Is it more expensive to buy groceries in Appleton or Green Bay? We found out

APPLETON - A recent trip to the grocery store will show any customer that grocery prices have noticeably increased, but the amount you spend can heavily depend on what store you shop at, and sometimes, what city.

USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin compared the prices of name-brand and store-brand grocery items from Walmart , Woodman's , Pick n' Save , Target and Festival Foods in both Appleton and Green Bay.

Prices were gathered in May and June and, for some stores, we found it was slightly more expensive to shop in Appleton than in Green Bay, while other Appleton locations offered better prices.

Our full grocery list includes:

• half a gallon of almond milk
• a loaf of whole wheat bread
• one pounds of bacon
• one pound of bananas
• one pound of 80/20 ground beef
• a four-pack of butter
• standard box of Cheerios
• standard box of Cheez-Its
• a dozen eggs
• a five pound bag of flour
• canned green beans
• 18 ounces of strawberry jam
• 18 ounces of peanut butter
• a head of iceberg lettuce
• a gallon of milk
• individual naval oranges
• a two-pack of paper towels
• a six-pack of toilet paper

Walmart and Woodman's amongst the most affordable grocery stores

At Walmart and Woodman’s, the cost of name-brand items totaled less than $70. Using the grocery list at the 3701 E. Calumet St. Walmart in Appleton, name-brand items totaled $67.79. With the highest priced item a six-pack of Quilted Northern toilet paper for $8.99. At Woodman's, 595 N. Westhill Boulevard., the list totaled $65.88, also with toilet paper as the most expensive item at $6.99.

The same list, using Walmart's store-brand alternatives, like Great Value, came to $48.32 at the Appleton Walmart. Woodman's did not carry a store-brand for a majority of the items on the list, so only a name-brand list was calculated.

In Green Bay, the same trends are reflected. The Walmart at 2292 Main St. produced a store-brand total of $66.23. A customer at Woodman's, 2400 Duck Creek Pkwy, would spend $69.88 on name-brand items.

Save more money using Target's and Pick n' Save's store brands

At Appleton's Target, 1800 S. Kensington Drive, the cost of name-brand items came to $71.42 with some of the most expensive items being toilet paper at $7.39, paper towel at $7.99, ground beef at $6.49 and bacon at $6.99. However, the store's cheaper, alternative brands like Good and Gather and Market Pantry, came to $56.32 providing an overall savings of $15.10.

Name-brand prices at Appleton's Pick n' Save, 511 W. Calumet St., totaled $76.72 and the store-brand list, Kroger and Roundy's, totaled $52.02. The most expensive name-brand items included butter at $6.49, bacon at $7.99 and paper towel at $9.99. The store-brand alternatives came to $4.29 for butter, $5.29 for bacon and $2.49 for paper towel offering $24.70 in savings.

Green Bay's Target, 2050 Lime Kiln Road, totaled slightly cheaper at $69.42. The most expensive name-brand items were the same as the Appleton location in addition to butter at $5.79. The store-brand list for the store came to $47.13, with the cheaper, alternative version for butter costing $3.79 and an overall savings of $22.29.

The name-brand list at Green Bay's Pick n' Save, 1819 Main St., came to $75.52. Bacon and toilet paper tied on the list for most expensive items at $7.99 each. Not counting the price for store-brand almond milk and Cheerios, as the store was out of stock, the total for the list came to $53.14, with a total of $22.38 in savings.

Customers would spend the most at Festival Foods

The Festival Foods in Appleton, 1200 W. Northland Ave., had the highest total price for name-brand items of all the stores, coming to $90.62. Amongst the highest-priced items was toilet paper for $10.99, bacon for $9.99 and butter for $7.79. It's store-brand alternative, which includes Essential Everyday, came to $76.11. The alternatives for toilet paper were $9.99, $8.99 for bacon and $4.79 for butter.

Green Bay's Festival, 2430 University Ave., offered a little bit of savings between the locations, with the name-brand list totaling $83.02. Butter, bacon and paper towel for $7.99 were the most expensive on the list. The store-brand list came to $60.63 with the same prices as the Appleton location on butter and bacon.

Reach Jelissa Burns at 920-453-5107 or jburns1@gannett.com. Follow her on X (Twitter) at @burns_jelissa or on Instagram at burns_jelissa.

This article originally appeared on Appleton Post-Crescent: Is it more expensive to buy groceries in Appleton or Green Bay? We found out