Costco vs Walmart+ — Which Membership Saves More
By the Run Run Deals editorial team Published May 8, 2026 6 min read
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Costco Gold Star ($65/year) and Walmart+ ($98/year) compete for similar shoppers — large families, suburban households doing weekly bulk shopping, drivers who buy gas regularly. The $33/year difference is small enough that the deciding factor is which benefits actually apply to your shopping pattern.
What you get
Costco Gold Star ($65/year): Warehouse access; member-only Costco gas (3-7¢/gal cheaper); free shipping over $35 online; member-only pricing; 90-day return on most items; access to Costco Travel, Optical, Pharmacy, Hearing Center.
Walmart+ ($98/year): Free shipping no minimum; free same-day grocery delivery ($35+); 10¢/gal at Exxon, Mobil, Walmart, Murphy gas stations; Paramount+ Essential streaming; member-only digital coupons.
Where Costco wins
- Apple products and electronics. $50-100 below Walmart year-round + free 2-year warranty extension on TVs and laptops.
- Bulk meat and rotisserie chicken. Famous $4.99 rotisserie; bulk meat 10-20% cheaper than Walmart at equivalent quality.
- Kirkland Signature. Matches major brand quality at 25-35% below name brand on nuts, wine, vitamins, batteries.
- Optical. Best US optical retailer for cost-quality balance. Frames $50-150 plus competitive lenses.
- Pharmacy. Usually lowest US prescription pricing for both insured and uninsured.
Where Walmart+ wins
- Same-day grocery delivery. Free for $35+ orders; saves $7-10/delivery vs non-member fees. Weekly users save $364-520/year.
- Free shipping no minimum. Costco has $35 minimum; Walmart+ has none.
- Gas savings. 10¢/gallon at major participating stations. ~$60/year for typical 12,000-mile driver.
- Paramount+ streaming. Free with membership; standalone $59/year value.
- Selection. Walmart's 100M+ items vs Costco's ~5,000 SKUs.
ROI by household type
Suburban family of 4-5
Costco wins clearly. Bulk meat, household paper, drugstore beauty, and Apple products typically save $400-800/year vs Walmart equivalents.
Couple in apartment, weekly grocery delivery
Walmart+ wins. Free same-day grocery alone justifies $98/year. Bulk packaging at Costco wastes money for small households.
Drivers (15,000+ miles/year)
Walmart+ wins on gas alone. 10¢/gallon adds $60-100/year savings.
Households buying Apple products
Costco wins clearly. Apple discount alone covers Costco fee on a single major purchase.
Healthcare-spending households
Costco wins clearly. Optical glasses save $200-400/pair; pharmacy is usually lowest US pricing.
Both, neither, or one
- Both: Households spending $4,000+/year at one warehouse plus $2,000+ at the other plus weekly grocery delivery. Combined value $700-1,200/year for ~30% of US households.
- Neither: Sub-weekly shoppers, no grocery delivery, no Apple/electronics planned.
- Costco only: Suburban families, healthcare spenders, frequent Apple buyers, bulk meat consumers.
- Walmart+ only: Apartment dwellers wanting grocery delivery, Paramount+ watchers, high-mileage drivers.
