10 Costco Items You’ll Pay Less For at Sam’s Club

Warehouse loyalty can feel personal, but prices don’t always follow brand allegiance. While Costco gets many things right, Sam’s Club often offers better deals on everyday items people regularly restock. Differences may seem minor at first, but they add up over time. Below are the everyday items where Sam’s Club frequently costs less when it matters most.

Bottled Water

Bottled water often slips into the cart out of habit—grabbed for travel, events, or hot days and then stored for later. Sam’s Club frequently prices a 40-pack of 16.9-ounce bottles lower per bottle than Costco. The difference can be easy to miss at the register but shows up clearly when you compare receipts or track household spending over months.

Paper Towels

Paper towels disappear faster than you expect. One spill can lead to an entire roll gone before you notice. Sam’s Club’s Member’s Mark paper towels are often priced lower per square foot than Costco’s Kirkland brand while still performing well. That per-unit savings becomes obvious the moment you need to replace them more frequently than planned.

Rotisserie Chicken

Rotisserie chickens at both clubs often retail around the same sticker price—commonly $4.98—but Sam’s Club usually sells slightly heavier birds. That extra weight stretches meals and leftovers further once the chicken is carved at home. The price at the warmer can look identical, but the real value appears when portions need to feed more people or provide extra meals.

Frozen Pizza

Frozen pizza often serves as a backup for busy nights. Value is less about a single box and more about how many pizzas you get for the money. Sam’s Club multi-pack frozen pizza boxes typically cost less per pizza than comparable Kirkland options at Costco, and when size and bake quality are similar, the per-pizza savings become the deciding factor.

Bacon

Bacon’s true value becomes apparent in the pan. Shrinkage, slice thickness, and how the strips hold together while cooking matter more than the label. Two-pack bacon bundles at Sam’s Club often cost a few dollars less than similar Costco offerings, and Member’s Mark bacon tends to retain shape better, which affects how much edible bacon you actually get.

Coffee Pods

Morning routines reveal pricing quickly: when a box empties sooner than planned, per-pod cost starts to matter. Member’s Mark coffee pods are typically priced a few cents lower per pod than comparable Costco options. Multiply that difference across large-count boxes and frequent use, and the savings add up quietly, long before caffeine sets in.

Laundry Detergent

Laundry detergent is a household staple that’s measured by cost per load. Member’s Mark Ultimate Clean often comes out cheaper per wash than Costco’s equivalent while delivering comparable cleaning performance. Because bottles last just as long, the savings feel practical and measurable rather than theoretical.

Cheese

Cheese moves quickly, especially when snacking and lunches increase household consumption. Sam’s Club frequently prices shredded and block cheeses at a lower cost per ounce, and their flavor and melt qualities often match Costco’s offerings. That lower per-ounce price becomes noticeable midweek when you’re not tracking portions closely but expect generous servings.

Trash Bags

Trash bags are unforgiving—failure shows up immediately. A seam that splits or a bag that tears ruins the task in seconds. Member’s Mark trash bags are often sold in larger quantities at Sam’s Club and tend to have a thickness that holds up under typical household loads. The result is fewer interruptions and a small but tangible convenience gain.

Gasoline

Fuel costs are felt immediately and frequently. Even a few cents difference per gallon adds up when you fill up regularly. Sam’s Club gas stations often match or beat Costco’s prices by several cents, and many locations move cars through more quickly. Over a year of routine fill-ups, those small differences can become a meaningful savings.