I compared the price of organic groceries at Walmart and Whole Foods and found the latter was more competitive than I expected

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

• I compared prices of organic produce, meat, and dairy at Whole Foods and Walmart in the same area.
• Whole Foods has a far bigger selection, with nearly every item listed as organic.

Whole Foods sells mostly organic and natural products, but it's also known for high prices.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Walmart, however, is known for affordable prices with the majority of shelf space dedicated to non-organic products.

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I visited both stores in the Buffalo, New York area to see where to get the better deal on organic groceries.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Whole Foods easily has the greater selection, with organic products prominently displayed and organic varieties of just about every item.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Walmart has plenty of produce, but the organic options are much scarcer and all grouped together.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Walmart has the lower price on a bunch of organic celery, at $2.36 compared to $2.99 at Whole Foods.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Broccoli, though, is a better deal at Whole Foods at $2.99 per pound, a savings of 67 cents over Walmart.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Organic cauliflower had one of the biggest price disparities.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

It was $5.46 for a head of cauliflower at Whole Foods, compared to $3.86 at Walmart.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Green kale was pricier at Walmart at $7.12 per pound, with a difference of nearly $2 per pound.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Walmart won the lower price on carrots at $1.96 per bunch, though Whole Foods wasn't too much pricier at $2.29.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Organic avocados came out to $2.50 at Whole Foods and $1.66 at Walmart.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Yellow onions were priced closely at both stores, at $1.42 per pound at Walmart and $1.66 per pound at Whole Foods.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Organic garlic is a slightly better deal at Whole Foods, with savings of about 20 cents per pound.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Bananas are a bit pricier at Whole Foods, at 79 cents per pound, versus 62 cents per pound at Walmart.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

The same patterns in produce held true for meat.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Whole Foods was the more expensive destination for organic ground beef priced at $8.99 per pound, over a dollar more than Walmart's $7.28 price.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts were $6.68 per pound at Walmart, much less than the $9.99 price at Whole Foods.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

A half gallon of store-brand milk was slightly more affordable at Whole Foods, priced at $4.49 for a savings of 35 cents.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Generally, I found that organic items were priced lower at Walmart, with the biggest savings on meat.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

The selection is much more limited at Walmart, though.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Despite its reputation, there are definitely some deals that are better at Whole Foods, so customers would have to visit both stores to truly get all the lowest prices.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Someone who tries to eat organic but doesn't mind buying some non-organic food would probably be better served by Walmart, where they could get the lowest prices.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

A committed consumer of organic foods would probably want to stick to Whole Foods, which has hundreds of organic items that aren't available at Walmart.

Mary Meisenzahl/Insider

Do you have a story to share about a retail or restaurant chain? Email this reporter at mmeisenzahl@businessinsider.com.