As grocery prices continue to climb, many shoppers are asking the same questions: Is it cheaper to buy groceries in-store or online? And how much do prices vary depending on where you live?

To find out, Better Get Baquero teamed up with the “Today” show, Telemundo 47 and NBC stations across the country to compare grocery prices at three major retailers: Walmart, Target and Whole Foods. The results revealed significant differences in delivery fees, regional pricing and overall costs — and could help consumers save money.

Rising grocery prices add pressure

Staple grocery items have become more expensive over the past year. Ground beef prices are up 15% and orange juice has jumped 28%. Prices for bacon, chicken breasts and sandwich bread have also risen.

For some shoppers, the increases are hard to ignore.

“Things are a little tighter than they once were, and I’m on a fixed income,” said Richard Robben, of Yonkers.

Others weigh both cost and convenience.

“Time is money. I almost always come out to shop, but occasionally I still shop online — which is very costly — but sometimes, it’s worth the time savings,” said Tracy Lentini, of Yonkers.

Comparing in-store, pickup and delivery

Our team shopped for the same dozen staple items — milk, eggs, butter, cheese, bread, coffee, cereal, orange juice, fresh meat, vegetables, pasta and tomato sauce — at Walmart, Target and Whole Foods.

We made the purchases three ways on the same day:

Shopping in-store

Ordering online for in-store pickup

Ordering online for same-day delivery

We did not use store memberships. All totals included local sales tax and applicable fees. All the delivery costs were before adding a tip for the driver.

In most cases, the price of groceries themselves was the same whether purchased in-store, for pickup or online. The biggest differences came from bag fees and delivery charges.

New York-area price breakdown

Target

Shop in store: At a Target in White Plains, the in-store total was $55.18.

Order online for in-store pickup: Added a 50-cent bag fee.

Order online for same-day delivery: Added a $9.99 fee plus bag fees, bringing the total to $65.67.

Whole Foods

Shop in store: At Whole Foods in White Plains, the in-person total was $52.08.

Order online for in-store pickup: Pickup was free, with 15 cents added for three bags.

Order online for same-day delivery: Delivery included a $13.95 fee, raising the total to $66.03.

Walmart

Shop in store: At Walmart in Suffern, the in-store total was $41.87.

Order online for in-store pickup: Free pickup cost six cents more.

Order online for same-day delivery: Delivery added a $14.95 charge, bringing the total to $56.82.

Where groceries cost the most — and least

Across the country, price differences were notable.

At Walmart and Target, the lowest prices were found in Milwaukee, according to NBC station WTMJ. At Whole Foods, the lowest prices were outside Boston, reported by NBC station WBTS.

The highest prices at Walmart and Target were found in California’s Bay Area, according to NBC station KNTV.

Surprisingly, the highest Whole Foods prices were reported in San Antonio, Texas, by NBC station KTLM — higher than suburban stores in New York and New Jersey, and even higher than stores in San Diego or Los Angeles.

“I have a lot of family in the south, in Florida, so I’m coming to find when we visit, it’s not that different,” Lentini said.

When researchers averaged totals across all three retailers, the lowest grocery prices were generally in the Midwest, while the highest were on the West Coast.

On average, buying groceries in the South cost about the same as in the Northeast — despite the region having higher median incomes.

“I have children in Florida and their prices seem to be much better. But what do I know?” Robben said.

Why prices vary by location

In some cases, we found price differences for the same item at the same retailer depending on location — including a 20% difference for orange juice at Walmart stores in Virginia.

Walmart said in a statement that most of its stores use the same prices, but “certain commodities…can vary regionally due to localized cost and distribution differences.”

Target said its prices can differ from store to store due to local promotions and competition.

Whole Foods said its prices may vary due to “region-specific promotions, regulatory compliance, and variances in transportation and operating costs.”

Are grocery memberships worth it?

Store memberships can offer discounts and free delivery, but subscriptions can cost $100 or more per year. Shoppers should factor in those annual fees when deciding whether the savings outweigh the cost.

For many consumers, the choice between shopping in-store and ordering online comes down to a simple tradeoff: saving money or saving time.

This story was originally reported for broadcast by NBC New York. AI tools helped convert the story to a digital article, and an NBC New York journalist edited the article for publication.