News
Buy smart or overpay: the OCU study that puts supermarket savings into numbers
OCU has once again measured how much it costs to fill the pantry in Spain, and the results are surprising: depending on the supermarket you choose, the difference can amount to thousands of euros a year.
The latest report from the Organisation of Consumers and Users once again puts the price of the shopping basket under scrutiny. The analysis, which compares 241 products in 183 localities, confirms that average annual spending on food, household goods and personal hygiene exceeds €6,200, although that figure rises or falls depending on where the shopping is done.
Madrid shows the greatest contrast: between the most expensive and the cheapest supermarket there is a difference of more than €4,200 a year, which translates into a margin of more than €350 a month for the same family. In other cities such as Barcelona, Vigo or León, the potential saving is around €2,000.
The list of the cheapest chains is headed by Alcampo, which is present in 42 cities, together with Lidl, Aldi, Supeco, Consum and Family Cash. At the opposite end, the highest prices are found at Sánchez Romero. To help consumers decide, the OCU also offers an online tool that finds the cheapest supermarkets according to the home address.
The report also highlights a worrying fact: in 2025 fresh food rose by 8% and the whole basket by 3%, marking four consecutive years of increases. Basic products such as coffee, eggs and fruit almost doubled in price from 2021, while isolated falls, such as that of olive oil, do not offset the general increase in prices. In view of this situation, the OCU calls for the VAT reduction to be extended to meat and fish, for direct support for vulnerable families to be reinforced, and for inspections to be increased to prevent abuses in the food chain.