7 Costco Items That Are Seriously Overpriced

We tend to think of Costco as the holy grail of savings. Sure, you have to pay that pesky membership fee, but as a result, you're rewarded with bulk items that save you more money than if you buy them individually, in smaller sizes. Well, that's what we think, at least. The truth is far more complicated. While it's certainly true that buying from Costco can save you a fair amount of money on certain items, other items really aren't that cheap. Some everyday items are in fact way more expensive at Costco than in other stores, despite the fact that you're getting more of it.

That means that you're not just overspending for some of the classic reasons that bulk buying can be cost-ineffective, such as ending up with more of an item than you need and ending up throwing it out. You're putting down cold, hard cash that you could and should be spending elsewhere to save some dollars. In this article, we decided to take a long look at Costco's prices, and suss out exactly which goods in its stores are cheaper in other places. While we were looking at stores based specifically in California for our price comparisons, we'd imagine that these differences are the same across the board. Get ready to save some serious money, people.

There's an old inherited wisdom that comes with buying cuts of chicken at Costco: Buy them in bulk and freeze them, and you'll end up saving way more money than if you bought them in smaller packs. That seems true, until you actually look at the price of chicken at Costco compared to other stores. Packs of boneless, skinless Kirkland Signature Chicken Breasts costs $3.09 per pound in Californian Costco stores, based on delivery price. Head to Target, though, and you'll pay way less: Its packs of Conventional Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts come in at $2.69 per pound. No matter how you spin it, you're paying less.

Plus, if you head elsewhere, you'll get an even better saving. Skip on down to Walmart and buy its Freshness Guaranteed Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breasts, and you'll pay $2.67 per pound, even less than its competitors. These differences might seem small, but these things add up, and when you're buying in bulk you can end up paying a lot of dollars more for the same product. It's worth pointing out, too, that all of these brands are the stores' private label offering, so it's not like there's a significant difference in the quality or any flavorings. It's just chicken, and you're overpaying at Costco.

If you're buying tomatoes at Costco, you're likely looking for a lot of them — and you'd also be forgiven for expecting that in return for buying them in bulk, you'll get a cheaper price. Sadly, if you think this, you're mistaken. If you buy tomatoes on the vine from Costco to throw into your Greek salad, you can expect to pay around $2.05 per pound. Elsewhere, these tomatoes are way cheaper: Go to the Walmart down the street, and the exact same product is $1.98 per pound.

Now, look: We know that's not a massive price difference. However, you have to think about how many you're buying here. If the appeal of buying them at Costco is that you're getting a big bunch, you don't want that amount to also be more expensive than other stores, right? Plus, if you're suckered into buying them at Costco when you don't actually need a huge amount, you run the risk of them going bad before you get a chance to use them. Tomatoes only stay fresh for around several days, and if your massive box from Costco starts to rot on you, you'll be wasting money in an entirely new way.

Of all the Costco items out there that are overpriced, a simple gallon of milk has to take the top spot. It's pretty staggering how expensive Kirkland Signature milk is compared to pretty much exactly the same product at Walmart, Ralphs, or pretty much any supermarket. Kirkland Signature Whole Milk, for example, comes in at around $4.96 to the gallon at Costco. At Walmart, a gallon of Great Value Whole Vitamin D Milk comes in at $3.82. Head to Ralphs, and you'll pay $4.49 as a regular price, or $3.99 when it's being sold as a snap sale. Whichever way you spin it, though, all these prices are cheaper than if you go to Costco.

It's worth pointing out that the milk at Costco that we're comparing isn't organic (as far as we can see, at least), so there's no real reason why it should be more expensive. It's also important to think about how much you may stand to lose if you're buying your milk at the bulk buy store. If you end up with a two-count of gallon-sized milk from Costco, but you only use one, you're both paying more for the raw product and potentially losing money if you have to pour some of it away.

If you're planning on making a couple of apple pies, it seems like it'd make sense to go to Costco first. Not only can you pick up all your baking ingredients there, but you can also grab one of its 5-pound bags of apples, which seem to be at a fairly reasonable price. Unfortunately, that's not quite the case. Apples at Costco tend to be more expensive than at other stores, and when you're working with such large quantities, things can add up.

Take its Honeycrisp apples as an example. A 5-pound bag of these apples will cost you $11.79, or $2.36 per pound. Seems pretty cheap, but buy the same apples at a Walmart down the road and you'll pay just $2.28 per pound, or $6.83 for a 3-pound bag. If you head to Aldi, things get even cheaper. You can pick up a 2-pound bag of Honeycrisp apples and have them delivered (via Instacart) for just $3.95 at a regular price, making the per-pound price approximately $1.97 each. Plus, you may even nab yourself a price drop when ordering online, which can reduce the price of these apples even more. Oh, and you won't be left with loads of excess produce that you may have to throw out.

Salmon isn't the cheapest protein out there, so it makes sense to try and keep your costs down as much as possible. While Costco has become a go-to destination for salmon lovers, shopping there may see you spending way more than you should. Its Fresh Farmed Atlantic Salmon Portions are usually sold in 4-pound portions, and you can expect to pay just over $11 for each pound of fish ($11.09, to be precise). In some places, it may cost even more, and while people rave about its good quality, there's no denying that it'll set your wallet back a fair amount.

So don't be tempted by the bright lights of Costco, and instead go somewhere that sells cheaper salmon. Walmart's Marketside Skinless Atlantic Salmon Fillet comes in at approximately $10.38 per pound, and although it's not the fanciest option out there, customers still praise its fresh and mild taste. Shopping at somewhere like Aldi will give you even cheaper access to the same type of salmon, with a pound of its Fresh Never Frozen Atlantic Salmon costing $9.19 when it's priced normally. Aldi's salmon has also been praised for its steak-like consistency, with reviewers ranking it as better than comparative products from Trader Joe's and other retailers. Speaking of Trader Joe's, its Fresh Atlantic Boneless Salmon is cheaper than Costco too — you'll pay $9.99 per pound for that bad boy.

Avocados are one of those Costco groceries that are likely to shoot up in price soon – and while that may not be exclusive to the bulk-buy store (thank you, tariffs), it's fair to say that they were already pretty expensive there. Costco's avocados are deceptively pricey when you compare them to other stores, with a bag of six Hass avocados coming in at $11.39, or $1.90 per avocado. It doesn't take a genius to figure out that's almost double the price you'll be paying at Target, with the store's Good & Gather Hass avocados costing around 97 cents per fruit, or $3.89 for a four-count bag.

You can get them even cheaper at Walmart, too. Each of the supermarket's Fresh Produce Hass avocados costs 96 cents. Now, it is worth pointing out that some people have reported that Costco avocados are routinely larger than the types you get at other stores, and some people may also find them to be better quality. However, there's no definitive proof that's the case across all Costco stores, so it's always worth shopping around, especially if you're going to end up paying half the amount.

The humble banana doesn't make much of a fuss, does it? Versatile, portable, and as delicious in banana bread as it is in a smoothie — it's hardly a controversial fruit. However, what is controversial is how much Costco charges you for them. Costco bananas are way more expensive than other stores for reasons we can't quite figure out, with each pound of bananas costing you 63 cents. You have to buy several pounds of them, too, so increase the risk of them going mushy before you have a chance to eat them.

Go to pretty much any other store, and they're much cheaper. At Walmart, bananas cost around 50 cents per pound, and can be bought individually at between 26 and 30 cents per fruit, depending on sale pricing. At Trader Joe's, the individual price of bananas (and therefore, we can assume, the per-pound price) is cheaper, with every single banana costing 23 cents. Plus, it's not like you can't buy more than one: Costco promises bulk buys for everyone, but what's stopping you from loading your basket up with as many bananas as you need at these stores? To top it all off, remember that you're paying a membership fee on top of that price, which kinda makes them even more expensive. Save your money, people!