Aldi Vs Trader Joe's: Which Sells Cheaper Produce In 2026?

The cost of living has risen so much that nearly half of all Americans now have difficulty affording some of their most basic needs, according to the Pew Research Center. This includes groceries like fresh produce, an essential part of a well-balanced diet. In these times, affordability is paramount. When it comes to two of the nation's most popular grocery chains, Aldi and Trader Joe's, one is the cheaper choice.

With some caveats, produce is generally cheaper at Aldi than at Trader Joe's. That may not always be the case with every item at every store since pricing often varies by location, but based on the pricing in New York, it's the clear winner. 

For instance, Aldi sells bananas for $0.49 per pound, or an estimated $0.16 each. Organic bananas are $0.63 per pound, or about $0.21 each. By comparison, Trader Joe's has regular bananas for $0.23 each and organic ones for $0.29 each. The pattern repeats across some other produce basics: Aldi's 3-pound bags of yellow onions are $2.19 each. At Trader Joe's, jumbo yellow onions (which can weigh around 1 pound each) cost $1.19 a piece. Aldi also sells 3 pounds of sweet potatoes for $1.95, while Trader Joe's sweet potatoes are $0.99 each. That's roughly five times the Aldi price by weight.

Part of why Aldi's fruits and veggies are so much cheaper has to do with why so much of Aldi's produce is wrapped in plastic. The company states that prepackaging these items makes operations more efficient which helps keep costs lower. However, some produce doesn't keep well in plastic containers, perhaps contributing to Aldi's reputation for produce that quickly spoils.

Trader Joe's offers more convenient produce in some situations, for instance if you only need one sweet potato and not 3 pounds of them. But produce is one of the Trader Joe's items that customers say is the most overpriced, and those per-unit prices can rapidly rack up if you're buying more than one piece of fruit or a single veggie.

Each store's produce section has its ups and downs, but they share one thing in common: Trader Joe's and Aldi share some corporate DNA. Aldi is actually two independent businesses, Aldi Nord and Aldi Süd. These two separated in the 1960s but are both still owned at least in part by descendants of the founding Albrecht family. Aldi Nord bought Trader Joe's in 1979 and still owns it; meanwhile, Aldi Süd operates all Aldi stores in the United States. So, no matter which of these two stores you pick for produce, the Albrechts appreciate your business.