We Put Dollar Tree vs. Dollar General to the Test: Price Showdown Will Leave You Stunned

When we consider extending
dollars
, two stores often spring to mind initially: Dollar Tree and Dollar General (the name says it all). Rising grocery costs persistently affect families nationwide. In the United States, food prices have increased by

From 2010 to 2024, there was a 23.6% change.

including, indeed, at discounted retailers such as Dollar Tree.

Despite this, these dollar stores continue to be among the most budget-friendly and easily available choices for consumers everywhere. They both promise inexpensive prices for basic necessities like food items. To find out their true cost difference, we decided to investigate further. Therefore, we went to each outlet on the exact same date within the identical region of suburban Tampa to determine which provided the best deals for buyers.

1. Spaghetti

At Dollar General, you would often find multiple varieties of products, but Dollar Tree generally stocked just one option per item. For instance, when looking for dry pasta at Dollar Tree, they offered solely a 20-ounce package of Columbia Dried Thin Spaghetti, priced half a dollar lower compared to what Dollar General provided.

box of Barilla Spaghetti

, yet also 4 ounces bigger.

WINNER

! At Dollar Tree, Columbia Thin Spaghetti costs $1.25 for a 20-ounce package (which breaks down to 6 cents per ounce).
Dollar General Barilla Spaghetti costs $1.75 for a 16-ounce package (equivalent to 11 cents per ounce).

2. Jarred Marinara Sauce

What would pasta be like without sauce?!
Dollar Tree once again beat Dollar General with a jar of Ragu Meat Sauce priced at $2.50, whereas Classico Tomato & Basil Sauce was available for $3 at Dollar General. Although Dollar General’s jar is slightly bigger, doing some swift calculations reveals the better deal.

determine the cost per unit

, we found out it’s still pricier per ounce.

Note: We looked for

jarred marinara sauce

(vegan-friendly), however, the Dollar Tree store we went to
only
Had one with extra ground beef. It’s worth considering if you’re into the traditional version.

WINNER!

At Dollar Tree, you can get Ragu Meat Sauce for $2.50 per 23.9 ounces (equivalent to 10 cents per ounce).
Classico Tomato & Basil Sauce from Dollar General costs $3.00 for 24 ounces (13 cents per ounce).

3. Canned Tuna

If you consume as much

canned tuna

As we did, you might consider stopping by Dollar Tree to grab them. Despite both locations carrying cans of the same size, those at Dollar Tree were unexpectedly 60 cents less expensive per can.
can
add up.

WINNER

! At Dollar Tree, Starkist Chunk Light tuna is priced at $1.25 for a 5-ounce portion.
Dollar General Honeycomb Pure White Albacore Tuna $1.85 per 5 ounces

4. Flour Tortillas

Dollar General once again offered great diversity with numerous options available. They displayed various sizes and brands—there were at least half a dozen choices compared to Dollar Tree’s single selection. Despite both stores carrying 8-inch flour tortillas packed in groups of ten, the ones found at Dollar Tree weighed nearly four ounces less but cost fewer cents per ounce.

WINNER

! Dollar Tree Tortilleria Del Barrio Flour Tortillas $1.25 for 12.08 oz (10 cents per ounce)
Dollar General Brand Old Mexican Foods Flour Tortillas cost $2.75 for 16 ounces (equivalent to 17 cents per ounce).

5. Muffin Mix

Initially, we planned to get chocolate chip muffin mix, but when we reached Dollar Tree, we discovered they only had blueberry available. No problem though, as we enjoy blueberry muffins too! Just so you know, Dollar General stocked the chocolate chip variety at a slightly lower price—25 cents cheaper overall or 3 cents per ounce.

At Dollar Tree, the Martha White Blueberry Muffin Mix costs $1.25 for a 7-ounce package (equivalent to 18 cents per ounce).
WINNER

! Dollar General Betty Crocker Chocolate Chip Muffin Mix $1.00 for 6.5 oz (15 cents per ounce)

6. Canned Black Beans

A

can of black beans

It serves as a versatile storage area. We utilize them for preparing burrito bowls and(bean)salads, and even transform them into bean burgers. This particular comparison had us intrigued. Although both cans were nearly identical in size, we found ourselves adding an additional quarter for the black beans purchased at Dollar General. Recognizing a trend here perhaps?

WINNER

! At Dollar Tree, Goya Black Beans cost $1.25 for a 15.5-ounce package (equivalent to 8 cents per ounce).
Bush Black Beans at Dollar General cost $1.50 for a 15-ounce package (equivalent to 10 cents per ounce).

7. Rice

At Dollar Tree, they didn’t have any type of white rice available, so we replaced it with brown rice. While we usually favor white rice, we recognize that making adjustments is a normal part of grocery shopping. Additionally, it turned out to be half a dollar less expensive compared to the white rice at Dollar General.

WINNER

! At Dollar Tree, Omega Wise Brown Rice costs $1.25 for a 32-ounce package.
Dollar General Clover Valley Long Grain White Rice costs $1.75 for a 32-ounce package.

8. Potato Chips

Once again, we faced a situation akin to comparing different varieties of potatoes rather than sticking to one type when evaluating products. At Dollar Tree, we managed to get smaller 3.75-ounce bags of chips; conversely, Dollar General offered larger sizes—over twice as big—and naturally higher prices too. However, between these two options, which provided better value for money? Despite their lower cost, the individual ounces from Dollar Tree still came out ahead by being priced twenty cents less per ounce compared to those at Dollar General.

WINNER

! Dollar Tree Golden Original Chips $1.25 for 3.75 oz (33 cents per oz)
Dollar General sells Lay’s Original Chips at $4.25 for an 8-ounce bag (approximately 53 cents per ounce).

9. Frozen Burrito

Another swap alert! At the particular store and time we visited, Dollar Tree only offered bean and cheese burritos, yet some people could consider those as

the top-notch frozen burritos available for purchase

They were twice as large as the chicken, cheese, and rice burritos from Dollar General and also cost 50 cents less. That’s what we’d call a win-win situation.

WINNER

! At Dollar Tree, the El Monterey XXL Bean & Cheese Burrito costs $1.25 for a 9-ounce portion (equivalent to 14 cents per ounce).
Dollar General El Monterey Chicken, Cheese, and Rice Burrito costs $1.75 for 4.5 ounces (equivalent to 39 cents per ounce).

10. Frozen Mixed Vegetables

We love keeping a variety pack of frozen veggies in our freezer. These are perfect for adding to soups and stews.

easy fried rice

So the next time you find yourself at Dollar Tree, consider grabbing two of them. This product not only costs 25% less compared to what you’d pay at Dollar General, but it’s also generously sized with an extra 4 ounces.

WINNER

! Dollar Tree TJ Farms Mixed Vegetables $1.25 for 14 oz (9 cents per oz)
Dollar General Birds Eye Mixed Vegetables cost $1.50 for a 10-ounce package (equivalent to 15 cents per ounce).

11. Frozen Cheese Pizza

As

big enthusiasts of frozen pizza

, we just
had
To find out which budget grocery store offered the cheapest pie, we discovered that frozen cheese pizza turned out to be the priciest item on our shopping list across both locations. Surprisingly, despite being 3 ounces lighter, Dollar Tree’s option was more affordable compared to what was available at Dollar General.

WINNER

! Dollar Tree Tony’s Cheese Pizza, $4.00 for 18 ounces (22 cents an ounce)
Dollar General Red Baron Four Cheese Pizza costs $5.95 for 21 ounces (approximately 28 cents per ounce).

Therefore, which grocery store had the lowest prices?

Even though it wasn’t a complete victory, Dollar Tree was notably and steadily less expensive than Dollar General across nearly all product categories, emerging as the obvious choice by roughly $10.

WINNER

! Dollar Tree Grand Total: $17.75
Total at Dollar General: $26.97

Which two stores should we compare next? Let us know in the comments section!