Which Sacramento-area grocery stores have cheapest eggs? Milk? We compared 16 shops
Are your omelets getting more expensive? Does dread creep in when you grab the last egg in the carton?
A nationwide egg shortage linked to a bird flu outbreak has sent prices soaring in recent weeks, making grocery store shoppers fear the long walk down the dairy aisle.
Egg prices across the country increased more than 150% in January compared to January 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index.
In California, the cost of eggs rose 70% between December and January, The Sacramento Bee previously reported, with the price of a dozen eggs reaching $9 in some spots.
With food costs skyrocketing, The Bee is here to help you find the lowest prices for your favorite ingredients.
We visited 16 grocery stores in the Sacramento area and priced four cooking essentials to discover where the best deals are.
Here’s what we found out:
Why are eggs so expensive in California right now?
Since highly pathogenic avian influenza surfaced in the United States in 2022, millions of chickens and turkeys have been killed at poultry ranches across California in an attempt to stop the highly contagious virus from spreading.
Meanwhile, hundreds of California dairies have been quarantined due to bird flu.
Multiple products tied to the H5N1 virus have been recalled — from raw milk to pet food.
The outbreak, which prompted California Gov. Gavin Newsom to declare a state of emergency in December, has contributed to widespread shortages of egg and dairy products.
Experts say it’s unlikely chickens or eggs infected with the bird flu could enter the food supply chain, The Fresno Bee previously reported.
The foods are still safe to eat as long as they are fully cooked.
Which Sacramento-area grocery stores have best prices?
For its price check, The Bee focused on major grocery stores in Sacramento and Elk Grove, visiting a total of 16 supermarkets between Wednesday, Feb. 12 and Tuesday, Feb. 18.
Here’s the complete list:
Amazon Fresh, 7530 Elk Grove Blvd. in Elk Grove
Foods4Less, 3547 Bradshaw Road in Sacramento
FoodsCo, 3625 Northgate Blvd. in Sacramento
FoodMaxx, 3291 Truxel Road in Sacramento
Grocery Outlet, 3615 Bradshaw Road in Sacramento
Nugget Markets, 7101 Elk Grove Blvd. in Elk Grove
Raley’s/Bel-Air, 4650 Natomas Blvd. in Sacramento
Safeway, 2851 Del Paso Blvd. in Sacramento
Save Mart, 9160 Elk Grove Florin Road in Elk Grove
Smart & Final, 8787 Elk Grove Blvd. in Elk Grove
Sprouts Fresh Market, 8211 Laguna Blvd. in Elk Grove
Target, 3601 North Freeway Blvd. in Sacramento
Trader Joe’s, 9670 Bruceville Road in Elk Grove
Walmart, 3661 Truxel Road in Sacramento
Whole Foods, 4315 Arden Way in Sacramento
WinCo, 8142 Sheldon Road in Elk Grove
How much do eggs and dairy cost at local supermarkets?
The Bee searched each store for four basic cooking ingredients, focusing on the options with the lowest available prices:
One dozen large white eggs
One gallon of 2% milk
One pound of cheddar cheese
One pound of unsalted butter
All prices were calculated before sales tax.
Where can I find least expensive eggs in Sacramento?
Of the 16 Sacramento-area grocery stores we surveyed, Sprouts Fresh Market in Elk Grove had the cheapest eggs, with a dozen large white eggs costing $3.99.
Save Mart in Elk Grove had the priciest eggs of any of the Sacramento-area stores we visited, charging $9.29 for a dozen large white eggs.
That was $5.30 more than its most affordable competitor.
Here’s how egg prices broke down across all 16 stores:
Amazon Fresh: $5.99 for one dozen large white eggs
Foods4Less: $7.98
FoodsCo: $7.49
FoodMaxx: $8.99
Grocery Outlet: $6.47
Nugget Markets: $8.49
Raley’s/Bel-Air: $8.98
Safeway: $8.99
Save Mart: $9.29
Smart & Final: $8.97
Sprouts Fresh Market: $3.99
Target: $7.49
Trader Joe’s: $4.99
Walmart: $8.32
Whole Foods: $5.99
WinCo: $7.42
As of Tuesday, some Sacramento-area stores had limits on the number of egg cartons customers could purchase — including Safeway, Trader Joe’s and Whole Foods.
One retailer, Food4Less, charged about $1 more for a dozen eggs once shoppers exceeded its one-carton-per-customer limit.
Where can you find cheapest milk in Sacramento area?
Sprouts Fresh Market was the best local option for low-cost milk. A gallon of 2% milk cost $3.29 at the Elk Grove grocery store as of Tuesday.
We found the priciest option at Nugget Markets in Elk Grove, where 2% milk cost $5.89 for a gallon.
These were the milk prices at the Sacramento-area stores we visited:
- Amazon Fresh: $4.99 for a gallon of 2% milk
Foods4Less: $3.48
FoodsCo: $4.79
FoodMaxx: $3.89
Grocery Outlet: $3.79
Nugget Markets: $5.89
Raley’s/Bel-Air: $5.88
Safeway: $6.49
Save Mart: $5.79
Smart & Final: $4.29
Sprouts Fresh Market: $3.29
Target: $4.49
Trader Joe’s: $4.39
Walmart: $3.48
Whole Foods: $5.19
WinCo: $3.48
At Food4Less, shoppers could only get one gallon of 2% milk for $3.48, with every additional gallon costing $4.28 apiece.
Which local stores have most affordable cheese?
We found the cheapest cheddar cheese at FoodsCo in Sacramento, where a pound cost only $2.49.
Cheddar cheese cost $6.99 per pound at Save Mart in Elk Grove, making it the most expensive cheese on our list.
Here’s what each store charged for cheddar cheese:
Amazon Fresh: $5.39 for a pound of cheddar cheese
Foods4Less: $3.68
FoodsCo: $2.49
FoodMaxx: $5.49
Grocery Outlet: $3.89
Nugget Markets: $6.49
Raley’s/Bel-Air: $6.98
Safeway: $5.99
Save Mart: $6.99
Smart & Final: $4.89
Sprouts Fresh Market: $4.49
Target: $4.49
Trader Joe’s: $5.99
Walmart: $4.43
Whole Foods: $5.99
WinCo: $3.68
Which supermarket sells the most budget-friendly butter?
A pound of unsalted butter at $2.99 Grocery Outlet in Sacramento, making that the most budget-friendly option in the Sacramento area.
We found the highest-cost unsalted butter at Safeway in Sacramento, which charged $6.99 for a pound.
Here’s how the price of butter broke down at Sacramento-area grocery stores:
Amazon Fresh: $4.49
Foods4Less: $3.98
FoodsCo: $4.69
FoodMaxx: $5.49
Grocery Outlet: $2.99
Nugget Markets: $5.99
Raley’s/Bel-Air: $5.98
Safeway: $6.99
Save Mart: $5.99
Smart & Final: $5.29
Sprouts Fresh Market: $4.99
Target: $4.19
Trader Joe’s: $3.99
Walmart: $4.16
Whole Foods: $4.49
WinCo: $3.98
This story was originally published February 22, 2025 at 5:00 AM.
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