As of 23 Oct 2026, PAK'nSAVE is the cheapest supermarket in New Zealand across the whole catalogue. On the same products it is on average 9.0% cheaper than Woolworths and 13.4% cheaper than New World, and it was cheapest in every one of the 45 pricing areas we price.
Nationally: the three chains, head to head
Each row compares two chains on every product both of them sell, priced in each pricing area and averaged, weighted by how many people live in each area. Same products, same day, specials included.
| Comparison | Cheaper by | Products compared |
|---|---|---|
| PAK'nSAVE vs Woolworths | 9.0% | 7,725about 4,535 in an area |
| PAK'nSAVE vs New World | 13.4% | 17,062about 8,238 in an area |
| New World vs Woolworths | 8.1% | 7,216about 6,143 in an area |
"Cheaper by" is the saving as a share of the dearer chain's total for the same products, about that many dollars in every $100. PAK'nSAVE and New World are both Foodstuffs and share product codes, so that pair compares every product both list; the pairs with Woolworths compare the 7,725 products both sell in the same brand and pack size. The PAK'nSAVE vs Woolworths row is the figure quoted across this site.
By island
North Island
PAK'nSAVE
On average 10.0% cheaper than Woolworths and 13.3% cheaper than New World on the same products, across 44 pricing areas. Woolworths is 7.3% cheaper than New World.
South Island
PAK'nSAVE
On average 6.3% cheaper than Woolworths and 13.6% cheaper than New World on the same products, across 1 pricing area. Woolworths is 10.7% cheaper than New World.
New World and Woolworths price per island online, so within an island their prices do not change from area to area; PAK'nSAVE prices per store, which is where the local differences come from.
By region
Cheapest chain on the whole catalogue in each region, and how much cheaper it is than the next-cheapest chain there. Regions are groups of PAK'nSAVE pricing areas.
| Region | Cheapest | Cheaper by |
|---|---|---|
| Auckland18 pricing areas | 10.0%than Woolworths; 13.5% than New World | |
| Canterbury1 pricing area | 6.3%than Woolworths; 13.6% than New World | |
| Wellington7 pricing areas | 10.3%than Woolworths; 12.9% than New World | |
| Waikato5 pricing areas | 9.9%than Woolworths; 13.6% than New World | |
| Bay of Plenty5 pricing areas | 9.8%than Woolworths; 13.0% than New World | |
| Manawatu-Whanganui2 pricing areas | 10.0%than Woolworths; 13.0% than New World | |
| Northland2 pricing areas | 10.2%than Woolworths; 13.5% than New World | |
| Hawke's Bay3 pricing areas | 9.9%than Woolworths; 13.2% than New World | |
| Taranaki2 pricing areas | 9.9%than Woolworths; 12.9% than New World |
"Cheaper by" is the cheapest chain's saving against the next-cheapest on the products both sell, then against the third chain. Areas are weighted by population.
By category: who wins each aisle
The same catalogue split by aisle. A category only gets a winner where each pair of chains has at least 20 of its products in common in an area.
| Category | Cheapest | Cheaper by |
|---|---|---|
| Pantry | 7.6%than Woolworths; 11.6% than New World | |
| Health & body | 13.3%than Woolworths; 19.6% than New World | |
| Snacks & treats | 8.2%than Woolworths; 15.4% than New World | |
| Dairy, deli & eggs | 6.0%than Woolworths; 12.2% than New World | |
| Drinks | 6.2%than Woolworths; 16.7% than New World | |
| Household & cleaning | 7.6%than Woolworths; 14.8% than New World | |
| Frozen | 4.5%than Woolworths; 12.7% than New World | |
| Pets | 3.9%than Woolworths; 14.8% than New World | |
| Baby & toddler | 14.4%than Woolworths; 16.6% than New World | |
| Bakery | 8.5%than Woolworths; 10.7% than New World | |
| Fresh produce | 12.5%than New World; 10.1% than Woolworths | |
| Meat & seafood | 4.9%than Woolworths; 7.6% than New World |
Category figures cover only the products in that aisle, averaged across the areas where the category clears the floor; sorted by how many products PAK'nSAVE and Woolworths have in common. For a full per-product view, open the browse pages, the staple prices (milk, butter, eggs, mince and more), or the per-aisle answers: meat, bread, cleaning.
How this is worked out
Every figure on this page comes from the same nightly read of the retailers' own online shelf prices that powers the rest of this site. PAK'nSAVE is priced per store pricing area (45 areas on this page), New World and Woolworths per island, Woolworths at non-member prices, and current specials are included. The comparison is the whole catalogue, not a basket: every product two chains both sell, matched product for product (same brand, same pack size). Pack sizes that differ are left out rather than scaled, and a same-pack pair more than 2.5 times apart is treated as a mismatch, not a saving. Areas are weighted by the number of people who live in them, so a city counts for more than a small town.
The headline is groceries only: no fuel and no time. Whether the cheaper chain is worth the drive depends on where you live, which is what the main tool answers once you set a location, using the fuel-and-time method explained on how it works. An area needs at least 25 products in common for each pair before it counts. Generated 23 Oct 2026; the page is rebuilt every night.
Questions people ask
Which supermarket is the cheapest in NZ?
As of 23 Oct 2026, PAK'nSAVE is the cheapest supermarket in New Zealand across the whole catalogue. On the same products it is on average 9.0% cheaper than Woolworths and 13.4% cheaper than New World, and it was cheapest in every one of the 45 pricing areas we price.
Is New World cheaper than Woolworths?
Woolworths was on average 8.1% cheaper than New World as of 23 Oct 2026, on the 7,725 products both sell in the same brand and pack size, Woolworths at non-member prices. New World and PAK'nSAVE are both Foodstuffs brands.
How much cheaper is the cheapest supermarket?
As of 23 Oct 2026, PAK'nSAVE is on average 9.0% cheaper than Woolworths and 13.4% cheaper than New World on the same products, about $13.40 in every $100 against New World, before any fuel or time is counted. The gap differs by region and by aisle; the tables on this page show each one.
Where to next
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