Spaghetti price in Columbus.

How we got these numbers

• Instacart — Aldi:Category multiplier against Walmart base, adjusted for Midwest Urban ($1.06)
• Walmart+:Live observation from May 11 ($1.10)
• Amazon Fresh (Prime):Category multiplier against Walmart base, adjusted for Midwest Urban ($1.33)
• Instacart — Whole Foods:Category multiplier against Walmart base, adjusted for Midwest Urban ($2.31)

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

Pantry staples (rice, pasta, flour) carry the smallest absolute price differences but the largest percentage gap — Aldi's private label routinely runs 40-60% under branded equivalents.

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.

Spaghetti prices in other cities

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