4 Cheap Supermarkets in Barcelona
We have shopped in each market so you don’t have to.
Searching for cheap food? Getting to know proper places to shop is usually hard, so if you want to find the cheapest supermarkets in Barcelona, just look at the list we made.
#1 Mercadona ($)
Mercadona is an originally Spanish market and the right place to shop for almost everything. It is less international than Carrefour but its general offer is satisfying. There are many Mercadonas in the centre and what makes them special are not only the cheapest prices (according to the OCU) and good quality of products, but also their design. It contains a lot of facilities, starting with tables and ending at microwaves; if you feel like eating your meal directly in the shop, you have an access to these microwaves together with some cutlery.
There are lots of cheap veggies and fruits as well as a big variety of frozen foods. You can get yourself a takeaway salad together with warm croquetas as many times a week as you want.
Example of a full meal we bought: a bag of spinach, ready lasagna, some fresh vegetables, colorful pasta (which costed less than one euro), very tasty dumplings with eggplant, a bottle of fresh orange juice and cherries. For a grand total of €11.55.
Possible disadvantages: closed on Sundays. There are few shops in Les Corts and Gracia. Moreover, some Catalans don’t like it for political reasons as it is considered to be too supportive towards Spain.
Closest to center of the city: Ronda de St. Pere, 31, 08010 Barcelona
#2 LIDL ($)
This hidden gem is to be found, among others, just underneath Sant Antoni Market.
No matter the quality, Lidl is always among the cheapest markets in Spain. You can find it all around the city centre. It has a lot of cheap products for your homemade meals, even if preparing it with only Lidl products may require some creativity sometimes. However, there is plenty of just-microwave-it Italian food you could live on for months if you don’t wish to cook much.
Example of groceries for lunch and breakfast: chicken breasts (an amount that will woek for the next three days), two zucchinis, canned tomatoes, the cheapest yogurt found, two apples, fresh orange juice, and a small fig. All of which totaled up to €8. 42.
General advantages: cheap and big.
Possible disadvantages: Closed on Sundays and public holidays. It is also always crowded in the afternoons.
Closest to the center of the city: Carrer d’Ortigosa, 14-16, 08003 Barcelona
#3 Carrefour Market ($/$$) better quality, not easy to find
Carrefour is a good shopping place for products you couldn’t find in Lidl as it definitely has got more interesting stuff on the shelves. For more original products, Carrefour is one of the cheapest supermarkets in Barcelona. Prices are okay but not the cheapest; they have many different kinds of veggies at affordable prices though.
There are many ‘’buy one, get another cheaper’’ promotions, which is always a good deal to buy your favorite products.
Another example of groceries made there (lunch and dinner this time): fresh artichokes for dinner, shitake mushrooms and coconut milk, simple spaghetti with cut ham and pesto, two nectarines. For €11.39.
General advantages: a lot of different products (including international ones) and promotions possible if you buy a lot of stuff. Better quality than Lidl and more choice. Long opening hours.
Disadvantages: Very few stores. Not the cheapest. Closed on Sundays. The store in La Rambla is always crowded and it takes ages to pay and leave.
Closest to the center of the city: Rambla dels Estudis, 113, 08002 Barcelona
#4 Aldi ($)
Aldi is very cheap super marcet, but its not intuitive, but you can find there many discounts and occasions. . It will have what you want, even though its offer of fresh vegetables is rather limited.
A soup vegetable set with a lonely onion, Spanish fideua and a big pack of chicken thigs, a local mozarella-like product called Burgo de Arias and a pack of green beans, but also a lot of european products. They have also vegetarian and vegan options.
General advantages: cheap, it will also have a ready set of vegetables for your salad. Easy to find in the centre.
Possible disadvantages: rather limited choice of products. Closed on Sundays.
Closest to the center of the city: Carrer dels Tallers, 74, 08001 Barcelona
If you want to go deeper into cheap supermarkets in Barcelona, you can visit the website of the OCU (Organization of Consumers and Users) and learn more.
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