Maine Has Two of the Most Affordable Grocery Stores in the U.S.

If you’re looking to stretch your dollar in Maine, these grocery stores may be your best bet.

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We’ve recently discussed how Maine is home to one of the most expensive grocery stores in America; now, let’s explore the flip side of the coin.

First, what is the most expensive grocery store in Maine?

As we’ve established, the most expensive grocery store in the country has a location in our Pine Tree State. Unsurprisingly, it’s situated in the southern part of our state, in its most populated city.

There's only one Whole Foods Market in Maine, and naturally, it's in our largest city. Our Whole Foods Market is located on Somerset St. in Portland and first opened its doors in February 2007; since then, it has remained Maine’s only Whole Foods Market.

Whole Foods Market is the largest American chain of supermarkets specializing in natural and organic foods. Therefore, when dealing with 'natural' and 'organic' products, it's no surprise that prices tend to be a bit higher.

But what are the most affordable grocery stores in Maine?

The publication U.S. News recently released a list of 'the 7 Cheapest Grocery Stores in the U.S.,' and while not all of these grocers are in our state, a couple are!

The stores listed in the publication but not in Maine include ALDI, Woodman's Markets, WinCo Foods, Lidl, and Grocery Outlet.

The first store listed that is in Vacationland is Market Basket.

Maine boasts a couple of Market Baskets in our state, one in Biddeford and another in Westbrook. U.S. News had the following to say about Market Basket:

Market Basket, a popular discount grocery store in New England, began in 1917 as a single grocery store in Lowell, Massachusetts. Over the years, it has grown, evolved and switched hands but continues to be known for quality food products and affordable prices.

The second store listed that is in Maine is Costco.

Costco is relatively new to Maine, having opened its first location in our state in November 2023. U.S. News had the following to say about Costco:

Costco is a well-known membership warehouse club that started in 1976 as Price Mart in San Diego. Today, it operates in eight countries and is one of the largest retailers in the world. The company's mission is to bring customers brand-name merchandise at the best possible prices. It specializes in wholesaling products, however, so it's a good solution only if you're shopping for grocery items in bulk.

Here is their complete list:

7. Costco

6. Grocery Outlet

5. Market Basket

4. Lidl

3. WinCo Foods

2. Woodman's Markets

1. ALDI