I Brought the Same Shopping List to Costco & Sam's Club - Here's Who Was the Clear Winner

Warehouse clubs offer bargains on bulk buys, making it easier to save money on groceries, cleaning products, everyday essentials, and more. But the budget-friendly prices come with an added cost: The annual membership fee.

I'm a tried-and-true Costco fan. That said, I'm also always looking for the best deals. And with that in mind, I took my regular shopping list to both Costco and Sam's Club this month. After pitting the two stores against each other, I calculated the totals and crowned one the winner.

Which members-only retailer is the least expensive option? Keep reading to find out which chain took the top spot.

Editor's note: Prices and availability are subject to change and may vary by location.

Costco and Sam's Club Memberships

Winner: Sam's Club

Before you step into either of these stores, you need to do one thing — buy a membership. Consider this price when you calculate your total savings.

Both clubs offer two membership tiers at different price points. Costco's Gold Star membership costs $65 per year and includes warehouse shopping, online/app shopping, access to tire services, reduced gas prices, travel services, AT&T and T-Mobile savings, prescription drug savings, and the retailer's optical and hearing aid centers.

For $130, you can get the Executive membership. The pricier tier includes all of the Gold Star perks plus early shopping hours, an annual 2% reward, and additional service and travel benefits.

Sam's Club also offers two membership levels. The Club membership costs $60 annually, and the Plus costs $120. Club members get access to the warehouse club, online shopping, free curbside pickup on eligible orders of $50 or more, and bonus offers. Plus members also get 2% Sam's Cash Back, free shipping or delivery on orders over $50, early shopping hours, extra tire/battery savings, pharmacy savings, and optical savings.

Pantry products

Winner: Sam's Club

My shopping list always includes pantry staples like olive oil and flour. A two-liter bottle of Costco's Kirkland Signature Extra Virgin Olive Oil costs $20.99. Sam's Club charges $23.89 for Member's Mark Extra Virgin Olive Oil. You'll get one liter more, making Sam's the winner.

I found a two-count of 10-pound bags (20 pounds total) of Kirkland Signature Organic Unbleached All Purpose Flour for $19.99 at Costco. A 25-pound bag of Member's Mark All Purpose Flour costs $10.58. If organic and unbleached aren't on your must-have list, Sam's Club has the better bargain.

Bakery buys

Winner: Costco

Costco's famous bar cake is a fan favorite. While the richly indulgent chocolatey tuxedo bar is a classic, I prefer the seasonal selections. This month I snapped up the 40-ounce Kirkland Signature Pumpkin Bar cake from the refrigerated bakery section for $16.99. The pumpkin spice sponge, pumpkin mousse filling, and whipped topping make this pick one of my favorite finds.

Sam's Club sells a slightly smaller 37-ounce Member's Mark Pumpkin Spice Latte Bar Cake for $16.47. This version features moist pumpkin-spice cake, pumpkin mousse, coffee-caramel mousse, and cinnamon whipped topping.

In a price-per-ounce comparison, Costco barely wins at $0.42 versus $0.45.

Clothing

Winner: Costco

Both clubs have supersized selections of clothing. For the purposes of this price comparison, I checked out the cost of basics. More specifically, I looked for plain women's leggings.

A pair of Danskin Women's Leggings in nylon and polyester costs $7.97 at Costco. This well-priced pick is available in three colors (black, blue, and multi) and sizes extra-small through 2XL.

Sam's Club's Member's Mark line features generic nylon-and-spandex women's leggings. While they are available in more colors than Costco's Danskin option (purple, navy, black, brown, brown bear, and emerald forest), they cost $2 more ($9.98).

Cleaning products

Winner: Sam's Club

Disinfectant wipes and dish soap shouldn't break the bank. And with the bulk-buy deals at both stores, they don't have to.

Kirkland discontinued the less expensive generic disinfecting wipes, leaving me with name-brand options at Costco. I did find a four-pack of 95-count Lysol Wipes on sale for $13.99 (regular price $16.99). In comparison, Sam's has four 72-count canisters of Member's Mark Disinfecting Wipes for $11.48. However, Costco's sale price offers a slightly better value per wipe.

Costco sells a Dawn dupe, the 90-ounce container of Kirkland Signature Ultra Shine Liquid Dish Soap, for $9.99. Sam's generic copycat (Member's Mark Platinum Performance Dish Soap) is only $8.98 for 100 ounces.

OTC medications

Winner: Sam's Club

Like prescriptions, over-the-counter medications are also often less expensive to buy in bulk from a warehouse club. This includes pain relievers, vitamins, supplements, cold meds, and more.

Costco sells two 500-count bottles of Kirkland Signature ibuprofen for $13.99. I found the item temporarily on sale for $11.49, saving $2.50. Sam's Club sells 1,200 tablets from Member's Mark for $13.72. Excluding the sales price, Sam's is the better value.

My shopping list also included immune-boosting vitamin C. At Costco, a 500-tablet bulk buy from Kirkland Signature (1,000 mg strength) costs $19.99. The almost identical item from Member's Mark costs $9.98.

Bottom line

There you have it. The warehouse club showdown winner is Sam's Club. Even though Sam's had better deals today, that doesn't mean you won't find deep discounts at Costco tomorrow. Savvy shoppers know that prices always change. Also keep in mind that prices vary by region. My local Costco often has much better deals in-store than online.

Avoid wasting money on gas and save yourself a trip to both of these members-only retailers. Instead of browsing the aisles, scroll through each warehouse club's inventory online. This strategy makes it easier to compare prices before you get to the store.

Are you looking for more ways to save? Here's a hint: Costco's Kirkland Signature products and Sam's Club's Member's Mark exclusives are generic alternatives to overpriced brand-name buys. These generics often offer a better overall value, making it easier to keep your budget on track.

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