United Kingdom

The UK grocery market is famously price-war-driven, and the three chains tracked here sit at different points in that fight: Tesco, Sainsbury's and Waitrose, all priced in GBP. Most unprepared food in the UK is zero-rated for VAT, so — like Spain — the prices used here are close to what you'd pay at the till, not a pre-tax figure.

Tesco represents the mainstream "big four" tier, Sainsbury's sits a notch above on selected ranges, and Waitrose is the explicitly premium end of the market — for identical branded goods the gap between Tesco and Waitrose is often the widest three-way spread this site tracks in any single country.

Utility pricing here is 0.27 GBP/kWh for electricity and 0.07 GBP/kWh-equivalent for gas — UK household energy prices have swung significantly in recent years, so this figure is a snapshot rather than a permanent baseline, and it's worth rechecking against your own bill if energy costs matter to your decision.

Check the dishes below to see which recipes are nearly identical in price across all three chains (usually pantry staples) and which ones diverge hard (usually meat, cheese, and prepared sauces).