Bagels, plain price in Columbus.

How we got these numbers

• Instacart — Aldi:Category multiplier against Walmart base, adjusted for Midwest Urban ($2.35)
• Walmart+:Regional baseline ($2.76)
• Amazon Fresh (Prime):Category multiplier against Walmart base, adjusted for Midwest Urban ($3.31)
• Instacart — Whole Foods:Category multiplier against Walmart base, adjusted for Midwest Urban ($6.08)

Live observations come from public weekly ads (Aldi, Whole Foods) and BLS Average Retail Food Prices, refreshed daily. Estimates use a per-category multiplier calibrated to NPR, Consumer Reports, and Tasting Table grocery comparison studies.

Why this category prices the way it does

Bakery prices include same-day freshness costs — Whole Foods bakery markups are real, but the bread is typically baked in-store, which doesn't apply to Aldi's shelf-stable line.

Columbus grocery context

Columbus is well-served by Kroger (its largest physical presence in any US city), Giant Eagle, Meijer, Trader Joe's, and Whole Foods. Aldi has strong Columbus coverage — central Ohio has been an Aldi expansion priority since the 2010s. Ohio State University's presence creates a large student population that drives heavy delivery adoption near campus. Midwest pricing runs 7% below US average across all four services.

Columbus is one of the cheapest US metros for grocery delivery. Default to Instacart-Aldi for almost everything — the combination of Aldi's low prices plus the Midwest regional discount produces consistently the lowest baskets in our data.

Bagels, plain prices in other cities

• Indianapolis, IN
• Chicago, IL
• Charlotte, NC