Where are cheapest eggs in Sacramento area? Milk? We compared 16 grocery stores

With Easter only a few weeks away, California residents may be wondering whether they’ll be able to afford an egg hunt — or make any of the sweet treats associated with the spring holiday.

The prices of eggs, milk and other basic ingredients have soared in the United States in 2025, forcing shoppers recalculate their grocery budgets.

After helping shoppers find the best deals at Sacramento-area grocery stores in February, The Bee is back to help you get the best bang for your buck.

We visited 16 grocery stores and one members-only warehouse in the Sacramento area and priced five cooking essentials to find the best deals.

Here’s what we discovered:

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 to stop the 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.

How have egg and dairy prices changed since February?

In January, egg costs across the nation increased more than 150% compared to January 2024, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Consumer Price Index.

However, nationwide egg prices showed a steady decline in March, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In California, the standard price for large shell eggs decreased by $1.13 to $6.05 per dozen, the agency said in its official Agriculture Egg Market Overview for March.

U.S. butter and cheese costs also dropped slightly in March, the USDA’s National Dairy Products Sales Report showed.

Egg prices have decreased overall at Sacramento-area supermarkets, according to an analysis by The Bee, with the price of a dozen large white eggs at one local Walmart store dropping by 15% in March compared to the previous month.

Local prices for butter and cheddar cheese also decreased month to month, The Bee found. A pound of unsalted butter sold at a Sacramento Safeway store was 66% cheaper in March than in February.

Not all dairy products saw price cuts at local grocery stores.

The price of a gallon of 2% milk at Target in Sacramento increased by 23% since February, The Bee’s analysis showed.

Which Sacramento-area grocery stores have best prices?

For its latest price check, The Bee focused on major grocery stores in eight Sacramento-area communities visiting a total of 16 supermarkets on three separate days.

We stopped by local grocery stores on Thursday, March 27; Friday, March 28, and Tuesday, April 1.

Here’s the complete list:

• Amazon Fresh, 7530 Elk Grove Blvd. in Elk Grove
• Food 4 Less, 3547 Bradshaw Road in Sacramento
• Foods Co, 3625 Northgate Blvd. in Sacramento
• FoodMaxx, 4708 Manzanita Ave. in Carmichael
• Grocery Outlet, 2801 Zinfandel Drive in Rancho Cordova
• Nugget Markets, 771 Pleasant Grove Blvd. in Roseville
• Raley’s/Bel-Air, 1601 West Capitol Ave. in West Sacramento
• Safeway, 2851 Del Paso Blvd. in Sacramento
• Save Mart, 3021 Stanford Ranch Road in Rocklin
• Smart & Final, 7223 Fair Oaks Blvd. in Carmichael
• Sprouts Farmers Market, 8211 Laguna Blvd. in Elk Grove
• Target, 3601 North Freeway Blvd. in Sacramento
• Trader Joe’s, 10261 Fairway Drive in Roseville
• Walmart, 3661 Truxel Road in Sacramento
• Whole Foods Market, 270 Palladio Pkwy. in Folsom
• WinCo Foods, 200 Blue Ravine Road in Folsom

How much do eggs and dairy cost at local supermarkets?

The Bee searched each store for five 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
• Skinless chicken breasts

All prices were calculated before sales tax, and did not include temporary sale prices or members-only deals.

Where can I find cheapest eggs in Sacramento area?

After surveying 16 Sacramento-area grocery stores, Sprouts Farmers Market in Elk Grove had the cheapest eggs, with a dozen large white eggs costing $4.49.

Save Mart in Rocklin and Safeway in Sacramento had the priciest eggs, with a dozen large white eggs costing $9.99 at each supermarket.

Of the grocery stores we visited, only Grocery Outlet in Rancho Cordova did not offer a dozen large white eggs for sale. Instead, the discount supermarket sold a dozen extra large white eggs for $6.97.

Here’s how egg prices broke down per dozen across all 16 stores:

• Amazon Fresh: $5.99
• Food 4 Less: $7.12
• Foods Co: $6.79
• FoodMaxx: $8.99
• Grocery Outlet: $6.97
• Nugget Markets: $5.99
• Raley’s/Bel-Air: $8.98
• Safeway: $9.99
• Save Mart: $9.99
• Smart & Final: $8.99
• Sprouts Farmers Market: $4.49
• Target: $7.99
• Trader Joe’s: $4.99
• Walmart: $7.12
• Whole Foods Market: $5.49
• WinCo Foods: $7.62

Some Sacramento-area stores we visited had limits on the number of egg cartons customers could purchase — including Safeway, Whole Foods Market and WinCo Foods.

Which grocery stores have most affordable milk?

Walmart in Sacramento and WinCo Foods in Folsom tied for the cheapest milk at grocery stores in the Sacramento area at $3.54 for a gallon of 2% milk.

Safeway had the most expensive 2% milk, selling a gallon for $6.49.

Here’s how much a gallon of 2% milk cost at the Sacramento-area stores we visited:

• Amazon Fresh: $4.47
• Food 4 Less: $5.38
• Foods Co: $4.79
• FoodMaxx: $3.89
• Grocery Outlet: $3.79
• Nugget Markets: $5.89
• Raley’s/Bel-Air: $5.88
• Safeway: $6.49
• Save Mart: $4.79
• Smart & Final: $4.29
• Sprouts Farmers Market: $4.99
• Target: $5.69
• Trader Joe’s: $4.39
• Walmart: $3.54
• Whole Foods Market: $4.99
• WinCo Foods: $3.54

These local supermarkets have least expensive cheese

The Bee found the cheapest cheddar cheese at Food 4 Less in Sacramento and WinCo Foods in Folsom for $3.68 a pound.

Although Sprouts Farmers Market charged $11.29 for a 1-pound block of cheddar cheese at its deli counter, other cheese options at the store were cheaper. Shoppers could buy a 2-pound bag of shredded Colby and Monterey jack cheese for $11.44, or, $5.72 a pound.

Here’s what local grocery stores charged per pound for cheddar cheese:

• Amazon Fresh: $3.99
• Food 4 Less: $3.68
• Foods Co: $4.29
• FoodMaxx: $4.99
• Grocery Outlet: $3.89
• Nugget Markets: $6.99
• Raley’s/Bel-Air: $6.98
• Safeway: $6.99
• Save Mart: $6.99
• Smart & Final: $4.79
• Sprouts Farmers Market: $10.94 (8-ounce packet available)
• Target: $7.89
• Trader Joe’s: $4.79 (12-ounce packet available)
• Walmart: $3.78
• Whole Foods Market: $5.99
• WinCo Foods: $3.68

Which supermarket sells the most budget-friendly butter?

A pound of unsalted butter cost $3.09 at Amazon Fresh in Elk Grove, the cheapest option on our shopping list.

Nugget Markets in Roseville sold butter for a whopping $8.49 per pound.

Here’s how the per-pound price of butter broke down at Sacramento-area grocery stores:

• Amazon Fresh: $3.09
• Food 4 Less: $3.98
• Foods Co: $4.69
• FoodMaxx: $5.49
• Grocery Outlet: $3.99
• Nugget Markets: $8.49
• Raley’s/Bel-Air: $5.98
• Safeway: $3.49
• Save Mart: $5.99
• Smart & Final: $5.29
• Sprouts Farmers Market: $4.99
• Target: $4.19
• Trader Joe’s: $3.99
• Walmart: $4.16
• Whole Foods Market: $4.89
• WinCo Foods: $3.98

Which stores have lowest prices for chicken breast?

Sprouts Farmers Market in Elk Grove had the most budget-friendly price for skinless boneless chicken breasts, charging $2.99 a pound.

Nugget Markets in Roseville charged $8.59 per pound for chicken breasts making it the priciest option per pound.

Here’s how the price of chicken breast broke down per pound at Sacramento-area grocery stores:

• Amazon Fresh: $6.69
• Food 4 Less: $4.98
• Foods Co: $6.49
• FoodMaxx: $6.19
• Grocery Outlet: $2.69
• Nugget Markets: $8.59
• Raley’s/Bel-Air: $4.48
• Safeway: $4.99
• Save Mart: $7.99
• Smart & Final: $4.99
• Sprouts Farmers Market: $2.99
• Target: $5.49
• Trader Joe’s: $5.99
• Walmart: $3.55
• Whole Foods Market: $6.99
• WinCo Foods: $4.48

What about Costco?

The Bee focused on the most affordable grocery options for Sacramento-area grocery stores that are accessible to all shoppers.

That meant excluding membership-only warehouses Costco and Sam’s Club.

Costco, 3881 East Commerce Way in Sacramento, had the cheapest egg, cheese and chicken prices per unit of any of the stores we visited. However, because items are sold in bulk at the big box store, they cost significantly more overall.

As of Thursday, March 27, a 9.14-pound package of boneless skinless chicken breasts cost $27.33 — costing $2.99 per pound.

Costco charged $6.49 for a 2-pound block of its Kirkland Signature brand cheddar cheese, making it $3.24 per pound.

A four-pack of unsalted butter — equivalent to 4 pounds — cost $13.59, or, $3.39 per pound.

The warehouse sold two gallon-size jugs of 2% milk for $6.99. The price per gallon was $3.24.

Two dozen large white eggs cost $8.69 at Costco, or, $4.34 per dozen.

This story was originally published April 3, 2025 at 6:00 AM.

Camila Pedrosa

The Sacramento Bee

Camila Pedrosa is the California Diversions Reporter at The Sacramento Bee. She previously worked on The Bee’s service journalism team and was a summer reporting intern for The Bee in 2024. She graduated from Arizona State University with a master’s degree in mass communication.

Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado

The Sacramento Bee

279-203-2039

Veronica Fernandez-Alvarado is a service journalism reporter at The Sacramento Bee. She previously worked at the Star Democrat in Annapolis, Maryland. Veronica graduated from Georgetown University with a master’s degree in journalism.