12 Best Costco Food Finds For Under $5

Whether objectively true or not, there's a perception that Costco ultimately saves you money. The actuality depends on one's lifestyle, shopping habits, and living situation (i.e., storage space), but the world's fourth-largest retailer has a consumer base that remains committed to the idea. More than 140 million people around the globe call themselves Costco members, and each has their own Costco shopping approach and aisle-hopping philosophy. Some go big on grocery hauls, some keep trips more compact and frequent, and others find a happy medium.

Yet, finding something at Costco under five dollars remains a challenge. This is due to the bulk, wholesale approach of the store, but sometimes you just need one or two small things. Outside of the store's famous $4.99 rotisserie chicken (which people buy multiples of anyway, leading to literally hundreds of millions of Costco chickens being sold in 2025), it is tough to walk in with just a fiver in your pocket, hunting for a buy.

However, it's certainly not impossible. Granted, prices are always subject to change and fluctuate depending on region or individual store, so others may be in luck when seeking out these extremely low-priced goods. For now, these are the dozen Costco finds — at time of writing — that are priced below five bucks.

I hunted down some of those rare, under $5 offerings at a New York City Costco. I tried to limit it to items that wouldn't put you over $5, even with tax, but that was difficult –- as was laying off the number of products that cost five-dollars-and-change pre-tax. Though when it comes to the latter, I did manage to skip them (trying to keep some journalistic integrity here, after all).

As far as the ranking, I took into account customer reviews and complimentary commentary when available. This was balanced with how commonplace, or relied upon, a particular product is in a run-of-the-mill household. Hopefully, this all helps the bargain-hunting Costco-er in the end. Godspeed, friend.

Originating in the Mediterranean and cultivated for over 2,000 years, parsley was considered both divine and nefarious by the Ancient Greeks, who associated it with the mythological hero Archemorus, a name that means "Beginner of Doom." Yeesh. However, that foreboding origin story has done little to deter people all over the world from using the popular spice in countless dishes.

We wonder what Archemorus would think about Costco's four-dollar-and-change container of Olde Thompson parsley flakes now. The brand goes back to postwar America, with founder George S. Thompson being one of the first people to introduce pepper mills to the U.S. market.

Today, the company's parsley is — according to customers – a fresh, quality product, even when shipped. This means that walking into a Costco and grabbing a container right off the shelf should ensure some solid dried parsley. Then you don't have to dry your fresh parsley in the microwave.

Kirkland does not offer a plain salt option, so you're looking at pure sea salt as the next closest product. With a 30-ounce container priced at a little under four dollars, this is a clutch find. And no, it may not be the most exciting buy in the world. It's kind of the equivalent of drafting an offensive lineman with a high pick. The fans want the flash of a quarterback or a hotshot wide receiver, but anyone who knows football understands the foundational importance of an offensive lineman.

So, sea salt is a left tackle. The point is, anyone who cooks knows how crucial the salt you're using can be. In fact, this Kirkland version has been called a "salt lover's paradise" by one enthusiastic reviewer and a "great value" by another.

Additionally, the natural provenance of sea salt has myriad advantages as opposed to table salt. The ancients knew this, and people have been using sea salt with food and in other ways for thousands of years. They must have known, even then, that someday this great mineral would go on to be the key ingredient to Giada de Laurentiis's chocolate espresso cake –- among other contributions to humankind.

Whether you're folding it into a tomato sauce (to imitate the inimitable Lidia Bastianich), sprinkling some on a fresh slice of pizza, using it as a pickling enhancer, or adding a little kick to your plate of pasta, crushed red pepper is an absolute must-stock in many a kitchen. Generally speaking, it's cayenne that's the pepper being crushed and flaked –- but the serrano, jalapeño, and Anaheim varieties are used as well.

The great thing about this 10-ounce version by the Kirkland brand – which is grown in India — is that it costs less than five dollars. Though it may not be the larger, 18-ounce size of Costco spices, 10 ounces of the stuff can still go a long way. If you're using way too much of it in a serving, you might need a spicier ingredient in your life anyway.

Spices and seasoning are some of the most cost-effective items at Costco, especially under the Kirkland label (and it's not the only one appearing on this list). But if you're talking about a simple component that immediately adds a big hit of flavor and kick to the proceedings, you can't go wrong with red pepper flakes at that price. Especially for a brand that customers consider the best, a top bargain, and extremely versatile. 

Hot dog rolls, even more so than hamburger buns or sandwich bread, seem to be an afterthought. It's a product that — unless you take your hot dog very, very seriously — no one wants to break the bank for. It's function first with this baked good.

When it comes to Schmidt Old Tyme hot dog rolls, function it shall. A 16-pack at Costco runs you barely over four dollars –- keeping in line with the proper price-point for hot dog eating. Throwing down more than five dollars on a pack of hot dog buns that you might not even use all of (leaving an unfinished pack floating in pantry purgatory forever) feels too much. It is too much. Good thing this admired brand is under five dollars — some people even swear it's the only rolls they buy.

Schmidt actually started as the Baltimore-based Schmidt Baking Company in 1886. It now sees well over $800 million in revenue, and its place on Costco shelves certainly plays a large part in that eye-watering income. Here's another little fun fact: Schmidt actually owns the brand Manischewitz, of kosher wine fame.

Curcuma longa. That's the scientific name for the plant that produces turmeric. It's a spice that has actual healing properties, with its use as a medicine going back thousands of years. The golden-brown powder is even considered sacred in the Hindu religion. It's also seen in English-language cookbooks as far back as the eighteenth century. So, how much can you get this holy, healing food flavoring at Costco for?

Under five dollars is the answer, and that's for a substantive 12-ounce container to boot. Not bad for a substance that has possible benefits for ailments like arthritis, degenerative eye disorders, inflammation, anxiety, and kidney health. An elated Costco shopper has even credited this spice with saving their life.

Even if you just want some good flavoring for your curries or kebabs without all that "saving-your-life" stuff, turmeric is still an MVP on the spice rack. Or, at least, an extremely valuable bench player that can win you a game or two

As we all know, Kirkland Signature is Costco's only private-label brand (and an insanely profitable one at that). However, Schmidt just feels like a private-label brand, even though it definitely isn't. The company sells a number of different things in Costco, including cutlery sets. However, it's the hamburger rolls Schmidt manufactures that are one of the few items under five bucks at the grocery giant.

For a 16-count bag of these barbecue must-haves, you'll only be set back $4.30 (plus tax), which works out to about a quarter per bun. Sure, it may not enter the discussion for best-ever hamburger buns, but it'll do the job. It's also kosher, and doesn't have any trans fats.

Just think: By saving on the buns, you can splurge on the burger meat itself. Get your hands on some nice ground chuck with that delicious 80-20 split of lean to fat. Or, go non-traditional with lamb, chicken, turkey, buffalo, vegan, or, heck, even camel patties. Careful of the hump, though.

Goya was founded in 1936 by Spanish immigrants living in New York City. It's grown to become the biggest Hispanic food company in the U.S., with a name that's as common on grocery shelves as Kellogg's, Maxwell House, Dixie, Heinz, and Ore-Ida. The brand sells everything from chorizo to beans, olive oil to rice, and cookies to canned meat.

Goya Sazón is a seasoning highlighted by coriander and annatto. It's a flavor enhancer that so many people were raised on. You can cop a box of 6-and-change ounces for a little under five smackeroos at Costco, which works out to 36 packets. This is a solid deal for such a flexible seasoning. People love to use it on everything from hamburger meat to Mexican rice, or even just fried tortillas squirted with lemon juice.

As noted on the box, this is actually a jumbo pack of the seasoning that you're getting as well. So, there's no reason this can't last you quite a while –- allowing plenty of time to use it in all kinds of dishes. That's five dollars going very far.

It's difficult to find quality yet affordable bread anywhere these days. For those who don't want to settle for some generic sliced bread with who-knows-how-many additives, you usually have to spend a pretty penny for the (baked) good stuff. Not with this entry.

This one is a New York special. J.J. Cassone is a baked goods manufacturer that started as a single store in Port Chester, a town right by the Connecticut border in Westchester. Operating since 1910, the company grew to eventually begin selling its products in the nation's biggest warehouse chain.

You can buy their locally-made sliced hero rolls in regional Costcos. These 12-packs sell for under five dollars, and they're hearty, quality loaves of bread that are absolutely perfect for sandwiches. Paying four-and-change for this means possibly spending more on the contents of your future sandwich –- while also focusing on the perfect thickness of deli meat for said sandwich. If time is money, then logically money is also time — time that you can spend concentrating on the right-sized bologna.

When all is lost and money is tight, there's always milk. It'll bring your cereal to life, support your smoothie, moisten your cookie, hold over your dog's appetite, or just be imbibed on its own, with all its good, nourishing elements.

Sure, you can usually find some kind of milk for under five dollars at a lot of places, including your corner store. Kirkland's low-fat gallon of milk, however, feels like a great find at Costco, priced at a modest $2.70. The Kirkland organic milks in general seem to be well-liked by customers, with some swearing the milk lasts longer than other store brands.

Sure, low-fat may not be the best milk for lattes. What low-fat milk does offer in terms of benefits, though, is manifold. This centrifugated dairy product is rich in nutrition without the downsides of fattiness, still proving great for your muscles, bones, and immune system. That's not even getting into what it can do for your brain, eyes, and digestion. Fair to say $3 is a good price for all that.

Another under-fiver courtesy of J.J. Cassone, these are sliced sandwich rolls that people have raved about, even sending loved ones on a search to find them and bring back a piece of New York they miss. It's probably a lot easier than breaking off a chunk of the Brooklyn Bridge or swiping one of those big orange steam pipes in the middle of the street.

The dozen-count package of classic, pre-sliced sandwich rolls that are a staple of many an East Coast deli is only about four-and-a-half bucks at Costco (turning out to be less than 40 cents per roll). J.J. Cassone's specifically seems to be pretty ubiquitous, with folks assuming your average local bodega will be using these rolls for sammies. They may even sell you a few.

No need for all that, as Costco will certainly have the better value deal than a corner store handing you some loose ones over the counter — although, granted, you don't need a yearly membership to shop at your local deli.

Costco's five-dollar rotisserie chicken has become the stuff of legend (despite recent lawsuits attacking its allegedly misleading packaging). Even though the chicken –- famously priced at $4.99 –- does not turn a profit for the company, it still remains a talismanic store item. This is due to its vaunted place as a loss leader: A product that's used to drive customer traffic rather than bring in direct revenue.

Costco is so committed to keeping this chicken at a fixed, under-five-dollar price that in 2019, it committed almost half a billion dollars to opening its own poultry complex in Nebraska. This meant that Costco could now control every aspect of chicken production. If this doesn't show how much the retailer values that bagged, spit-roasted clucker, then nothing will.

In an industry where all prices seem to fluctuate at one point or another, rising and falling at the seeming whims of the grocery gods, it's great to know that at least one thing can be relied upon for a flatlined price –- and can be maximized through several useful rotisserie chicken hacks.

Are we stretching the parameters of this list by adding a food court item? In fairness, you can buy it in Costco, like everything else on this list, and it's under five dollars. We'll say that qualifies. When you add in the fact that it's one of the most beloved deals Costco has on offer, it'd be difficult to leave it out.

The $1.50 hot dog-and-soda combo has remained the same low price for going on four decades. Like with the $4.99 rotisserie chicken, Costco uses the hot dog deal as fuel for customers on multiple levels: Literal fuel for their bodies so that they can keep shopping, and fuel for their morale and appreciation of the store. Some people just come for the food court and the hot dog, as one of the cheapest proper meals you'll find anywhere.

Costco customers agree in spades, with people regularly calling the wiener an all-time bargain. As a side note, shoppers also seem to miss the hell out of the Polish hot dog that used to be at the food court for the same price. Alas, it was discontinued in 2019 in an effort to make the menu simpler and healthier. Boo.