Tilapia fillets, frozen price in Phoenix.

How we got these numbers

• Instacart — Aldi:Category multiplier against Walmart base, adjusted for West Urban ($5.49)
• Walmart+:Regional baseline ($6.46)
• Amazon Fresh (Prime):Category multiplier against Walmart base, adjusted for West Urban ($7.43)
• Instacart — Whole Foods:Category multiplier against Walmart base, adjusted for West Urban ($10.66)

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

Meat is the highest-variance category by retailer — Walmart's in-house meat program runs ~30% cheaper than Whole Foods' grass-fed/organic-leaning case for comparable cuts.

Phoenix grocery context

Phoenix's 100°F+ summers make grocery delivery less of a convenience and more of a heat-management strategy — same-day windows fill quickly from May through September. Fry's (Kroger), Safeway, Sprouts, and Bashas' all serve the metro via Instacart. Aldi has a growing but still-limited Phoenix footprint — most stores opened post-2022 in the West Valley and Tempe. Amazon Fresh's Phoenix-area fulfillment center supports reliable same-day delivery, even in peak summer.

For summer delivery, schedule before 10am to avoid afternoon heat affecting perishables (most services use insulated bags but produce can wilt). Walmart+ is the most consistently cheap option metro-wide; Sprouts via Instacart wins for organic produce.

Tilapia fillets, frozen prices in other cities

• Los Angeles, CA
• Denver, CO
• San Diego, CA
• San Jose, CA
• Seattle, WA