The competition between Mercadona and Lidl is spilling over into the price of the grocery basket. Both chains have reduced the cost of hundreds of private-label products in 2026, with price cuts affecting basic food items and cleaning supplies.
Some of these price cuts are not just one-time promotions; rather, many have been incorporated into the products’ regular prices.
Products that have dropped in price at Mercadona
Among the Hacendado price cuts, semi-skimmed milk stands out, having dropped from €0.88 to €0.83 per liter since the beginning of the year. Egg prices are also down: a 24-pack now costs €5.25, compared to €5.75 in January.
The discounts also apply to Greek yogurt, canned mussels, cold cuts, some packaged vegetables, and Bosque Verde cleaning products.
Lidl is offering discounts of up to 20% on certain food items
For its part, Lidl has reduced the prices of around 800 items compared to January. Among the biggest price cuts are hake fillets and lentils, with discounts of over 20%, and long-grain rice, green beans, and chopped onions, with reductions of more than 15%.
According to the latest OCU study, the two chains are practically tied in terms of price: the annual shopping basket costs €6,054 at Lidl and €6,094 at Mercadona, a difference of just 40 euros.
Price cuts on specific products, however, do not mean that the entire shopping basket is cheaper than last year.