The OCU checked more than 100,000 prices in 690 shops across 38 cities and more than a hundred other localities. Its 2026 comparison ranks Dani as Spain’s cheapest supermarket.
The Andalusian chain beats larger national rivals despite its smaller footprint. A household could save an average of €1,310 a year by changing where it shops. In Madrid capital, the gap between the cheapest and most expensive options reaches €4,381.
The ranking shows how much an ordinary household budget can shift depending on the store, especially in cities where prices differ sharply.
Family Cash takes second place. Tifer ranks third, with Alcampo fourth. Alcampo is the cheapest chain with nationwide coverage.
The study’s cheapest individual shop is again an Alcampo store at the Bonaire shopping centre in Aldaia, Valencia.
Researchers recorded prices between April and May. The basket contained 244 products covering food, drinks, household cleaning, detergents and personal hygiene.
It was designed to reflect routine household spending. The OCU based the comparison on more than a narrow set of promotional items.
Fresh produce and branded goods were assessed separately. Dani leads both the full basket and the fresh-food basket. Súper Carmela is cheapest for manufacturer brands.
Alcampo tops the economy basket, which contains 90 basic products. The earlier price breakdown also showed Lidl’s stronger position across Spain.
Prices continue to rise, but the annual increase has slowed. The complete basket costs 1.8% more than a year earlier, compared with a 2.5% increase in 2025.
Fresh food puts more pressure on household budgets. Prices in that category rose 4.7%, while fish increased by 8.6%. Tomatoes, lemons and some fish saw some of the steepest rises. Paper napkins, Canary Island bananas and artichokes became cheaper.
Results vary across major retailers. Eight of the 28 large chains in the study cut the price of their general basket. Carrefour Market recorded the biggest fall, followed by Lidl, Mercadona and Aldi. BM Urban and Ahorramás had some of the strongest increases.
Lidl’s local results shifted sharply. The chain was the cheapest option in 60 surveyed localities, up from 18 in the previous exercise.
Mercadona and Supeco also improved their positions. Local prices can tell a different story from the national ranking.
Sánchez Romero is again the most expensive supermarket. Supercor, Hipercor and El Corte Inglés are also near the top of the price table, costing close to 30% more than Dani.
The cheapest locations include Torrent, Villarreal and Santa Pola. Getxo, Pozuelo de Alarcón and Majadahonda are among the most expensive.
The difference can reach thousands of euros in some cities. Across Spain, the average possible saving is more than €1,000 a year.
Fresh food prices are rising faster than the full basket. Households that compare stores instead of relying on habit have the clearest chance to cut costs. RTVE, Expansión and ABC also reported the OCU’s findings, highlighting the estimated €1,310 annual saving from changing where a household shops.
