Norway's grocery price battle has a clear winner for 2025. An extensive price comparison of 14,148 grocery items across the six largest supermarket chains reveals Kiwi as the country's cheapest chain, while Bunnpris secured the title for best discount offers. The findings highlight a significant financial reality for Norwegian households, where strategic shopping can yield annual savings exceeding 30,000 kroner for a family of four.
Price hunters Truls Lea and Tom H. Ystaas conducted the year-long study, comparing 355 identical products across the chains. Their data shows Kiwi's total basket cost for the year reached 100,519.18 kroner. Rema 1000, which held the lead until week 12, finished second at 100,829.62 kroner. The most expensive chain, Meny, cost nearly 15,000 kroner more than Kiwi for the same selection of goods.
The Real Cost for Norwegian Families
These figures translate directly into household budgets. Using the reference budget from the National Institute for Consumer Research (SIFO), the monthly grocery cost for a family with two adults and two teenagers is approximately 17,050 kroner. This amounts to over 204,000 kroner annually. The price gap between the cheapest and most expensive chains therefore represents a potential swing of around 30,000 kroner per year for an average family. For many, that sum equals a month's mortgage payment or a significant holiday.
"We only compare identical products—price is the only difference," Ystaas stated, emphasizing the study's methodological rigor. The analysis tracked prices week-by-week, noting that Kiwi overtook Rema 1000 in week 13 of the year and never relinquished the lead. This consistency is crucial for consumers seeking predictable savings rather than sporadic discounts.
The Power of Strategic Discount Shopping
Beyond choosing the cheapest chain, the report identifies another major saving strategy. The price hunters estimate a family of four can save an additional 20,000 kroner annually by actively purchasing weekly discount items, without compromising on food quality. This practice requires more planning but doubles the potential financial benefit.
This is where Bunnpris excelled in 2025. Despite not being the overall cheapest, it won the designation as the year's best discount chain. "Bunnpris crushes the competition when it comes to stability on good offers," the price hunters concluded. Their analysis compared the eight best weekly offers from each chain against Kiwi's standard price for the same item, reviewing 2,080 products throughout the year.
Market Dynamics and Consumer Power
The Norwegian grocery market is dominated by a few major players, with Norgesgruppen (which owns Kiwi, Meny, and Spar) and Reitangruppen (Rema 1000) controlling the largest shares. Coop Norge operates chains like Obs and Extra. This concentrated market structure often draws scrutiny from the Norwegian Competition Authority, with concerns about whether sufficient competition exists to keep prices in check.
Studies like this one empower consumers with direct, comparable data. In a high-cost country like Norway, where food expenses weigh heavily on disposable income, such information is a critical tool. The savings identified are not marginal; they represent a meaningful portion of a median household's annual budget. For a family in Oslo, 30,000 kroner could cover a year of public transport passes. In Tromsø, it might pay for a season of children's extracurricular activities.
Looking Beyond the Price Tag
While price is a primary driver, Norwegian consumers also consider other factors. Store proximity, product selection—particularly for Norwegian staples like brunost (brown cheese) and fresh fish—and the shopping experience itself play roles. Discount chains like Kiwi and Rema 1000 typically have smaller store formats and a more limited selection of branded goods, focusing instead on their own low-cost brands.
Full-range supermarkets like Meny and some Coop outlets offer wider variety, specialty items, and often more fresh produce and bakery sections, which contributes to their higher price positioning. Bunnpris, with its strong discount performance, often operates smaller stores in central urban locations, competing on convenience and targeted promotions.
What the Trends Mean for 2026
The annual price war is a dynamic contest. Rema 1000's early lead in 2025 shows the lead can change hands. Chains continuously adjust pricing strategies, supplier agreements, and private-label offerings to gain an edge. For consumers, the lesson is twofold: loyalty to a single chain may be costly, and actively monitoring weekly offers provides a second layer of savings.
The Norwegian Consumer Council has long advocated for greater price transparency and easier comparison shopping. This detailed, product-level data supports that goal. It moves the conversation from anecdotal experience to empirical evidence, showing exactly where kroner can be saved on everyday essentials like milk, bread, and cheese.
As inflation pressures continue to affect global and national economies, the focus on grocery spending in Norway will remain intense. The government monitors food prices closely, understanding their direct impact on living standards. For now, the data provides a clear map for cost-conscious shoppers: Kiwi for the consistently lowest basket, and Bunnpris for the most reliable weekly discounts. In Norway's expensive landscape, that knowledge is a valuable form of currency itself. The question for 2026 is which chain will adapt its strategy to dethrone the current champions of value.