Is it cheaper at Costco? Compare the unit price

A big pack isn't always a better deal. Enter the price and size from both shelf tags, and see the price per ounce, pound or count, how much you save, and what happens if some of it goes to waste.

How to compare unit prices

• Use the same kind of unit on both sides. Weight against weight, volume against volume. The calculator converts ounces, pounds, grams and kilograms for you, and fluid ounces, quarts, gallons, liters and milliliters.
• Count what you actually use. For toilet paper and paper towels, roll sizes differ, so compare by sheets (or square feet), not by rolls. For snacks, compare by ounces rather than "bags".
• Be honest about waste. If a third of the bag of spinach ends up in the trash, the Costco price per ounce you eat is higher than the tag says. That's what the "you'll actually use" box is for.
• Watch for sales at your store. A grocery sale can beat Costco for a week. Compare against what you'd normally pay.

Does it make the membership worth it?

The percentage this calculator shows is exactly the "how much cheaper" number the membership calculator asks for. Check a few things you buy often, and use a typical percentage there to see whether your savings cover the $65 fee. Executive members also get 2% back on most purchases, which makes Costco about 2% cheaper again; see if Executive is worth it.

Shelf tag endings can hint at a clearance price; see what the price tag codes mean. And if the price drops after you buy, Costco will refund the difference within 30 days: price adjustments.

The Costco steak hack: is a whole ribeye cheaper?

The "Costco steak hack" is buying a whole boneless ribeye (or strip loin) and cutting it into steaks yourself, instead of buying the steaks already cut. The whole piece costs less per pound, but you'll trim off some fat. Enter the prices on the two labels to see whether it pays off.

How the math works

When you trim fat off a whole ribeye, you paid for that fat too. So the real cost of your steaks is the price of the whole piece divided by the steak you keep. The whole ribeye is the better deal as long as that real price stays under the price of steaks already cut.

That gives a simple break-even: 1 minus (whole price ÷ cut price). At $12 a pound whole and $16 a pound cut, it's 25%: you could trim away up to a quarter of the weight and still come out ahead. Trim less than that and you save; trim more and the cut steaks were cheaper.

How much you trim depends on the piece and how lean you like your steaks, which is why the calculator asks you rather than guessing. If you weigh the trim once, you'll know your own number for next time.

Is it worth the work?

• You choose the thickness. Cutting your own means every steak is as thick as you like it.
• The trim isn't all waste. Some of what you cut away can go into stew meat, burgers or a stir-fry, which makes the real savings bigger than the calculator shows.
• You need room in the freezer. A whole ribeye makes a lot of steaks at once. Wrap the ones you won't cook in the next few days and freeze them.
• You need a sharp knife and a large cutting board. A whole ribeye is long and heavy.

The same math works for any whole cut against the same cut sold as steaks, like a whole strip loin against New York strip steaks. Just enter those prices instead.

The steak calculator uses only the numbers you enter; we don't assume a trim percentage because it varies too much from piece to piece.

Common questions

Is Costco always cheaper?

No. Bulk packs often have a lower unit price, but not always, and a sale at a regular grocery store can beat them. That's why it's worth comparing the unit price on the items you buy most.

What is a unit price?

The price divided by the amount: dollars per ounce, per pound, per sheet or per item. It lets you compare packs of different sizes fairly.

How do I compare toilet paper at Costco?

Use the sheet count on the package, not the number of rolls, and pick "sheets" on both sides. If the sheets are different sizes, square feet is fairer, and most packages list it.

What is the Costco steak hack?

Buying a whole, uncut piece of beef, usually a boneless ribeye, and cutting it into steaks at home, because the whole piece costs less per pound than the same steaks already cut. Use the steak hack calculator above.

How much do Costco ribeyes cost?

It varies by warehouse, grade and week, and Costco doesn't publish meat prices, so we don't list them. The price per pound is on every package label, which is all the calculator needs.

These calculators use only the prices and sizes you enter. We don't list Costco prices, which vary by warehouse and change often. See how we check our numbers.