Vegetarian Mid-Week Basket: Save $15 at Aldi
This week's vegetarian mid-week basket costs $48.93 at Aldi versus $65.33 at IGA, a $16.40 difference on the same 14 items. Here's where the savings actually come from.
Chick Peas×3
Coles$2.85
Lentils×2
Coles$1.90
Halloumi Cheese 225g
Aldi$4.99
Firm Tofu 450g
Aldi$2.59
White Cup Mushrooms 500g
Aldi$6.29
Cage Free Eggs 12 Pack
Coles$5.70
Pasta Penne 500g×2
Aldi$1.78
Tomato Pasta Sauce 500g
Aldi$1.69
Essentials Diced Tomatoes 400g×2
Woolworths$1.90
Woolworths Onion Brown Bag 1kg
Woolworths$2.50
Garlic 3 Pack
Aldi$2.99
Baby Spinach 120g
Aldi$1.99
Jasmine Rice 1kg
Aldi$2.99
Organic Extra Virgin Olive Oil 500ml
Aldi$7.99Every item at all 4 stores
| Item | Coles | Woolworths | Aldi | IGA |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| chickpeas 400 g · × 3 | ||||
| lentils 400 g · × 2 | ||||
| halloumi 200 g | ||||
| firm tofu 375 g | — | |||
| cup mushrooms 500 g | — | |||
| free range eggs 12 pack | ||||
| penne 500 g · × 2 | ||||
| pasta sauce 500 g | ||||
| diced tomatoes 400 g · × 2 | ||||
| brown onions 1 kg | ||||
| garlic 3 pack | ||||
| baby spinach 120 g | ||||
| jasmine rice 1 kg | ||||
| olive oil 500 ml |
This week's vegetarian mid-week basket runs to 14 items, enough protein, veg and pantry staples to get a household through three or four meat-free dinners. The price difference across stores is real, and it's not subtle.
What the Basket Costs at Each Store
Fill the whole trolley at one store and here's what you'll pay:
- Aldi: $48.93
- Coles: $56.85
- Woolies: $63.10
- IGA: $65.33 (two items weren't available)
Aldi's headline number is $7.92 cheaper than Coles, $14.17 cheaper than Woolies, and over $16 cheaper than IGA. For a basket people are buying every week or fortnight, that difference stacks up fast.
The cherry-pick, grabbing each item from whichever store sells it cheapest, gets you to $48.15. That's only 78 cents less than just doing your whole shop at Aldi. More on whether that's actually worth it below.
Where Aldi Wins Big
The fridge items are where Aldi pulls away from the pack.
Halloumi is a good example. It's the kind of ingredient that can quietly blow out a grocery budget because it's priced so differently store to store. Aldi has a 200 g pack for $4.99. That's a solid price for squeaky, grill-ready halloumi, and it's the cheapest in this basket across all four stores.
Firm tofu at Aldi is $2.59 for 375 g. Tofu is one of those things that looks cheap anywhere until you compare properly, Aldi's price holds up well and makes a stir-fry or laksa genuinely economical.
Penne (500 g) comes in at $0.89 at Aldi, both packs in this basket. At Coles, you're paying more. Same for the pasta sauce at $1.69 and baby spinach at $1.99 for 120 g. These individual gaps aren't dramatic, but they compound across 14 items.
Jasmine rice (1 kg) is $2.99 at Aldi. That's a reasonable weekly staple price, and it rounds out the pantry section where Aldi leads on five of the items.
Where the Prices Are Basically the Same
Not everything breaks Aldi's way.
Diced tomatoes (400 g, two tins) are cheapest at Woolies at $0.95 each, Coles and Aldi aren't far behind, so this isn't a category to stress over. Brown onions (1 kg) go to Woolies at $2.50, and olive oil (500 ml) is cheapest at Woolies at $4.00.
The three cheapest-at-Coles items are chickpeas at $0.95 per 400 g tin, lentils at $0.95, and free range eggs (12-pack) at $5.70. The eggs price is interesting, free range eggs can vary a lot, and $5.70 for 12 is a decent result.
The honest read on the split: Aldi dominates dairy, fridge and most pantry. Coles is the better call on legumes and eggs. Woolies picks up a few fresh produce and pantry wins. IGA is competitive on nothing in this basket.
Is the Cherry-Pick Worth an Extra Trip?
Probably not this week.
The cherry-pick total is $48.15, against Aldi's single-store total of $48.93. The gap is 78 cents. Unless you're passing Coles or Woolies anyway, the fuel, time and mental load of a second shop costs you far more than that.
The one exception: if you're already a regular Coles shopper and you're picking up chickpeas, lentils and eggs at Coles prices anyway, you'll save a few dollars by grabbing the fridge items at Aldi on a separate run. That combination, Coles for legumes and eggs, Aldi for everything else, gets you close to the cherry-pick total without visiting every store on the list.
The Woolies-specific wins on olive oil, diced tomatoes and brown onions are small enough that they're not worth a dedicated trip. Just buy them wherever you're already shopping.
Who Should Shop Where
Aldi-first households, anyone buying for two or more adults, anyone cooking three-plus vegetarian dinners a week, anyone watching grocery spend closely, get the most from this basket. The $48.93 total is hard to beat, and you'll find almost everything you need in one shop.
Coles shoppers who already have a Flybuys habit don't need to switch entirely. The legumes and eggs are genuinely competitive, and if you're collecting points, the Coles total at $56.85 might still make sense for your circumstances. Just know you're paying about $8 more than Aldi for this particular basket.
Woolies shoppers are paying $63.10, which is the second-highest total. The Everyday Rewards points add some value back, but probably not $14 worth on a $63 shop.
IGA is a last resort for this basket. Two items weren't even available, and the $65.33 total on what's left is the priciest outcome. If IGA is your only option, it's worth knowing that chickpeas, lentils, penne and pasta sauce are all shelf-stable, you can stock up on those at Aldi or Coles during a less urgent shop and save meaningfully over time.
A mid-week vegetarian cook-up on a budget really does start and end at Aldi this week. The fridge items alone, halloumi and tofu, make the trip worthwhile.
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Frequently asked questions
Is it actually cheaper to be vegetarian at Australian supermarkets?
Generally yes. This basket, covering three to four mid-week vegetarian dinners, comes to $48.93 at Aldi. Meat-based equivalents typically run higher because protein cuts like chicken thigh or beef mince cost more per meal than chickpeas, lentils or tofu. That said, premium vegetarian items like halloumi can add up, so it depends on what you're cooking.
Does Aldi always win on vegetarian groceries?
Not always, but it wins on this basket. Aldi is cheapest on halloumi, tofu, penne, pasta sauce, baby spinach, jasmine rice and cup mushrooms. Coles beats Aldi on chickpeas, lentils, free range eggs and garlic. Woolies is cheapest on diced tomatoes, brown onions and olive oil. The overall Aldi total is still the lowest because it wins on more items, including the pricier fridge categories.
Is cherry-picking across multiple stores worth it for vegetarian groceries?
For this basket, no. The cherry-pick total is $48.15 compared to $48.93 for a full Aldi shop, a difference of 78 cents. The time and fuel cost of visiting multiple stores will far outweigh that saving. The one sensible split is doing your main shop at Aldi and picking up chickpeas, lentils and eggs at Coles if you're already going there.
What's the cheapest source of protein in this vegetarian basket?
Chickpeas and lentils are the clear winners at $0.95 per 400 g tin at Coles. Firm tofu at $2.59 for 375 g at Aldi is also excellent value per serve. Free range eggs at $5.70 for 12 at Coles work out to under 50 cents per egg. Halloumi at $4.99 for 200 g is the priciest protein in the basket, though it tends to be used in smaller amounts.