Supermarket still cheapest for basics despite Aldi and Tesco dropping price of same shopping essential

While food prices have gone up across the board over the last 18 months, one supermarket has consistently been the cheapest on essentials since January.

We have monitored the cost of the same eight basics since March 2022 and for the majority of that time it's Lidl that has fared best.

It's held that crown every week since the end of January and retains it this week, with a shopping bill of £11.79.

Tesco and Aldi are almost neck and neck, at £12.06 and £12.08 respectively, and that's despite both having dropped the price of a two-pint bottle of milk this week from £1.25 to £1.20.

There's been just one more change this week - refreshingly another reduction, with Sainsbury's bringing the cost of its 300g pack of chicken breasts down from £2.50 to £2.29.

As well as milk and chicken, our basket is made up of coffee, tea bags, bread, butter, beans and mince.

Despite the drop, Sainsbury's remains fourth cheapest with a bill of £12.12, followed by Morrisons at £12.70 and Asda at £13.15.

Asda has now been the most expensive since the end of January, with just one exception, when Tesco briefly took the unfortunate title during one week in March.

Last week we reported how the pace of price rises is slowing, but Chancellor Jeremy Hunt said prices are still 'worryingly high' and 70% of households are said to be 'extremely' or 'very' worried about it.

Have you noticed price rises beginning to slow down? Have you changed your shopping habits amid the cost of living crisis? Let us know in the comments.

Here's the full list:

Loaf of white bread 800g - 45p

Milk 2 pints - £1.25

Coffee 200g - £1.99

Teabags 160 - £1.19

Salted butter 250g - £1.89

Beans 420g tin - 28p

Chicken 300g - £2.29

Mince 500g 25% fat (20% fat no longer