Costco is known for having low prices on bulk items. However, some people wonder if their chicken breast is actually a good value compared to other grocery stores. In this article, we’ll look at the cost of Costco’s Kirkland Signature chicken breast and compare it to prices at other major chains to determine if it’s expensive.
The cost of Costco chicken breast
Costco sells their Kirkland Signature chicken breasts in large plastic packages. Each package contains two trays with about 8-10 chicken breasts in each tray. The package sizes vary but are typically around 4.5 to 5 lbs total. The current price is $1.99 per lb, so a typical package costs around $9-$10.
This breaks down to around $1 per chicken breast depending on the size. The Kirkland chicken breasts are usually quite large compared to brands sold at regular grocery stores.
Sometimes Costco will offer promotions on their chicken breast where you can get it for as low as $0.99 per lb. However, most of the time it stays right around the $1.99 per lb price point.
Comparing to grocery store prices
To determine if Costco’s pricing is expensive or not, we need to compare it to what other major grocery store chains charge for chicken breast. Here are average price ranges for boneless, skinless chicken breast at popular stores:
- Kroger – $2.29 to $4.99 per lb
- Safeway – $3.49 to $4.49 per lb
- Publix – $4.99 to $7.99 per lb
- HEB – $1.99 to $2.99 per lb
- Walmart – $1.98 to $2.98 per lb
- Target – $3.29 to $4.29 per lb
- Aldi – $1.89 to $2.29 per lb
As you can see, Costco’s regular price of $1.99 per lb falls on the lower end of the spectrum. It’s less expensive compared to chains like Publix, Safeway, Kroger, and Target. The pricing is very similar to Walmart and Aldi when they run promotions. Only HEB’s regular pricing seems to compete closely with Costco’s standard $1.99 per lb price point on chicken breast.
Costco vs. Walmart chicken breast price comparison
To highlight the price difference, let’s specifically compare Costco and Walmart chicken breast:
| Store | Price Per Pound |
|---|---|
| Costco | $1.99 |
| Walmart | $1.98 to $2.98 |
While Walmart does offer promotions down to $1.98 per lb, their regular price ranges from $2.28 to $2.98 per lb based on most stores. Costco’s standard $1.99 lb price beats Walmart’s regular pricing in most cases. And it matches Walmart’s promotional pricing fairly often.
Costco chicken quality
Costco’s Kirkland Signature chicken breasts are praised for their large size, juiciness, and good flavor. The chicken is raised with no antibiotics or added hormones. It contains no water retention additives that some brands use to artificially increase the weight. The upscale quality and large sizing of the Kirkland chicken breasts partially justify the competitive pricing.
Is Costco’s rotisserie chicken a better value?
While Costco’s raw chicken breasts are competitively priced, their famous $4.99 rotisserie chickens are an even better deal. These fully cooked hot chickens weigh 2.5 to 3.5 lbs each. Per pound, that puts them at only $1.40 to $2.00 per lb. This is significantly less than the $1.99 per lb for Kirkland raw chicken breasts. However, these cooked chickens do contain other ingredients and include bones, so they don’t represent an exact price comparison. But if you want to minimize cost, the rotisserie chicken is the better protein value at Costco.
Conclusion
Based on this price comparison, we can conclude that Costco’s $1.99 per lb pricing on Kirkland Signature chicken breasts is reasonably priced but not overly expensive. The cost lands on the lower end compared to competitors but is very similar to sale prices at stores like Walmart and Aldi. Given the large, high-quality chicken Costco provides, the pricing seems appropriate and competitive. Costco’s rotisserie chickens offer an even better value at just $4.99. Overall, Costco’s fresh chicken options are a good buy for shoppers looking to save money.