Carrefour Market has recorded the largest price reduction among Spain's major supermarket chains in the latest annual study by the Organisation of Consumers and Users (OCU), although it is not the country's cheapest supermarket overall.

The 2026 OCU study found that Carrefour Market reduced the price of its general shopping basket by 2.7% compared with 2025. That compares with reductions of 1.9% at Lidl, 1.8% at Mercadona and 1.4% at Aldi.

The findings come as Spanish households continue to face historically high food prices, despite a significant moderation in the rate of price increases.

Carrefour Market Leads the Price Reductions

Among the 28 major supermarket chains included in the OCU comparison, Carrefour Market recorded the largest reduction in its general basket.

The OCU's general basket contains 244 products covering fresh and packaged food, drinks, cleaning products, household goods and personal hygiene items. It includes both leading brands and private-label products.

Compared with 2025, the average price change among the major chains was an increase of 1%, but eight chains actually reduced their prices.

The largest reductions were:

Other major chains also recorded reductions, including Consum, E.Leclerc, Familia and Supeco.

Carrefour Market Also Cuts Its Economy Basket

The difference becomes even more pronounced when OCU looks specifically at its economic basket.

Carrefour Market reduced prices in this category by 12.4%, the largest reduction among the major and medium-sized chains analysed.

Mercadona's economy basket fell by 5.6%, while Lidl's declined by 4.7% and Aldi's by 1.7%.

The economic basket is made up of the cheapest products available at each establishment that meet OCU's criteria for the product category. It is therefore not the same thing as comparing identical branded products.

But Carrefour Market Is Not the Cheapest Supermarket Overall

This is the most important distinction in the study.

A supermarket reducing its prices the most does not necessarily mean it has the lowest prices.

OCU's overall 2026 ranking places local Andalusian chain Dani first, with an index of 100.

Family Cash and Tifer follow with an index of 102, while Alcampo and Supeco both score 103.

Among the major national chains, Alcampo is the cheapest overall, followed by Supeco, Lidl and Mercadona.

Carrefour Market has an overall index of 108, putting it well above the cheapest chains in OCU's ranking.

The annual estimated cost of the OCU basket is:

These are OCU's estimated annual costs based on its standardised basket and are not predictions of what an individual household will actually spend.

The Shopping Basket Still Costs More Than Last Year

Despite the reductions at several major chains, the overall OCU basket became more expensive.

OCU found that its basket increased by 1.8% compared with the previous year.

That is the smallest annual increase recorded in the organisation's supermarket study in the past five years, but prices remain considerably higher than they were several years ago.

Since 2021, the OCU basket has increased by 39.5%.

The average annual cost of the basket in 2026 is estimated at €6,602.

Fresh Food Continues to Put Pressure on Household Budgets

Fresh products remain one of the main sources of price pressure.

According to OCU, fresh products increased by an average of 4.7% over the previous year.

Among the major categories, fish recorded the largest increase at 8.6%, followed by meat at 3.7% and fruit and vegetables at 3.5%.

Some individual products recorded much larger movements.

Tomatoes increased by 33.2%, lemons by 25.2%, cauliflower by 22.8% and aubergines by 20.4% in the OCU comparison.

At the same time, other products became cheaper, including paper napkins, Canary Islands bananas, artichokes and mashed potato products.

More Than 100,000 Prices Compared

The 2026 OCU study is based on 101,520 prices collected from 690 establishments, including online supermarkets.

The organisation analysed 38 cities and calculated price indices for 189 cities.

The research was conducted during April and May 2026.

The general OCU basket contains 244 products from 80 categories.

OCU uses the collected prices to calculate indices that allow comparisons between individual stores, supermarket chains and cities.

An index of 100 represents the lowest price level in the comparison, with higher numbers indicating a more expensive basket.

Where Can Shoppers Save the Most?

The choice of supermarket can make a substantial difference over a full year.

OCU estimates the average potential saving between buying the same basket at the cheapest and most expensive establishment in a household's area at €1,310 per year.

The difference varies dramatically between cities.

In Madrid, the potential annual saving reaches €4,381. In Mieres, Asturias, the difference is €381.

Other cities with particularly large potential savings include Alcobendas, Pozuelo de Alarcón and Majadahonda, where the difference exceeds €4,270.

What Does This Mean for Ibiza?

The national OCU study is useful for understanding the wider Spanish supermarket market, but it should not be interpreted as a specific ranking of supermarkets in Ibiza.

The 2026 study covers 38 cities, and Ibiza is not among the locations identified in the published OCU results.

This means the national ranking cannot establish that Carrefour Market, Mercadona, Lidl or Aldi is the cheapest option for shoppers in Ibiza.

Local prices can vary according to the individual store, promotions, product availability and the specific basket being compared.

For Ibiza households, the broader finding is that comparing prices between supermarkets can still produce significant savings, even though the overall pace of food-price increases has moderated.

A More Competitive Supermarket Market

The latest figures suggest that some of Spain's largest supermarket chains are becoming more aggressive on pricing.

Eight of the 28 major chains analysed by OCU reduced their general price level compared with the previous year.

Carrefour Market led that group, while Lidl, Mercadona and Aldi also recorded reductions.

However, the overall ranking shows that price reductions during a single year should not be confused with being the cheapest chain overall.

Dani remains the lowest-priced chain in OCU's national comparison, while Alcampo remains the cheapest national chain.

Ibiza One Stop Accuracy Note

The headline claim requires an important distinction.

Carrefour Market reduced its general OCU basket by 2.7%, the largest reduction among the major chains analysed. Mercadona reduced its general basket by 1.8% and Aldi by 1.4%.

However, Carrefour Market is not the cheapest supermarket chain overall. OCU ranks Dani as the cheapest chain nationally, followed by Family Cash and Tifer. Alcampo is the cheapest chain with national coverage.

The study also does not establish which supermarket is cheapest specifically in Ibiza. The figures are based on OCU's national methodology and should not be presented as an Ibiza-specific price comparison.

The €1,310 figure represents the average potential annual saving between the cheapest and most expensive establishments in the areas analysed, not a guaranteed saving for every Spanish household.

The OCU study collected 101,520 prices from 690 establishments and online supermarkets, covering 244 products across 80 categories.