With grocery prices still running high across Quebec, even the basics like fruits and vegetables can make a noticeable dent at the checkout. Meat often gets most of the attention for sticker shock, but your weekly haul of bananas, apples, carrots, lettuce, and tomatoes isn’t always as cheap as it looks.
To find out where Montreal shooper are actually getting the best deals, we priced out five everyday produce staples at six major chains: IGA, Metro, Super C, Provigo, Maxi, and Walmart.
To keep things fair, we stuck to regular, non-organic versions and converted everything to a per-kilogram price. Bag sizes and formats vary quite a bit between stores, so breaking it down this way shows exactly how much you’d pay for the same quantity no matter where you shop.
Here’s what our basket looked like:
- Bananas (1 kg)
- McIntosh apples (3 lb bag ≈ 1.36 kg)
- Carrots (2 lb bag ≈ 0.907 kg)
- Iceberg lettuce (per head)
- Tomatoes (1 kg)
Bananas (1 kg)
- IGA: $2.00
- Metro: $1.96
- Super C: $1.52
- Provigo: $1.96
- Maxi: $1.52
- Walmart: $1.52
Bananas are one of the cheapest staples on the list, but the small gaps still add up if you buy them weekly. Super C, Maxi, and Walmart all tie for the lowest price at $1.52/kg. IGA lands at the top end at $2/kg (nearly a third more for the same fruit).
McIntosh Apples (3 lb ≈ 1.36 kg)
- IGA: $4.99
- Metro: ~$8.95 (based on $6.59/kg)
- Super C: ~$2.23 (based on $2.97 for 1.81 kg)
- Provigo: ~$6.02 (based on $8.00 for 1.81 kg)
- Maxi: ~$5.27 (based on $7.00 for 1.81 kg)
- Walmart: $3.97
Apple prices vary dramatically. Super C is by far the cheapest for the same 3 lb quantity, while Metro charges more than double most of the competition when not on sale. Walmart and IGA are the middle ground.
Carrots (per kg)
- IGA: $2.49
- Metro: $2.99
- Super C: $2.99
- Provigo: ~$2.33 (based on $3.50 for 1.36 kg)
- Maxi: ~$1.00 on sale (based on $1.50 for 1.36 kg)
- Walmart: ~$1.62 (based on $2.44 for 1.36 kg)
Maxi wins this category easily, offering the same two pounds of carrots for about $1.00 on sale ($1.50 regular price). Walmart also undercuts most traditional grocers at $1.62, while IGA, Metro, and Super C hover closer to $3.
Iceberg Lettuce (based on average head weight)
- IGA: $2.00 (sale, usually $2.99)
- Metro: $2.49
- Super C: $1.97
- Provigo: $2.99
- Maxi: $2.99
- Walmart: $2.84
Lettuce doesn’t swing quite as widely as other produce, but Super C and IGA’s sale price nearly tie for cheapest, both under $2. Provigo and Maxi are the highest at $2.99.
Tomatoes (per kg)
- IGA: $7.70
- Metro: $8.80
- Super C: $6.59
- Provigo: $4.41
- Maxi: $3.31 (sale, usually $4.41)
- Walmart: $4.90
Tomatoes show the biggest spread. Metro tops the list at $8.80/kg, while Maxi’s $3.31 sale price is less than half that. Provigo and Walmart sit around the mid-range.
Which store is the cheapest overall?
Here’s what our full basket (bananas 1 kg, apples 1.36 kg, carrots 0.907 kg, lettuce 1 head, tomatoes 1 kg) costs at each chain:
- IGA: $19.19
- Metro: $25.21
- Super C: $15.30
- Provigo: $17.70
- Maxi: $14.08
- Walmart: $14.85
Overall winner: Maxi
Maxi’s ultra-cheap carrots and sale tomatoes make it the clear winner, with Walmart a close second. Super C lands third, while Provigo and IGA sit in the higher range. Metro is easily the most expensive overall, thanks largely to its apple and tomato prices.
