Home cooks looking for a Christmas lamb should head to the major supermarkets to get the best bang for their buck, but Aldi remains the best value choice for the rest of their grocery list.
An average basket of 14 common household items cost $50.63 at Aldi, $67.90 at Coles, $69.29 at Woolworths and $77.57 at IGA without specials, the latest quarterly comparison report from consumer advocate Choice found.
The data echoed previous results where Aldi was the cheapest option and the supermarket giants jostled for second place.
But heading into the holiday season, Choice also examined the cost of a bone-in lamb leg and found the major grocers had bucked the trend.
Coles and Woolworths were cheaper than Aldi, selling products for an average of $12.89 kg, while the German grocery chain's meat checked out at $13.99 kg.
Even when the major supermarkets did not have specials, Aldi was not the cheapest choice with Woolworths beating it out.
"Coles and Woolies are kind of throwing customers a bone in the lead up to Christmas," Choice CEO Ashley de Silva told AAP.
"(It's) hopefully a sign that consumers can start to see more of this from supermarkets in terms of some really targeted great deals."
Choice had a two-litre ice cream tub as another specialty focus while the usual products in its basket of goods included packaged products, beef mince, apples and carrots.
Retail representative bodies have previously criticised the advocate's analysis, claiming the data lacks transparency and could be comparing premium brands at Coles and Woolworths to Aldi's private label options.
They have also noted Australians often shop at the major supermarkets because they offer a greater range of goods.
But Mr de Silva maintains Choice is not attempting to measure the most expensive or the cheapest item in each store.
"What we're trying to demonstrate is what most people would probably choose when they shop - which is often a mix of store brands and national brands," he said.
Those who want to get the best value should shop around and try not to shop out of habit this can prevent customers from considering alternative products that can outperform national brands.
