian products, frozen South Asian foods, fresh curry leaves, spices, and South Asian snacks and sweets.

Marche Akhavan

Marche Akhavan is a large Middle Eastern and Persian supermarket in Montreal (Cote-des-Neiges neighbourhood). Covers halal meats, Persian groceries (barberries, dried limes, kashk, saffron), Arabic breads, and bulk spices. A community anchor for the large Persian and Arab communities in Montreal.

Warehouse

1 stores

Buy in larger quantities at lower per-unit prices. Requires a membership.

Costco

Costco operates 114 stores across 9 provinces: ON (43), QC (25), AB (19), BC (15), NB (3), MB (3), SK (3), NS (2), NL (1). No PEI locations. Membership required ($65/year). Best for bulk rice, oil, meat, and household items. Membership pays off quickly for families.

Online & Meal Kits

2 stores

Delivery-first options for households that want weekly meal kits, groceries, or flexible doorstep ordering.

Goodfood

Goodfood delivers meal kits, prepared meals, and add-on groceries, which can help during your first weeks when you are still setting up a kitchen. It is more expensive than buying ingredients yourself, but it reduces planning stress and helps if you are unfamiliar with local stores.

HelloFresh

HelloFresh is useful if you want fixed weekly meals, recipe cards, and portioned ingredients without needing to learn a new grocery store immediately. It is not a budget option, but many newcomers find it helpful for short-term routine and confidence while settling in.