An in-depth analysis of prices, customer service, and more of these two big box stores — the ultimate Costco versus Sam’s Club Comparison
Which is Better: Costco or Sam’s Club
This post was not endorsed in any way by either Costco or Sam’s Club. They don’t even know I exist!
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Costco versus Sam’s Club . . . all the greatest battles in life, right?
For a single person, or even two people, shopping at a warehouse store like Costco and Sam’s Club might not save you money.
In fact, you’ll probably spend more than you would have at a regular grocery store. I think that it’s definitely worth getting a membership there if you buy a lot of things in bulk.
I’ve found it to be a lot more cost-effective to shop at Costco for items we buy all the time (like meat, paper towels, snacks, etc.), and the quality is usually great.
It does take a little bit of effort to try and determine if you’re getting the best price, but it’s worth it to do.
I’ve been a life-time Costco-er. My parents always went there, and when Forrest and I got married, we started shopping there as well.
I had been in Sam’s Club once or twice in my life, but I never really had a chance to explore and see the difference between the two stores.
When I originally wrote this post in 2014, I had randomly gotten a Sam’s Club membership in the mail where we tried it out. Since then, we actually have had memberships to both warehouses.
There are things that I love about both places, and I think there are benefits to each club.
I decided to update this post with our experience at both, as well as current prices.
Keep in mind that these prices are specific to my area (Colorado). I have also broken it down as much as I can per pound/item. They aren’t always sold in the same quantity at both stores, so I felt this was the fairest way to do the comparison.
Just keep in mind that you likely will have to be more than one pound of something (especially in the produce!).
Most everything below is the generic brand (so Kirkland for Costco or Member’s Mark for Sam’s Club)
Does Costco or Sam’s Club have better prices?
This really depends on the items. I always recommend looking at the price per ounce.
Prices can vary seasonally and from region to region. Sam’s Club tends to have more brand name items, which can make it more convenient to shop there. I sometimes joke that it’s the junk food store. I find that Costco seems to have more natural and organic brands (which do tend to cost more).
For staples, they seem to be pretty similar in price. For instance, Sam’s Club and Costco both sell a rotisserie chicken for the same price!
When we compare prices, the difference in most of the items is pretty negligible, so I would recommend going to the one that has the widest variety of items that you would purchase on a regular basis.
Sam’s Club vs Costco Food Items
Produce
| ITEM | COSTCO | SAM’S |
| Bananas | .40/lb | .46/lb |
| Spinach | $3.39/lb | $3.98/lb |
| Organic Baby Carrots | $1.10/lb | $1.33/lb |
| Honey Crisp Apples | $2.54/lb | $1.89/lb |
| Clementines | $1/lb | 1.10/lb |
| Yellow Onions | .48/lb | .80/lb |
| Blueberries | .25/oz | .21/oz |
| Baking Potatoes | .33/lb | .38/lb |
| Mixed Peppers | $5.99 for 6 | $6.49 for 6 |
| Green seedless grapes | $2.50 per pound | $2.26 per pound |
Dairy:
| ITEM | COSTCO | SAM’S |
| 2% milk | $2.25/gallon (comes with 2) | $2.33/gallon |
| Organic 2% milk | $3.46/64 ounces | $3.49/64 ounces |
| Almond Milk | $3/64 ounces | $2.66/64 ounces |
| Eggs | 15 cents/egg | 17 cents/egg |
| Butter | $2.64/lb | $2.64/lb |
| Shredded Mozzarella | $2.16/lb | $2.99/lb |
| String Cheese | .15/piece | .19.piece |
| Plain Greek Yogurt | .12/oz | .09/oz |
| Shredded Mexican Cheese | $2.36/lb | $3.49/lb |
Meats:
| PRODUCT | COSTCO | SAM’S |
| Ground Beef | $2.59/lb (88%) | $2.95/lb (90%) |
| Organic Ground Beef | $4.99/lb (85%) | $5.99/lb (85%) |
| Ground Turkey | $2.79/lb | $2.20/lb |
| Chicken Breast | $2.79/lb | $1.72/lb |
| Rotisserie Chicken | $5.39/chicken | $4.98/chicken |
| Pork Loin Back Ribs | $2.29/lb | $2.18/lb |
| Brisket | $2.99/lb (whole) | $2.79/lb (whole) |
| Salmon | $9.99/lb | $8.98/lb |
| Bacon | $3.50/lb | $3.66 |
| Sausage Roll | $2.93/lb | $2.47/lb |
| Lunch Meat – Ham | $4.49/lb | $4.37/lb |
| Tyson Chicken Nuggets | $2.50/lb | $2.04/lb |
| Shrimp | $6.50/lb | $7.99/lb |
Is Sam’s Club meat as good as Costco?
It really depends on what meat you are looking at. I do think that Costco offers a wider variety – including higher-quality – cuts of meat.
However, if you are looking at their base-level meats, I really haven’t noticed too much of a difference.
Bakery
| PRODUCT | COSTCO | SAM’S |
| Bagels | .50/bagel | .50/bagel |
| Croissant | .50/croissant | .50/croissant |
| Sheet Cakes | $9.50/lb | $9.50/lb |
| Large Muffins | .67/muffin | .66/mufin |
| Dinner Rolls | .14/roll | .17/roll |
Non-Perishable Foods:
| PRODUCT | COSTCO | SAM’S |
| Peanut Butter | .10/oz | |
| Coconut Oil | .17/oz | .25/oz |
| Olive Oil | $4.25/liter | $6.66/liter |
| Canola Oil | $1.32/quart | $1.32/quart |
| Parmesan Cheese | .29/oz | .29/oz |
| Sugar | .54/lb | .59/lb |
| Chocolate Chips | .13/oz | .12/oz |
| Mayo | .10/oz | .10/oz |
| Cooking Spray | .15/oz | .29/oz |
| Bacon Crumbles | .50/oz | .50/oz |
| Canned Tomato Sauce | .04/oz | .03/oz |
| PB Pretzels | .16/oz | .15/oz |
Sams vs Costco Non Food Items
| PRODUCT | COSTCO | SAM’S |
| Paper Towels | .008/sheet | .007/sheet |
| Toilet Paper | .56/roll (425 sheets) | .41/roll (235 sheets) |
| Size One Diapers | .16/diaper | .12/diaper |
| Kitchen Trash Bags | .07/bag | .08/bag |
| Laundry Pods | .12/load | .15/load |
| AA Batteries | .28/battery | .28/battery |
| Vitafusion Women’s Multi-vitamin | .05/vitamin | .05/vitamin |
| Parchment Paper | .02/sq ft | .03/sq ft |
| Quart Freezer Bags | .06/bag | .06/bag |
| Wipes | .022/wipe | .016/wipe |
When I originally did this comparison back in 2013, Sam’s Club came in with better prices…so I was surprised to see that Costco was cheaper for almost everything I looked at.
Of course, if I didn’t mention the items you love, you might want to comparison shop for those specifically. But I tried to choose a wide variety.
Forrest and I feel like Costco has more organic and healthy products and brands – and more fun and unique products. Sam’s Club has more big names and convenience foods, which can be nice, too.
Here are two posts I’ve written about what we buy at each store that I feel make the membership worth getting:
I do really like getting my Sketcher’s shoes and other clothing items the most from Costco. Forrest loves the Adidas socks and jeans that he has gotten from there.
Costco vs Sams Membership Costs
How much is a Costco membership compared to Sam’s Club?
Costco has a couple of different membership options:
- Gold Star Membership: $60, for mainly personal use
- Business Membership: $60, can be used for personal and business use. You can purchase up to five more memberships at $55 on this plan for employees/family members. Honestly, I don’t see that there’s really any difference between this and the Gold Star Membership — enlighten me if you know!
- Executive Membership: $120, and it includes a 2% money back at the end of the year, and apparently other perks. We actually recently signed up for this, because no matter what, you’ll get $60 cashback at the end of the year. If you earn more than that, you’ll start to see the benefits of this membership.
Sam’s Club has two membership options and you can see a comparison chart of the two here. The prices for Sam’s Savings and Business both increased by about $10
- Sam’s Club Membership: $45
- Sam’s Plus: $100, you get additional discounts on products with this one, free shipping from their website, and early shopping hours, as well as 2% cash back on all purchases.
I have seen both of these companies offer Groupon deals lately that make the memberships super cheap, and you get some cool coupons!
Sam’s Club has a one-day pass (free) that you can use if you don’t have a membership and just want to try it out, but you do have to pay an added fee that members don’t have to pay.
At Costco, if someone gives you a gift card, you don’t need a membership to use it — plus, anyone can use their pharmacy!
Costco or Sam’s Club Food Court
Both food courts have the staples — pizza, hot dogs, and soft drinks. However, we felt like Costco offered more variety. I feel like they offer some healthier options as well (at least at our local Costco). When we lived in Utah, they even had Gelato.
At our Costco, you can order food while you are checking out, which is kind of nice because it stinks to have to wait in line to get your groceries, and then go wait in a mile-long line to order food!
Costco vs Sam’s Samples
I definitely prefer the samples at Costco more, simply because they typically have more and a larger variety.
There is almost always some kind of sample available when we go to Costco, though I think the best time is between 1:30 and 4 PM.
However, we often go to Sam’s Club, and there isn’t a sample insight. Before a big holiday, they usually have them. But if it’s just a random day in the middle of the week, more often than not, our Sam’s Club doesn’t have anything out.
Costco vs Sam’s Club when Checking Out
I LOVE that Sam’s Club added their Scan ‘n Go option a few years ago. I absolutely love it.
Basically, you just scan your items on their app as you go, pay through the app when you are done, and you can completely bypass the checkout line. Here is a video I did about it:
I also like that our Sam’s Club has self-checkout. The Costco that was by our house at our first home in Colorado had these for awhile, and then they took them out.
At our current Costco, they just have regular checkouts, but they are pretty efficient and get you through the line very quickly.
I will say that our Costco is always SO busy, and Sam’s Club never is. So sometimes if we know both stores have what we need, we will go to Sam’s just because it’s generally a less chaotic experience.
Costco or Sam’s Club Friendliness
When I originally wrote this post, I complained about the Costco employees not being very friendly.
This was at the store we went to in Orem, Utah. And they were SO grumpy.
However, since moving to Colorado, I have yet to encounter a grumpy Costco worker. Most everyone that works at the one we go to seems to genuinely enjoy working there
I don’t have any complaints against any of the Sam’s Club employees either. They don’t seem quite as friendly as the ones at our current Costco, but they aren’t rude or unpleasant to be around, either.
Sams vs Costco Coupon Policy
Both companies send out monthly mailers with coupons, some of which you have to have in order to use in-store, and others just to inform you of a deal going on.
One thing that’s neat about Sam’s Club is that you can load coupons onto your card, and sometimes, you get free items just because — for instance, we recently got a free rotisserie chicken, just because they wanted to give us one.
With Costco’s coupon, don’t worry about cutting out the coupons you want to use. You can simply hand the book to the cashier after you are ready to pay, and when they scan it, any eligible coupons will be applied.
If you want to use manufacturers or outside coupons, you’re out of luck. Neither Sam’s Club or Costco accept these types of coupons.
One thing I learned recently about Costco, though, is when a price ends in 7, you should stock up — it’s been marked down by corporate, and it’s about as low as it will ever be.
Sam’s Club vs Costco Grocery Pickup or Delivery
Sam’s Club offers club pickup at no additional cost, which is nice if you are in a hurry.
Costco doesn’t offer this, but they are an Instacart partner, so if you want to have your groceries delivered, this is a good option to look into.
Sams vs Costco Return Policy
Costco has the best return policy of pretty much any store I’ve gone to.
There has been several times that we’ve had to go and return something, and they’ve done it with no question.
For instance, a few weeks ago, after we had used two packages of butter, we discovered that the contents of the third package was completely messed up, and when we took it back, they gave us two packages with no further question.
With the exception of some electronics (which must be returned within 90 for a full refund), they stand behind their products 100%, and offer a full refund on their products if you aren’t 100% satisfied.
I just read about someone who took back a BBQ that was clearly over a year or two old that had started to rust, and they happily gave him a refund.
While I certainly don’t advocate taking back every product back to Costco once you’re done with it, you can buy products at Costco knowing that if you aren’t satisfied, you will get your money back, no questions asked.
Plus, if you don’t have the receipt, no problem. They can look up information with your ID number, and you can make in store returns with products that were purchased online.
And, if at any time you aren’t satisfied with your Costco membership, you can get it fully refunded (more information can be found here and here.)
As for Sam’s Club’s return policy, I’ve found numerous complaints about it. While they state that they have a 100% guarantee on their products and memberships, there are more stipulations than you find at Costco.
If you purchase something online, it can be returned for cash if you have the receipt, but only a Sam’s gift card otherwise.
And within that policy, certain things are excluded — such as televisions and other electronics — you have to have the original receipt.
This person tried to return a TV from SamsClub.com that was sent to them with a cracked screen and was pretty much told too bad, they had nothing to do with online orders.
For in-store purchases, you will only receive the last sales price of the product without a receipt (more information can be found here and here.)
Conclusion:
When all is said and done, Costco is my favorite.
After researching both companies, I feel like Costco treats their employees the best, and I agree with their business practices more.
According to this article, Costco runs the cheapest and happiest company in the world.
This resource showed that Costco’s average wage is $17.13 an hour, though that is skewed by the higher wage a warehouse manager gets. Stockers and Cashiers maker closer to $14 per hour on average.
Sam’s Club has an average wage of $12.07, with a cashier making $10.67 per hour on average (source).
If you are looking for the cheapest membership, I would probably go with Sam’s Club. I also feel like they have more convenience factors, such as club pickup and scan and go. I also like that you can see the in-store prices for products from their app.
However, for the best return policies, and for a company that is managed extremely well and treats its employees well, Costco is definitely the way to go.
With that said, I still use both clubs for different reasons!
I would not choose based on price of products alone. And, really, a lot of factors go into choosing which store is best for you.
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Chelsea Johnson says
Loved reading this post! We’re big fans of Costco over Sam’s, and I enjoyed seeing your comparison since you’ve shopped at both!
Bonnie says
I’ve read a lot of these Costco v. Sam’s comparisons on different websites, and no one ever mentions what to me is the biggest problem of both stores: the customers! I was a Sam’s member for years and will likely become one again because I’m finding my fellow shoppers to be SO rude at the Costco I joined. I mean, to the point where I am just flat-out in a bad, angry mood when I leave. Not sure if it’s location-dependent or what (this one is located in a wealthy suburb, at least 30 miles from where I live). The employees are OK, although I thought Sam’s Club employees were way friendlier. When I first walked in (before I bought membership card) at Costco, I was treated like a criminal by the door guy. To be honest I almost turned around and went to renew my Sam’s Club card. Sam’s customers can be a little rude, too, but overall, they don’t act nearly as entitled as Costco shoppers do. I am impressed with the quality of food at Costco as well as the Kirkland products, so I am a bit torn. I do wish Costco would put stores in more central locations, too (Sam’s are all over town so guaranteed to be one at least pretty close to where you live).
Katie says
Hi, Bonnie! I would definitely say it is location dependent. When I originally wrote this post, I lived in Provo, Utah. As much as I loved Costco, I HATED going – the employees were rude, and it was like I was on a crowded subway as I wnet through there. People were so rude. Sam’s was much more low key, and the employees were much better. We live in Colorado now, and I much prefer Costco near us – their employees are SO much more friendly than our local Sam’s Club, and I don’t have any issues with the other customers. It gets busy on Saturdays, but beyond that, it’s always a pretty good experience.
Phil says
Keep in mind Costco does pay their employees far better than Sams club which is a very important. Probably 6-7$ An hour more on average. Sams club basically pays their employees the same as their other wal mart stores, profits mostly go to the WALTON billionaires.
Toni-Sue Lua says
I have cards at both and find I shop at Sam’s most. Reason is they stock more foods that Hawaiians like than Sam’s Ie Aloha Shoyu at only $8 a gallon, Calrose rice that is less expensive, portuguese Sausage. They also sell our favorite brand of peanut butter and best foods is cheaper. The chicken breasts are large because they are not trimmed the same way they are at Costco. I split them lengthwise in half and they are more like costco. Also my family is a bit smaller than most and some of Sam’s Products come in smaller multiples which works well.
Often when I go to Sam’s it is packed so I don’t know where the comment that not many shop there comes from. Also it is very clean and I have no idea why anyone would feel sick to go in there. I guess it takes all kinds of people
QueenKleen says
Thank you for such an amazing and detailed price comparison article. I really enjoyed all the hard work you put in and sharing this information with us. My preference is Costco. Costco’s target market is geared for a higher end consumer. Only the Sam’s clubs that are located in higher end neighborhoods are comparable in quality. Price wise on staple products, they are comparable with Sams Club slightly cheaper. On produce, I consistently find Sam’s Club cheaper in price. The specialty products are usually more premium at Costco’s. Also the Kirkland brand is often the premium version of name name brands due to price negotiations and articulations agreements with the packers and manufactures on behalf of Costco. Also the best times to go in for samples 12:00PM and 4:00PM. They try to put the most out for the lunch crowd and some for the pre-dinner crowd.
Bridget says
Excellent comparisons. I used to belong to Sams but the cost of bulk just didn’t make that much difference for us buy from Walmart/HEB. At this time of year, I miss the great prices on kids/adults books toys. Have any of you compared prices or selection?
Donna Day says
The information you post is fabulous. I was hoping thee would be a comparison in quality and freshness of meats, vegies and fruits. If you did post it, I missed it. I don’t belong to either and in St. Louis Cosco is much further from me than is Sam’s, which would off set prices, but not quality.
Thank you so much,
Donna Day.
Katie says
Thank you for the feedback. I will keep that in mind for the future!
Sue says
Good article, thank you. Here is my two cents: There are two Cost Co’s I used to frequent near my home. The closer store had very rude employees. Always from the time it opened till years later when we finally decided for the third time to stop shopping there. The Cost Co that is farther from my home was a bit better but they had some rude employees too. In fact one made a racial comment about white people so I told the manager and stopped shopping there. We now go to Sam’s Club which is within a mile of the two Cost Co’s we used to shop and are very happy with the employees, the products they sell and the gas stations. The Gas stations are the main reason we shopped at either store.
Katie says
Good or bad employees can really make or break a shopping experience. I am glad that you have found somewhere to shop that you are happy with =)
Amy says
I do not support Walmart at all, therefore I refuse to have a Sam’s club membership. I have used the optical department, photo department, pharmacy, and have purchase online with Costco, as well as buying weekly groceries there, etc. Costco is amazing, and the fact that they treat their employees so well is the deal-breaker for me.
Also, I do have the premium membership, that gives 2% back. I always get back an amount that is more than the personal membership. I also once calculated the savings on the gas: If we gas up our cars exclusively at Costco, that nickel difference saved adds up to more than an individual membership. Combined with my 2% back, and my Costco membership ends up being paid for.
ALSO (how many alsos can I have?), their food court pizza is amazing! It’s the only pizza we get for carry-out.
Katie says
It sounds like you have really done your homework! I agree, the pizza is delicious =)
DanDan says
Thanks for doing that. I used to go to Sam’s Club when I lived in the U.S. and just loved it. Their fish was really good and the prices on their tomatoes etc. unbeatable.
Now I live in Canada, we don’t have a Sam’s Club – boo hoo.
The service at Costco is awful (every one I’ve been to across multiple provinces) – their staff are grumpy and unfriendly. Can’t understand it. Feels like they all hate their jobs, it makes me miserable shopping there.
At Sam’s Club the staff would go out of their way to help. Costco could learn a few things! Come to Canada Sam’s Club.
Katie says
It’s so hard when the employees are like that!
Maggie says
I also wanted add on biggest difference between them, it’s open business hours and parking space.
Maybe it’s only near my house C and S’s. It’s located in City of Torrance, California.
There Costco and Sam’s are next each other.
This Costco opens from 10am for any membership card.
Sam’s opens 7am weekdays for member’s plus($100) .
At Sam’s, it’s helps A LOT for people who drop off kids around 7-8am.
We don’t have to spend extra money to kill the time to opening. They are offering morning coffee(taste no good but better than nothing!)
And those membership difference $45-$100 can save it from members plus coupon.
(So basically almost free for upgrade it)
Both parking are huge but this Costco most of the times FULL. Seriously, I can’t believe people are parking without fight, it’s like going to the “battle field”.
It is very annoying and feels down after certain hours pass in the weekday and all day weekend because I feels like “Oh no I missed it to go Costco first in the morning”.
Sam’s club has little smaller parking but never had problem with parking spot and we can shop very comfortably.(no need to hustle and feels like ready to go battle for parking.
They also self checkout lane in sam’s but not in Torrance Costco.
If you’re hurry to go birthday party to have ordered item, no problem.
10 items? in a min, you can check out most of the time.
Those 3 big things are made decision clearly and worth it to drop Costco membership.
Katie says
Thanks for taking the time to write such a detailed comment! It’s always great to hear other people’s insight, especially on specific stores – I know that my experience at stores in different areas have varied!
Cynthia says
Hi
I belong to Sam’s Club! #1 Costco is more than 20 miles away! #2 Sam’s is in the same parking lot as Wal-Mart and is less than 10 miles away! Plus the price of the gas is mostly .30 cents lower than all the other gas stations! That is the biggest plus!
KB says
I go back and forth between Sam’s Club and Costco (only been here less than a year). There are things I like at each one, which the other doesn’t carry. The only big difference I’ve seen is Costco is less expensive on their gas than Sam’s. Oh, and the Costco employees are MUCH more friendly than at Sam’s Club…for sure!!
Katie says
Agreed on all accounts!
MommyLisa says
I don’t like to go to WalMart – I got tempted because they put a huge new one in VERY close to my home – I shopped it a few times and yes, it was cheaper but to me the WalMart philosophy and how they treat employees and vendors is not a good way to operate. I would rather spend more money and go to Costco.
Katie says
Agreed! We go to Walmart because it’s close, and I can sometimes get good deals, but I feel like every time I leave the store, I swear it’s the last time I go. I feel like they treat the employees bad, which in turn makes a lot of the employees not super friendly either! Costco is definitely the way to go.
Larry Charlot says
Thanks for posting this comparison. I also have both options available: the local Costco and the local Sam’s Club are both about the same distance from my house. After a few years of Costco membership, I switched to Sam’s Club, primarily for two reasons:
1) The Costco was always jam-packed, both in the store, at the gas pumps, and in the parking lot, whereas Sam’s Club is no more crowded than any average supermarket. The lines at Costco’s gas pumps are 5 times longer than the lines at the Sam’s Club pumps, and Costco’s parking lot is way too small for the number of customers they have: I often had to park clear over at the Office Depot’s parking lot, about 800′ away from the Costco’s front door.
2) The local Costco fuel station doesn’t have diesel fuel for my truck, whereas the Sam’s Club does. I have seen this at many other Costco’s around California during my travels: very few of them have diesel fuel, whereas most Sam’s Clubs do.
Katie says
I can definitely understand why you went with Sam’s Club! My experience is that the stores vary so much depending on where you go. When we lived in Utah, Costco was jampacked and the employees weren’t very friendly (probably because it was so busy). Sam’s Club was much friendlier! However, since moving to Colorado, it’s been a completely different experience! Sam’s Club by us has the least helpful employees ever, and it just is so crowded. We much prefer the Costco!
NICOLE says
Costco is very strict on what their suppliers can do with their meats and produce. For example, theu are not allowed to spray beef with anything that makes it look redder/fresher. They are not allowed to inject meats with a saline solution to make them look more plump, etc. For the person who thinks costco’s chicken prices are too high, try a experiment: cook costco chicken in one pot and sams chicken in the other. Notice how much water is in the pot vs useable chicken when you are done.
Katie says
Great points! I definitely believe that you get a much higher quality product at Costco v Sam’s Club, especially when it comes to the meat!
MommyLisa says
I love the chicken at Costco – I can really tell the difference when I cook it with something else I got on ‘sale’ at other stores. And the pork chops????
Katie says
Agreed! I think their chicken is a little more expensive than what you can get on sale, but it’s worth it for the quality! The only chicken I like more is Zaycon Chicken, which you can get for 1.69 a pound, but you can get only get it twice a year.
Jack Jones says
Question is Costco just a case lot sales or is that just the online web page?
Katie says
They have products you can buy by the case lot, but most things you can be just individually – they are just larger portions typically.
Joe Diaz says
Very informative! You would think the lower-paid employees from Sam’s Club would be LESS friendly than the well-paid employees at Costco, right? Go figure! If I were a Costco employee I’d have a lot to be happy about and NOT be “standoffish”! LOL!
Katie says
Agreed! This was mainly our experience at the old Costco we went to – though, I think I might be grumpy too…because it was alway SO crowded! Either way, I would think the Sam’s Club employees would be a little more grumpy 🙂
Joe Diaz says
I would also like to share that buying from DOLLAR STORES helps saves lots of $$$ when buying a few select items such as: Cooking oils (all kinds including expensive Olive oil), various bread items (sliced white/wheat bread, hot dog/hamburger buns, bagels, tortillas, etc.), milk, eggs, tv dinners, fruits and vegetables (although most are ripe and won’t last long), spices/seasonings, cookies, 2 liter Pepsi bottles – yep, $1 each! .. generic over-the-counter medicines, and of course your typical everyday household items. I normally like to buy from the dollar stores (99 Cents Only and Dollar Tree stores are popular in Houston, TX) for items such as these and everything else at Sam’s Club, which is the membership I’m currently in now, and yes, I was a former Costco member. The “pick n pull” feature, it’s worth noting – is AWESOME! I just love that I can avoid impulse buying and control costs better this way and avoiding the hassle of even having to shop the items for myself in the store! Just pre-order your items online, show up the next day, pay, and cart off all your stuff to your vehicle! WOW! Take THAT, Costco!
Amanda says
Its really difficult to read your post with all your ads and it honestly makes your advice/opinion harder to trust.
Katie says
I’m sorry to hear that, but I assure you, my post was not sponsored in any way, shape, or form. It is my honest opinion and this post took hours to put together. This blog is my full time job (our only source of income, in fact), and unfortunately, we have to use ads to make an income. Hopefully you’ll give our advice and opinions a little more credit, because I promise you, it is 100% honest. On our mobile sites, we have more ads, but I can see how it might be distracting when reading a post like this. I’ll look into having less show up on this particular post.
Kristina says
Thank you for having ads! I know how much work you bloggers put into everything you do, and I REALLY hope you earn enough to keep it up because I love your blog!!!
Katie says
Thank you so much, Kristina. I really value your opinion, and your support. I’m so glad you enjoy my blog. We really do work so hard on it!
Kevin says
The optical alone is worth the membership price at Costco.
Katie says
Good to know! We haven’t used it yet, but maybe we will now!
Amanda says
The employees at our local Costco are very friendly, despite it being an extremely busy location, and you can tell they are treated well and love their job. Many have been there for many years. I definitely agree with their corporate policies more, and even if they weren’t slightly cheaper would support them over a Walmart-owned company.
Danielle Makara says
Hello All!!! So ingeresting to read everyone’s thoughts on these two places. I recently just celebrated my SIXTEENTH year anniversary as a COSTCO employee. Its interesting to see things from members views. I work in New Jersey where its always busy. All of you are right about one thing…..Costco’s return policy is the best! Also just for information purposes they pay well, have excellent medical benefits, and are closed (paid) holidays which is huge in a family. Glad so many of you are happy w Costco
Katie says
Thank you for commenting! Just the other day when we were at Costco, I was commenting to my husband how, after looking at different employees’ name tags, many of them had been there 10+ years. I think that says a lot about the company. We definitely love Costco, and I love hearing from an employee to confirm how well they treat their employees!: )
Jen @PIWTPITT.com says
Great break down! I have both memberships, but I use Sam’s more. I have the business membership so I can get in and out before Costco even opens their doors for the day. I like to buy meat and produce and office supplies and basics at SC. I like Costco for kids’ school lunch snacks and “stuff.” They always have better brands of clothing, etc. We buy electronics at Costco too, b/c their return policy is better if there is a problem. I agree with the unfriendly Costco associates though. What gives? They treat everyone a little bit like a criminal and the checkout lines are ridiculous! If I go to Costco, I know I need to budget 30 extra minutes just to get out the door.
Katie says
I agree — it takes FOREVER to get out of Costco, and those lines…what’s up with those?! We are always in and out of Sam’s Club much faster than Costco. If they have a product that’s identical to Sam’s Club and we need it fast, we definitely go there first.
Anna says
The point of Costco’s Business Membership is due to their strict use of the Costco card-only the member’s name that is reflected on the card is allowed to use the card. In the Business Membership, you get more cards with your employee’s names on it – allowing you to focus on work instead of shopping for the business.
Katie says
That totally makes sense! Thanks for clarifying that.
Deena says
I just have a membership to both and buy different things at each store!
Katie says
We’ve been finding that we do the same!
Taniqua says
We are Costco fans. I visit Sam’s club on occasion with my sister and dad who have memberships. It seems to be location that makes then Sam’s Club fans. but I love the option to go to both. One fantastic thing about the upgraded membership at Costco is the 2% back. Most people spend lots of money at Costco! The 2% back basically pays our membership making the prices even better since we don’t have the yearly cost on top of it. If you end up not spending enough money to offset the difference in membership costs, they will refund you that amount. Pretty amazing. We do a decent amount of Christmas shopping at Costco too! And of course, dang good pizza at an amazing price. The kids LOVE to each lunch at Costco.
Tiffany says
I won’t get a Costco membership simply for how they treated my fiancé while he worked there. He says it was the worst place he ever worked for but that could simply be our particular store. He had to have 2 jobs because they only gave him part time in the bakery and told him flat out that even though he was a great employee he would never be allowed to advance to a full time position. We would have been unable to pay all of our bills if he didn’t have the second job and they kept telling him that if he didn’t quit his second job (which paid more hourly btw) they were going to fire him. They were only willing to guarantee him 15 hours a week but wanted completely open availability. As soon as his other job offered him a promotion with full time hours he took it and quit costco. When he told the manager at Costco that he was putting in his 2 weeks the manager told him to get out and not to come in for anymore of his scheduled shifts. On the other hand I know several people that work in Sams that say they love their jobs. I don’t know what the pay difference is but they seem to be getting along fine.
R Dub says
Being an employee of Costco this sounds pretty fishy, There’s an employee handbook that cannot be violated it’s our bottom line. It clearly states a part time employee will get a MINIMUM of 24 hours a week. Most at our store get closer to 30 hours or more and if they don’t can always pick up in different departments for up to 40 hours a week. It sounds more like your Husband either didn’t wanna work or Had a terrible manager… but the bottom line during orientation you’re handed a hand book. It reads clearly and has all the employee rights in it. All he had to do was ask or say something and this would have been rectified promptly. It’s a great place to work, The hardest part is probably getting your foot in the door. Anyways Hopefully he’s happy wherever he is now.
rons says
another thing about costco, they give their employess a bonus at end of year..the monster that runs sams club(walmart) would never treat an employee this way. the return policy at costco is great,…the best of any buisness. another factor, i believe you do don,t get the customer service at checkout at sams club that you get a costco,s…walmart owns sams club, and that makes many run as fast as they can
Ali says
I do not speak for any other Costco employee but myself and I do not represent the company in any way.
I work for Costco as a cashier’s assistant. I can tell you that it is uncommon for my fellow co-workers to be unfriendly or unkind to our members. However I must put up some defense for those dead eyed workers at your local Costco. I can tell you from personal experience that working any kind of retail is soul sucking. Being called a b*tch, f*cker and etc. on a daily basis because we don’t stock your particular yogurt anymore is truly draining. Even when we have the best intentions like retrieving that one thing you forgot. It only means the members behind you are going to make rude and insulting remarks about us to our faces because the line slowed up ever so slightly. Heck we get rude remarks for just tossing the trash from the samples out of the cart.
If you have problems trying to find a product we’ll get it for you. If you think your strawberry’s aren’t looking fresh we’ll grab another. I could go on but you get the point. All we ask in return is two things. Firstly, don’t leave unwanted cold items on the floor to spoil just give it to a cashier. Secondly, treat all working class people with some respect and empathy, we’re people too. If you do this to we’ll always treat you 100x better even if we’re in a foul mood.
Random Side Notes:
1) The meat from the Costco meat dept. might be more expensive than Sam’s Club. But if you compare the grade you’ll notice it’s a grade higher than Sam’s club.
2) In independent studies Costco gas has higher grades than any other gas on the market. We meet and exceed the TOP TIERâ„¢ standards.
3) We charge a maximum of 14% above cost on all products. This is why we don’t carry Apple products and other self proclaimed “premium products”
4) You can order a whole pizza from the food court by phone. So when you enter the building to shop call or visit the food court and place the order. So when you leave the checkout you can just pick the pizza up.
5) I see a rise in abuse of our return policy. Keep in mind that if abused to much it will likely be taken away.
Katie says
I appreciate your comments! I definitely agree with you — working in retail must suck at times, because they are some truly rude people out there. I always do my best to be kind to cashiers/other employees wherever I go, whether I feel they deserve it or not. The only time I’ve gotten upset with a cashier is when they are truly being rude to me (which has never been at Costco — they just have the disinterested employees on occasion :). At the Costco I go to, there are a lot of young people and students that go there, and it’s super busy, so I would imagine a lot of the employees run into some very rude people from time to time, and I don’t think that’s right!
The meat is definitely much better at Costco than at Sam’s — it’s worth paying for!
Thanks again — I always enjoy hearing from different people on this topic!
Barbara Bell says
I was a member of both for many years and finally dropped the Costco membership because my financial situation deteriorated and cost became the main factor for me. SC is so much cheaper than Costco. I live in Long Beach, CA and have more than 1 of each store available. One thing I find fascinating is that at the gas stations here, the Costco stations are always mobbed and the SC station is rarely busy, even though the gas is much more expensive at the Costco stations. Even some the arco stations are as cheaper or even cheaper than Costco and the Costco stores remain very busy
zerogod says
I think the Wal-Mart vs. Target is the same discussion. The whole credit-card fiasco withstanding, Target is a nicer shopping experience than Wal-Mart. And Costco is much nicer than Sam’s. We find the Kirkland house brand to be very high quality and they really stand behind it. When we had a Sam’s membership, we always dreading going and used it rarely. With a Costco membership there is a certain excitement to going. From the staff to the quality of merchandise, it’s Costco all the way. We have a brand new Sam’s five minutes from our house and still drive 20 minutes to Costco.
Stacy says
My husband worked at Sams Club, I used to work at Walmart, and my dad worked at Costco and you are spot on about the way their employees are treated in each store. More Sam’s Club/Walmart employees are on food stams/government assistance than not, and more Costco employees are actually able to support their family from their wages. I would much rather support a company that supports their workers.
Amora says
I went to check out Cosco and Sams Club and in my are (Warren Michigan), Cosco wins hands down, they have the organic products everywheres, from organic brown rice to organic flour, chicken, sugar, organic veggies and much more. Then I drove to Sam’s club, I did not see anything organic, the meats were scarce and the store looked dirty….
tina says
Costco carries a lot of private label products. Sam’s does have early entrance for business and Plus members (open at 7 for these members) which Costco doesn’t. As far as return policies go, it’s only a matter of time before Costco gets more restrictive as the amount of theft and fraud continue to increase. Society is awful, sorry to say!!
Julie says
As a business person, Sams wins – hands down. Better hours, better service, better payment options. Plus, and this may just be here in MI, but the Costco folks seem rude. That said, I have both memberships because Costco carries different items.
Larry says
I live in S.C and I wish we had a Costco’s near us. I renewed our Sam’s membership advantage plan in Oct. and it went from $40 to $45. In January we received a coupon book in the mail and it is my understanding that it was a one time thing. I don’t know anything about Costco’s membership plans but with Sam’s membership you receive 2 cards and you can have a friend , relative , neighbor , etc. put on as the second card holder if you wish. Therefore you can split the membership fee to $22.50 each. I’ve been a Sam’s member for at least 20 yrs. and I have noticed alot of brand name items have vanished from their shelves ( example Softsoap only available now in their brand name Members Mark ). I like to be able to choose if I want brand name or their product.
If a Costco’s comes within 50 miles I will certainly will drop Sam’s for Costco’s !
Katie says
I believe Costco’s memberships are the same! But I think you are correct with the Sam’s Club coupon book being a one time thing, because I haven’t goten another one. I noticed they don’t have as many name brand products as I would like. I hope Costco comes closer to you! My in-laws live in NC, and their isn’t a Costco very close to them at all — just Sam’s Club.
Scott Smith says
I’ll be up front with you. I am an employee of Sam’s Club. I can’t speak officially for the company, they are very strict about PR. With that said, Our Instant Savings events vary from month to month. The mailings that you get are featured items that anyone with a membership can take advantage of, not just plus members. (When we introduced the formerly named e-values, currently named Instant Savings, They were exclusive to PLUS members.) However many items have an additional discount for PLUS members, The current PLUS program is far more beneficial compared to several years ago. I could easily write 3 pages on the benefits that the PLUS membership offers.
When it comes down to associate benefits, Medical insurance is offered to associates who have been working with the company for greater than 90 days. (this is the policy that i am currently familiar with it may have changed with The Affordable Healthcare Act. ) Other benefits include 401k contributions being matched by the company up to $15000 a year. Associate Stock Purchase Plan, Vision Insurance, Accident insurance, Critical care insurance, etc. The healthcare plan in my area has several options depending on how much you are able to afford and depending on your needs. Me personally, i have insurance with a high deductible of ~$2250 with $250/yr company contributions to a HSA kind of fund. and as $5000 Out of pocket Maximum. Preventative care is covered 100%. The Medical insurance is available to employees who have been working for the company for more than 90 days regardless if they are full time or part time. This was the case long before The Affordable Healthcare Act. The only thing that i don’t like that is a problem for a lot of employees is that there is a limited amount of time to enroll in your yearly benefits, with the exception of 401k contributions and Associate stock purchase plan contributions. Finally some benefits are exclusive to Full-time associates. I can’t go into the details, but the majority of benefits are available to all associates.
In conclusion, I implore everyone to do their own research on the benefits of each store. Prices fluctuate on a regular basis on many items. I have personally never set foot in a Costco despite there being one close to my home and place of work. On paper the benefits of SC vs. Costco are clearly in favor of Sam’s Club. We have a culture based around 3 basic beliefs, Respect for the Individual, Service to the member, and striving for excellence.
I know this was a long-winded response and I hope that I answered some questions raised. As I wrote earlier, while i am an employee at Sam’s Club I do not speak for the company officially. If you have questions about the benefits of membership, feel free to call your local club, or visit and speak to the Membership Assistant Manager.
Katie says
Hey! Thank you so much for sharing such an indepth response. I really appreciate it. Although we do prefer Costco, we still do go to Sam’s Club, and I will say, the employees out ours are much friendlier than the ones at the Costco we go to. I think that both stores have costs and benefits, and, like you said, everyone should definitely do their research and decide which one they want to go to. I like having a membership to both! 🙂 Once again, thanks for sharing!
aimee @ like mother like daughter says
Katie, this was so interesting for me to read! I haven’t been to sam’s club in so long, though my mother had a membership when I was young and I remember accompanying her. We love Costco! A couple things – we go to the orem costco too and I have never had any issues with their employees not being friendly, infact the other day my husband said “that was probably the least friendly employee we’ve ever had here” and really we didnt have any problems with him, he just was fast and quick and quiet. Also, I haven’t returned much at costco, and the 90 day policy for electronics might be a problem for some people, but they are so nice! My husband returned a tablet to costco just because, and told them that there was nothing wrong with it, he just wanted to buy a different one and he got a full refund. Also, just because I know this from asking with work – at costco the business membership has to be attached to a personal membership. So you can get a business card, say for your blog, or my company that I work full time at now got one just with the name “Heritage School” but it had to be attached to a personal card so the cheapest option for that is actually 110.
Anyway, thanks for taking the time to do this. Was a very cool read!
Katie says
That is so interesting that you’ve never had an unfriendly employee at Costco — maybe we’ve just had bad luck. I must admit, they’ve been a lot better lately (we’ve just had several people act like we were so dumb when we asked about certain products they used to carry — I think that’s what bothered me the most!) That’s awesome about the electronics return policy — I really think that their return policy on everything is worth the price of the membership. Thanks for clarifying on the business card to 🙂
Laurie Nguyen says
I have a membership to both and both are good. Near me, Costco’s prices are slightly better, but Sam’s Club carries more national brands and has a little more variety.
Thanks for sharing your experience!
Amelia @ Eating Made Easy says
Another thing about Costco: in the words of Costco’s CEO, “you may not find the cheapest items at Costco, but you’ll find the BEST items at the cheapest price.”
I couldn’t agree more! I’m always impressed with Costco’s quality. Their low prices are just a bonus. Whenever I walk into a Sam’s Club I’m actually kind of grossed out by a lot of their food items & I don’t feel the same in Costco.
Katie says
Love that quote! And I agree — Costco does tend to have a more high quality feel about it. Sam’s has some cheaper prices, but it’s definitely not as good of quality!
Jill Scott says
Great post! I just have a couple things to add. We actually have memberships at both (for whatever reasons ☺) 1. Sam’s carries most diaper brands – Pampers, Huggies, Luvs and their brand; Costco only carries Huggies and their brand. 2. Sam’s allows you to pay using Mastercard, store credit, cash or check; Costco allows Discover card, cash or check. 3. At our closest Sam’s the chicken breasts are HUGE – like pumped with hormones or something – and we’ve had times where they just didn’t taste right. And their frozen ones are just the huge fresh ones cut into reasonable size pieces. So, as cheap as they are, we don’t buy them from Sam’s any more.
Anyway, just thought I’d add some more comparison points ☺
Katie says
Thanks for your input, Jill! I actually was meaning to mention the thing about Pampers, Huggies, etc. being sold at Sam’s Club, because the only diapers we buy are Pampers, and I was always disappointed that Costco didn’t have them! That’s also good to know about the different payments.
We’ve actually never even tried the Sam’s Club ones, but I have wondered how they make them so darn cheap…I definitely don’t plan on trying them anytime soon, though, now!
Jill Scott says
We are a Pampers family, too, and that’s one of the main reasons I haven’t gone strictly with Costco. Ultimately, there are things at both places that we miss when we have one membership over the other, especially now that I’ve been keeping a price list for our staples and one usually has something for a much better price over the other.
In terms of the chicken breasts at Sam’s…it may be a regional thing or it may have been a random thing that can happen when purchasing meat from any store. But, my husband primarily pointed out that they are uncommonly large for “normal” chicken breasts and then combine that with the overly chickeny taste a time or two, and we’ve just decided that we’ll watch for sales at the grocery store, whether on fresh or frozen chicken breasts. (PS…my husband also has a *very* picky palette, so he may be over-reacting a bit, too)
Kate Henry says
I have never set foot in Sam’s Club or Walmart. I refuse to do business with a company that treats their employees badly, which is the case with both Sam’s Club and Walmart. Not only do they have low pay, they also have very little in the way of benefits. The Waltons seem to think that the government should provide their employees with health care rather than their employer. Walmart is part of the reason why we need Obamacare in this country.
If you think that people should be paid well and provided with decent benefits, please don’t shop at either Sam’s Club or Walmart. By shopping in their stores, you are supporting their policies.
Harley says
Spoken like a true socialist. Thanks for the thoughts.
Kristalyn says
Hmmm…maybe it varies from state to state, because I definitely know in our club, you have to have the $100 membership to take advantage of the coupons, it says it right next to every item that has a coupon in the store that it is only for Plus members. I will still look into it ‘cuz I wasn’t happy about paying that much!
Katie says
Oh yeah our store has deals that only Plus members get, but we get coupons too in the mail! I bet it must vary from store to store. That’s so dumb if you don’t get them though!
Kristalyn Ford says
I wish we had a Costco closer. Since we don’t, we go to Sam’s Club. THere are some products that I really miss with Costco, and I feel that the Sam’s Club coupons are not as good. I have never gotten anything free for loading coupons. I need to find out about that! We never load coupons. We were told that the $45 membership doesn’t come with coupons, and you can only get them with the $100 membership, which would make the Sam’s membership a much worse deal. Maybe it’s different in different states? If not, I need to find out! Thanks for all the detailed comparisons!
Katie says
That’s weird that they told you that! From what I’ve read, they recently introduced the coupons and because of it, raised membership prices by $10! You should definitely be getting them though — we get coupons in the mail monthly!
Pat Kehrer says
Been to both SC in Provo and several Costco’s. Costco’s is a brighter store. SC seems darker. Costco seems more organized. Agree with you on the Gelato bar! Orem only store U’ve seen one, though. Will stay with Costco, mainly, no SC near us.
Katie says
I do think the Costco one is more organized, for sure! I’ve never seen Gelato anywhere else either. I guess the Orem one is just special 🙂 Thanks for chiming in!
Lisa | Je suis alimentageuse says
We don’t have SC in Canada, but my family goes to Costco all the time. I always wondered what the differences were between the larger wholesale clubs. Great post, Katie!
Katie says
Thanks, Lisa! I was excited that I was actually able to check out the differences!
Jamie @ Coffee With Us 3 says
We love Costco. I think it must be your local Costco that wasn’t friendly, since ours is very friendly. When we get gas, the person attending will offer to wash our windows. When we’re getting out of our car, whoever is taking carts inside will ask if we want one, and get one for us (which is really helpful with a 4 year, 2 year, and 6 month old).
And you’re completely right about the awesome return policy! I screwed up a photo poster board (completely my fault), and they offered to return it, even though I hadn’t asked them to- I figured since it was my fault, I would pay for it. They insisted on giving me my money back.
The only thing I REALLY don’t think is a good price at Costco is chicken breasts. They’re outrageous.
Katie says
I’m sure it is — personally, I think I would be grumpy if I worked at the one near our home, too. It is seriously so busy! I think their return policy is worth the membership fee and more; at no other store do I feel so secure in the refund policy as I do with Costco. But I totally agree about the chicken breasts — I have no idea why they are so much!
Katelyn F says
Great comparison! I didn’t realize Sam’s was actually that much cheaper. We really loved buying certain thing there but decided not to renew our membership this year, but mostly because we’ll be moving this summer…. Thanks!
Katie says
I just redid it, using the cost per unit, and Costco actually came out cheaper! We love having a membership though — even if it’s for all the delicious samples (my parents pay for ours though, so that factors into it all too 😉
Hezzi-D says
I’ve always been a Sam’s Club fan. We love going there and you can’t beat the $2.50 pizza and a drink lunches!
Katie says
Agreed — at both Costco and Sam’s Club, they have killer meal deals!
David says
I see an error on your difference here 1 liter vs 2 liters Olive Oil: 4.50 (per liters, C) 6.74 (2 liters, SC) so the total at the end of the would be Costco 12.68 Sams Club 10.21 and the end total would be
COSTCO TOTAL: 109.97
SAM’S CLUB TOTAL: 109.02
Katie says
Thanks for noticing that! I will change that. I tried my best to check everything and the totals, but I guess I missed that!
Alice Mcknight says
Thank you for the comparative work. I enjoyed reading this. We’ve always just had a Sam’s club (Tulsa OK) but a Costco is expected sometime this year (in 2015).
Katie says
I’m glad you enjoyed reading it – it took a good amount of work, but I’ve been pleased with how many people have found it interesting!
Maya Murphy says
I used to be a member of Sam’s Club. However, they didn’t have any in the San Francisco Bay Area when we moved here.
I bought a membership to Costco (with their perennial deal that offers $100+ worth of free items with a membership). I came to the conclusion that you can get most of the items readily available at Sam’s at Costco too. However, quite a few of the items at Costco are simply unavailable at Sam’s.
I also feel that the “Kirkland” brand items feel a bit more “premium” when compared with the Sam’s products. This is because of partnerships with existing brands. Costco’s Kirkland jelly beans are actually Jelly Belly jelly beans. Costco’s batteries are Duracell. There are other exclusive Costco items that are simply great buys (e.g., Kirkland Signature toilet paper, nuts, etc.).
I prefer the deli options at Costco over the same items at Sam’s. The Costco all-beef hot dog — $1.50 for a big dog and soda — might be one of the best tasting hot dogs that I’ve had. The pizza is fantastic. The brisket sandwich is amazing. The free rotisserie chicken ($4.99) is better than what I’ve had at most restaurants.
Don’t get me wrong: I also like Sam’s Club. However, if I had to choose only one club membership, I’d select Costco.