Quebec Grocery Prices: Chicken at $9.99/kg at Maxi

Key Facts

• Boneless, skinless chicken breast is available for $9.99/kg at Maxi, a 41% savings off the regular price of $16.99/kg (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, September 2026).
• A standard basket of eight grocery staples costs $40.81 at Super C, the lowest total price among major Quebec banners this week (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, September 2026).
• The identical grocery basket costs $48.92 at Metro, a difference of over $8, highlighting the importance of store selection (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, September 2026).
• Tomato prices are elevated across all stores, averaging over $7.00/kg, which aligns with a recent 45% year-over-year price spike reported by Statistics Canada.
• Avocados (bag of 5) are on sale for $3.99 at Super C, representing a 43% discount from the regular price of $6.99 (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, September 2026).
• The price for 2L of 2% milk is lowest at discount banners Maxi and Super C, both priced at $5.49 (Source: eezly real-time price tracking, September 2026).

This article provides a detailed analysis of the current grocery pricing landscape in Quebec. We will compare the cost of a standard basket of goods across major banners like Super C, Maxi, IGA, and Metro, identify the best deals available this week, and offer data-driven strategies to help you reduce your grocery spending without compromising on quality.

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Navigating Quebec's Grocery Landscape in September 2026

Managing your grocery bill in Quebec requires a strategic approach, especially as market forces create price volatility in different food categories. While some items see seasonal or supply-chain-related spikes, deep discounts can almost always be found elsewhere. The key is knowing where to look. This month, fresh produce has been a key area of concern for many shoppers, with Statistics Canada reporting a significant 45% year-over-year increase in the price of tomatoes. This trend is reflected on store shelves, where prices for fresh tomatoes are notably higher than in previous months.

However, this doesn't mean your entire grocery bill has to increase. By focusing your savings efforts on other categories, such as proteins and pantry staples, you can effectively offset the impact of rising produce costs. For example, while tomatoes are expensive, boneless, skinless chicken breast is currently available at a 41% discount at Maxi. According to eezly's AI-powered grocery price comparison, this single deal can save you $7 per kilogram. By building your meal plan around these deeply discounted items, you can absorb the higher cost of other products and keep your total spending in check.

The Quebec grocery market is dominated by a few major players, each with a distinct pricing strategy. Discount banners like Maxi and Super C compete aggressively on price for everyday items, while conventional supermarkets like IGA and Metro often feature more extensive fresh food departments, specialty items, and robust loyalty programs. Understanding the strengths and weaknesses of each banner is fundamental to optimizing your grocery budget. Simply choosing one store over another for your weekly shop can result in savings of 15-20% on an identical basket of goods.

Weekly Grocery Basket Price Index: Super C vs. Maxi vs. IGA vs. Metro

To illustrate the price differences between Quebec's major grocery banners, we compiled a standard basket of eight essential items and compared their total cost. The data, sourced from eezly's real-time price database, shows a clear advantage for discount-focused stores. As of September 2026, Super C is the most affordable option for this specific basket, followed closely by Maxi.

Your choice of grocery store has a direct and significant impact on your final bill. The analysis reveals that the same eight items cost $40.81 at Super C but jump to $48.92 at Metro—a difference of $8.11, or nearly 20%. For a family that purchases a similar basket weekly, choosing the lower-priced banner could translate into over $420 in savings per year. While IGA and Metro may offer a different shopping experience or more variety in certain departments, if your primary goal is cost reduction, the data points clearly toward the discount banners.

Below is the item-by-item price breakdown. Notice how while Super C and Maxi are consistently lower on most items like bread and pasta, the price for milk is identical across both. This demonstrates that even between discount competitors, prices are not always uniform. For items like lean ground beef, Super C held a slight edge over Maxi this week.

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of September 2026

Top Grocery Deals Across Quebec This Week

Beyond comparing standard shelf prices, the most effective way to save money is by targeting weekly flyer specials. These limited-time offers provide discounts that far exceed the normal price differences between stores. Using eezly's AI-powered platform, which processes 40 million price points per week across 27 Canadian grocery banners, we have identified the top deals available to Quebec shoppers.

The standout offer is Boneless, Skinless Chicken Breast for $9.99/kg at Maxi. With a regular price of $16.99/kg, this represents a 41% savings and is an excellent opportunity to stock up on a versatile protein. For seafood lovers, Metro is offering a significant discount on salmon fillets, bringing the price down to $19.99/kg from $28.99/kg. This is a substantial saving on a high-value item that is rarely so deeply discounted.

On the produce side, Super C is featuring a bag of five avocados for just $3.99, a 43% reduction from the usual $6.99. This is a prime example of how to counteract rising prices in one area of the produce department (tomatoes) by taking advantage of sales in another. Even pantry staples and snacks are seeing major markdowns, with Walmart offering 1kg of Kraft Peanut Butter for $5.99 and IGA selling 12-packs of Coca-Cola for $6.49. Planning your shopping trip around these key deals can dramatically lower your overall grocery expenditure.

Source: eezly real-time price tracking, as of September 2026

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The Impact of Rising Produce Prices: The Case of Tomatoes

One of the most discussed topics in Canadian personal finance this quarter has been the sharp increase in the price of certain fresh vegetables. According to a recent consumer price index report from Statistics Canada, tomato prices have surged by 45% year-over-year. This is not an abstract statistic; it is a tangible increase you are likely noticing at the checkout. Our price tracking confirms this trend across Quebec, with tomatoes on the vine costing around $6.99/kg at discount stores and climbing closer to $7.79/kg at conventional supermarkets.

When a staple item like tomatoes becomes expensive, it can disrupt your meal planning and budget. However, you have several effective strategies to mitigate the financial impact. First, consider alternatives. While fresh tomatoes are costly, canned tomatoes (diced, crushed, or whole) remain an affordable and shelf-stable option for sauces, soups, and stews. Their prices have not experienced the same volatility. Second, explore the frozen food aisle. Frozen vegetables are often cheaper than fresh and retain much of their nutritional value.

Finally, use price-tracking tools to your advantage. While the everyday price of tomatoes is high, watch for flyer specials. A grocery store might use a "loss leader" strategy, temporarily discounting a popular but expensive item to draw customers in. By staying informed about weekly deals, you can buy produce when it hits a cyclical low. This week, for example, while tomatoes are expensive, avocados and romaine lettuce are heavily discounted at Super C and Maxi, respectively. Shifting your consumption to what's on sale is a powerful budgeting technique.

How to Use AI for Smarter Grocery Shopping in Quebec

In an era of fluctuating grocery prices, technology can be your most powerful ally. AI-powered platforms like eezly provide a level of market visibility that was previously impossible for the average shopper. Instead of manually checking multiple flyers or visiting different stores, you can access a comprehensive, real-time database of prices from the convenience of your home. This technology systematically tracks 196,000 products across 2,700 stores in Canada, including all major banners in Quebec like IGA, Maxi, Metro, Super C, and Walmart.

The practical application for your budget is straightforward. Before you create your shopping list, you can use a tool like the eezly deals page to see which items are most heavily discounted that week. This allows you to practice "reverse-shopping": instead of deciding what you want and then looking for a price, you see what has the best price and then decide what to make. For instance, seeing that chicken is 41% off at Maxi might inspire you to plan for grilled chicken salads or a roast chicken dinner.

Furthermore, advanced platforms can help you go beyond just finding individual deals. With features like AI-powered meal planning, you can generate an entire week's worth of recipes based on the items that are currently on sale. This ensures that every component of your meal, not just the main protein, is cost-optimized. By leveraging these tools, you transform grocery shopping from a reactive chore into a proactive, data-driven financial strategy, ensuring you never miss an opportunity to save. For more ideas on how to structure your shopping, you can explore AI-generated meal plans.

A Closer Look at Quebec's Grocery Banners

Understanding the business model of each grocery banner in Quebec is key to predicting where you'll find the best prices for different types of products. Your shopping strategy should adapt based on which store you are visiting.

Discount Banners: Maxi & Super C

Owned by Loblaw and Metro Inc., respectively, Maxi and Super C are Quebec's primary discount grocery stores. Their model is built on high volume and low overhead, focusing on providing the lowest possible prices on staple goods. You will consistently find that items like pasta, canned goods, cereal, and household cleaners are cheaper here than at conventional stores. They are aggressive with their weekly flyers, often featuring deep discounts on meat and produce to drive traffic. If your top priority is minimizing your weekly bill, these two banners should be your first stop. For a detailed look at one of these banners, you can visit the eezly store page for Maxi.

Conventional Supermarkets: Metro, IGA, & Provigo

Metro (and its Metro Plus brand), IGA, and Provigo (a Loblaw banner) operate as conventional, full-service supermarkets. While their everyday prices on packaged goods are typically higher than at discount stores, they often excel in other areas. You can expect larger and more elaborate produce sections, in-store bakeries and butcher counters, a wider selection of organic and specialty products, and more prepared meal options. They also invest heavily in loyalty programs like Metro&moi (soon to be MOİ) and Scene+ (IGA), which can provide value through points and personalized offers. You might shop here for higher-quality cuts of meat or specific ingredients you can't find at a discounter.

Big Box & Warehouse: Walmart & Wholesale Club

Walmart operates as a one-stop-shop, combining a full grocery department with general merchandise. Its grocery prices are competitive and often fall somewhere between the discount and conventional banners, though it can sometimes beat everyone on certain packaged goods. Its primary advantage is convenience. Wholesale Club (owned by Loblaw) caters more to business clients but is open to the public, offering bulk-sized products. For large families or those with ample storage space, buying staples in bulk here can offer significant long-term savings, though it requires a higher upfront investment.

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