Sparkling water price in Columbus.

How we got these numbers

• Instacart — Aldi:Category multiplier against Walmart base, adjusted for Midwest Urban ($3.83)
• Walmart+:Regional baseline ($4.17)
• Amazon Fresh (Prime):Category multiplier against Walmart base, adjusted for Midwest Urban ($4.58)
• Instacart — Whole Foods:Category multiplier against Walmart base, adjusted for Midwest Urban ($7.29)

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

Beverages — coffee, juice, soda — have the widest pricing band because shelf-pricing competition is fierce, but online delivery pricing often drops the in-store discounts.

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.

Sparkling water prices in other cities

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