Grocery Price Disparities in Israel Show Hundreds of Shekels Difference

A comprehensive study of Israel's retail sector reveals significant price differences among supermarket chains, with the most expensive chain costing consumers hundreds of shekels more for the same basket of goods. Tiv Ta'am was identified as the priciest chain, with a basket of 165 leading products costing NIS 2,514.71. Fresh Market followed closely as the second most expensive.

The price gap between Tiv Ta'am and the cheapest chain amounts to NIS 543.64 for an identical shopping cart, representing a 27.6% increase, equivalent to an additional weekly expense for an average family. This research, based on data from the Pricez website and conducted by Dr. Chazi Mizrahi Gur on November 12, 2026, was published in Maariv.

The study compared prices of 165 items across all supermarket departments, including dry goods, beverages, produce, dairy, meat, snacks, and toiletries, among ten major food chains. Prices included promotional offers. The comparison with October prices showed a mixed trend: while some individual items saw sharp price drops, nearly one in four products became more expensive, resulting in a negligible overall basket decrease of only 1.6%.

Within the higher-priced segment, Shufersal Deal, positioned as the discount format of the large retail group, ranked eighth out of ten, making it the third most expensive chain in the survey, far behind leading discount chains. Rami Levy emerged as the most affordable chain, with a basket costing NIS 1,971.07. However, the competition for the cheapest chain is tight, with Osher Ad coming in second, just NIS 10.97 behind Rami Levy, a difference less than the price of a box of breakfast cereal.

Yesh Chesed and Yohananof completed the top four cheapest chains, with a price difference of less than 3% among them. The study concludes that the choice of supermarket chain significantly impacts household budgets, potentially costing families hundreds of extra shekels for identical purchases, even with promotions. The researchers noted that individual shopping habits, proximity, and loyalty program benefits can alter the final cost for each family.