Best Discount Grocery Store in Ottawa
Ottawa invented Giant Tiger and Farm Boy, but neither answers the weekly question: where do groceries cost the least? We price the same 20 staples at every chain delivering flyers to a downtown postal code each week, and because Gatineau is across one bridge, that includes the Quebec banners. This week 14 chains ranked, and the gap between cheapest and most expensive is $50.60 a week.
Which grocery store is cheapest in Ottawa?
20 staples, advertised flyer prices, downtown Ottawa, week of October 1 to 8, 2026. Gaps filled with the cross-chain median so every basket covers the same items.
| Chain | Weekly basket | vs cheapest | Staples advertised |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Food Basics 🏆 | $106.15 | – | 16 of 20 |
| 2. Adonis | $112.50 | +$6.35 | 13 of 20 |
| 3. Farm Boy | $113.55 | +$7.40 | 10 of 20 |
| 4. No Frills | $119.18 | +$13.03 | 14 of 20 |
| 5. Your Independent Grocer | $119.45 | +$13.30 | 13 of 20 |
| 6. Super C | $119.72 | +$13.57 | 15 of 20 |
| 7. Walmart | $123.44 | +$17.29 | 15 of 20 |
| 8. Foodland | $126.12 | +$19.97 | 12 of 20 |
| 9. Provigo | $128.53 | +$22.38 | 10 of 20 |
| 10. Real Canadian Superstore | $130.32 | +$24.17 | 18 of 20 |
| 11. Metro | $133.04 | +$26.89 | 18 of 20 |
| 12. Sobeys | $136.76 | +$30.61 | 19 of 20 |
| 13. Loblaws | $146.68 | +$40.53 | 13 of 20 |
| 14. IGA | $156.75 | +$50.60 | 16 of 20 |
| Typical Ottawa shopper | $126.04 | +$19.89 | median of all |
Super C, Maxi, Provigo and IGA are Quebec banners whose Gatineau flyers reach Ottawa postal codes. Chains that advertised too few of the staples this week, typically Costco, Wholesale Club, Giant Tiger and T&T, are left out of the ranking. Chains with fewer own prices lean more on the fill value, which pulls them toward the middle.
Food Basics
Cheapest basket this weekMetro's discount bannerVanier, Merivale, Bank St, Orleans and more
Food Basics has the cheapest basket in the ranking at $106.15, $6.35 a week under Adonis. It advertised its own price on 16 of the 20 staples, and led on broccoli, carrots, cheese and rice outright. Coverage is thinner than No Frills, so whether Food Basics is your default depends on your route. No loyalty card, no flyer strategy required; its everyday prices sit at the bottom of the market on most weeks.
If one is on your route, make it the weekly default. Combine with the No Frills flyer for meat.
No Frills
fourth of fourteen this weekBest coverage in the cityEverywhere: Kanata, Barrhaven, Nepean, Orleans, central Ottawa
No Frills finished fourth of fourteen at $119.18, $13.03 a week above Food Basics. It advertised its own price on 14 of the 20 staples, and led on cranberry sauce, pasta, pumpkin pie and salmon outright. No Frills is the discount banner most of Ottawa can reach. Its pattern most weeks is a few deep loss leaders rather than a cheap price on everything, so the week the flyer carries chicken or ground beef is the week it wins your basket. PC Optimum points on top.
Check the flyer on Thursday. A meat loss leader makes it the cheapest shop of the week; otherwise Food Basics is cheaper, if you can get to one.
Super C and the Gatineau banners
sixth of fourteen this weekAcross the riverGatineau and Hull, a bridge away from downtown
Super C finished sixth of fourteen at $119.72, $13.57 a week above Food Basics. It advertised its own price on 15 of the 20 staples, and led on bananas, bread, butter, milk and yogurt outright. Super C is Metro's Quebec discount banner; Provigo and Maxi are the Loblaw equivalents and IGA is Sobeys'. For anyone in the west end or Vanier a Gatineau shop is a real option. Quebec flyer prices are set in a different market, and the trip only pays if you are already crossing.
This week the Gatineau banners rank Super C sixth, Provigo ninth and IGA fourteenth of fourteen. Worth it for west-end and central shoppers who cross anyway.
Farm Boy
third of fourteen this weekFresh specialistFounded in Ottawa; stores across the city
Farm Boy finished third of fourteen at $113.55, $7.40 a week above Food Basics. It advertised its own price on 10 of the 20 staples, and did not lead on any staple outright. Farm Boy is not a discounter. When it ranks well it is because a narrow flyer with deep cuts on fresh protein beats a broad one, and a chain advertising only ten staples leans on fill values for the other half. Read a good week as a strong flyer, not as a cheap weekly shop.
Shop the flyer for meat, fish and produce. Buy the pantry somewhere cheaper.
Walmart Supercentre
seventh of fourteen this weekBest for dairy and pantryBarrhaven, Kanata, Orleans, Trainyards, South Keys
Walmart finished seventh of fourteen at $123.44, $17.29 a week above Food Basics. It advertised its own price on 15 of the 20 staples, and led on ground beef outright. Great Value private label keeps the shelf-stable aisles cheap on quiet weeks, and butter, cheese and yogurt are usually at or near the lowest advertised price. Fresh meat and produce are where it gives the gap back.
Once a month for the shelf-stable list and dairy. Skip it for meat.
Metro
eleventh of fourteen this weekCentral convenienceEverywhere, including the Glebe, Westboro, downtown
Metro finished eleventh of fourteen at $133.04, $26.89 a week above Food Basics. It advertised its own price on 18 of the 20 staples, and did not lead on any staple outright. Metro usually advertises more staples than any Ottawa banner and its flyer carries real deals. It is the price of everything not in the flyer that pushes the basket up. Central convenience is what the premium buys.
Buy what is in the flyer and the produce you would not trust elsewhere. Do not run your weekly staples basket here.
What about Giant Tiger?
Giant Tiger was founded on George Street in the ByWard Market in 1961 and is still headquartered in Ottawa. It is not in the table because it advertises too few of the staples for a fair basket, and its fresh meat and produce are too thin for a full weekly shop. On bread, milk, eggs and frozen basics its prices sit with the discount chains, and it led on potatoes and stuffing mix this week. Use it to top up staples between big shops.
What's the best grocery shopping strategy in Ottawa?
Ottawa's grocery map splits by geography. The suburbs have the full discount lineup within a short drive. Central neighbourhoods lean on Metro, Farm Boy and independents, which is where grocery bills climb. And the west end has Gatineau, whose banners are in the table above.
The setup that works for most households: Food Basics or the nearest No Frills as the weekly default, whichever is closer, with meat bought from whichever has it in the flyer that week. Add a monthly Walmart run for dairy and pantry. Moving from a typical mid-pack basket to the cheapest one is worth about $1,030 a year to a two-person household; moving from the most expensive chain is worth $2,630. The national overpay figures put Ottawa in context against the rest of the country.
The ranking moves every Thursday, and this page regenerates with it. CartIQ also reads live flyer prices from every chain in Ottawa and Gatineau by postal code, so you can check the deals themselves.
See this week's deals in Ottawa
Live flyer prices from Food Basics, No Frills, Super C, Walmart, Farm Boy, Metro and more. Enter your Ottawa postal code.
Check Ottawa deals now →Frequently asked questions
What is the cheapest grocery store in Ottawa?
Food Basics, at $106.15 for a 20-staple basket from the flyers of October 1 to 8, 2026. Adonis was second at $112.50 and Farm Boy third at $113.55. No Frills finished fourth at $119.18.
Is No Frills cheaper than Food Basics in Ottawa?
Not this week. Food Basics was $13.03 a week cheaper on the same staples, about $680 a year for a two-person household. No Frills has far more locations and runs deeper meat loss leaders, so on a strong flyer week it can win your basket.
Is Metro overpriced in Ottawa?
On a full basket, yes. Metro finished eleventh of fourteen ranked chains at $133.04, $26.89 a week above Food Basics. Its flyer is broad and carries real deals; the premium is on everything not in the flyer.
Is Giant Tiger good for groceries in Ottawa?
For bread, milk, eggs, snacks and frozen basics, yes. Giant Tiger had the cheapest potatoes and stuffing mix in Ottawa this week. It usually advertises too few of the staples to be ranked, and its fresh meat and produce are too thin for a full weekly shop, so it works as a top-up stop rather than a default.
Where should I shop for groceries in Ottawa on a budget?
Use Food Basics or the nearest No Frills as the weekly default, whichever is closer, and buy meat from whichever has it in the flyer that week. Add a monthly Walmart run for dairy and pantry. West-end shoppers who cross to Gatineau anyway should look at the Super C flyer, which ranked sixth this week.
What about Farm Boy in Ottawa?
Farm Boy finished third at $113.55 on flyer prices. It advertised 10 of the 20 staples, so its full-basket cost is higher than the table shows. Treat it as a strong flyer for fresh protein and produce, not as a place to run your weekly staples basket.
Related
Prices are median advertised flyer prices for a downtown Ottawa postal code, week of October 1 to 8, 2026, gap-filled as described above. This page regenerates from CartIQ's price database every six hours. They are not shelf prices, vary by location and change every week. Always verify in-store. CartIQ is not affiliated with any grocery chain mentioned.