Is M&S Actually More Expensive? I Compared Prices at 6 Supermarkets

Short answer: not really, and I was genuinely shocked when we started shopping at Ocado and were spending no more than usual!

M&S has always had a reputation as the posh, pricey supermarket. But food prices have gone up 30-39% since 2021 across the board.

I remember a time when some supermarkets were noticeably cheaper than others. Now it feels like there's only pennies in it, and the results below back that up.

Eggs: 6 Free Range, Medium

M&S came in second cheapest here, beaten only by Aldi. Everyone else was sat at exactly the same price.

Milk: 4 Pints, Semi-Skimmed

A 10p difference across the whole lot. M&S sits exactly level with Tesco and Morrisons.

Beef Mince: 500g, 5% Fat

M&S was 1p more than four supermarkets combined, and actually cheaper than Morrisons.

Bread: 800g White, Medium Sliced

This is the one item where M&S actually was the most expensive, though only by 1p more than Tesco and Morrisons.

The Full Basket Compared

Adding up all four items together: Supermarket Total

Aldi £8.38

M&S £9.00

Asda £9.19

Sainsbury's £9.19

Tesco £9.48

Morrisons £9.69

M&S landed as the second cheapest overall, only Aldi beat it, and it came in under Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's, and Morrisons.

So Is M&S Actually Expensive?

Not on the basics. That reputation is outdated. The gap between supermarkets has closed so much since prices rose across the board that "expensive" and "cheap" supermarkets barely exist anymore, at least not for everyday items like eggs, milk, mince, and bread.

Aldi is still the value leader, no surprises there. But if you're avoiding M&S because you assume it'll cost more, this basket says otherwise. The bigger differences will show up in branded and premium ranges rather than the essentials, so it's worth checking rather than assuming.