We picked 10 staples — the real contents of a Quebec family fridge — and compared prices across the big four: Maxi, Metro, IGA, and Super C.
To keep it fair, we used the cheapest brand at each store (house brands) and identical national brands (Catelli, Primo, Québon) where possible.
The result? An ~$11 gap between cheapest and most expensive. The winner is not who you’d expect.
The Basket
- 🥛 2% Milk 2L
- 🍞 White sandwich bread 675g
- 🥚 Large eggs 12-pack
- 🍗 Boneless skinless chicken breast (1 kg)
- 🧈 Unsalted butter 454g
- 🧀 Medium cheddar block 400g
- 🍝 Catelli spaghetti 500g
- 🥫 Primo tomato sauce 680ml
- 🍌 Bananas (1 kg)
- 🥦 Broccoli (1 head)
The Comparison
| Item | Maxi 🟡 | Metro 🔵 | IGA 🟢 | Super C 🔴 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 🥛 2% Milk 2L | Québon $4.60 | Québon $4.60 | Québon $4.60 | Québon $4.60 |
| 🍞 White bread 675g | No Name $3.00 | Selection $2.48 | Compliments $3.49 | ~$3.50 |
| 🥚 Large eggs 12 | No Name $4.17 | Selection $4.17 | Compliments $4.19 | Select $5.29 |
| 🍗 Chicken breast/kg | $14.97 | $22.68 | $15.41 | $16.51 |
| 🧈 Butter 454g | No Name $6.18 | Selection $6.49 | Compliments $6.99 | Selection $6.19 |
| 🧀 Cheddar block 400g | No Name $5.50 | Selection $6.99 | Compliments $6.99 | Selection $6.19 |
| 🍝 Catelli pasta | $2.29 (454g) | $2.79 (500g) | $3.29 (500g) | $2.29 (500g) |
| 🥫 Primo sauce | $2.49 | $3.49 | ~$2.79 | $2.49 |
| 🍌 Bananas/kg | $1.74 | $2.18 | $2.18 | $1.74 |
| 🥦 Broccoli | $3.00 | $2.99 | $1.79 | $3.99 |
| 💰 ESTIMATED TOTAL | ~$47.94 | ~$58.86 | ~$51.72 | ~$52.79 |
Regular shelf prices (not flyer specials). Prices vary by region. House brands used for fair comparison.
What It Means
🟡 Maxi — $47.94 (💰 Cheapest)
Maxi wins across the board. Chicken at $14.97/kg is $7.71 less than Metro for the exact same product. No Name brand delivers on dairy staples. Cheese and bananas are the cheapest of any store.
Best deals: chicken, cheese, bananas, pasta
🔵 Metro — $58.86 (⚠️ Most expensive by far)
Metro has a chicken problem. At $22.68/kg, that’s 51% more than Maxi. Even with competitive prices on bread ($2.48 — cheapest of the four) and broccoli ($2.99), the total basket price balloons.
Wins: bread ($2.48), eggs ($4.17), broccoli ($2.99)
Woes: chicken ($22.68/kg), Primo sauce ($3.49), bananas ($2.18/kg)
🟢 IGA — $51.72 (💪 Surprising)
IGA did much better than expected. With Québon milk at $4.60 (not just premium Natrel at $5.69), broccoli at a shockingly low $1.79, and chicken at $15.41/kg, the total is respectable. Butter ($6.99) and cheddar ($6.99) are pricier though.
Wins: broccoli ($1.79), chicken ($15.41/kg), eggs ($4.19)
Weak: butter ($6.99), cheddar ($6.99), Catelli pasta ($3.29)
🔴 Super C — $52.79 (Solid runner-up)
Super C holds its own with great prices on staples. Catelli pasta at $2.29, Primo sauce at $2.49, bananas at $1.74/kg — all unbeatable. Chicken at $16.51/kg is reasonable. But Select eggs at $5.29 are expensive compared to house brands elsewhere ($4.17).
Wins: pasta, sauce, bananas
Weak: eggs ($5.29), broccoli ($3.99)
The Bottom Line
Maxi vs Metro — ~$11/week, ~$570/year for a family of 4. And that’s just regular prices. Add flyer specials and the gap widens.
What surprised me most: IGA is way more competitive than its reputation suggests. At $51.72, it’s only $3.78 more than Maxi. With IGA flyer specials and Aéroplan points, it can be a smart play.
Metro though… Chicken at $22.68/kg is hard to justify. You save $0.11 on broccoli but pay $7.71 more for your poultry. The math doesn’t work.
The winning strategy? Do your base grocery run at Maxi or Super C, watch for IGA flyer deals, and save Metro for convenience runs or when you have solid coupons.
Want to compare your own grocery list? That’s exactly what Samoto does — we aggregate deals across all Quebec grocery chains to show you where the real savings are. Free, bilingual, built by a dad from Magog.
