Where you buy groceries in Kingston determines a significant part of your monthly food budget. The difference between shopping at Farm Boy weekly and shopping at No Frills isn't trivial — on a $200/month grocery budget, it can be $50-70 in either direction. Here's the honest comparison.
No Frills (Bath Road)
Price level: Cheapest major option in Kingston
Distance from campus: Requires bus (Route 2) or car — ~20 minutes
Selection: Good staples, limited specialty items, strong produce section
No Frills is where you shop if price is the priority. Their Loblaw-owned structure keeps costs low, their produce quality is adequate to good, and the staples (pasta, rice, canned goods, protein) are consistently the cheapest in Kingston. The weekly flyer is worth checking — rotation deals on meat and produce can be significant.
The tradeoff: it's not walking distance from the student ghetto, so you need transit or to coordinate with someone who has a car. The solution most students use: one big No Frills run per week or two for bulk and non-perishables, supplemented by a closer store for fresh items mid-week.
FreshCo (Multiple Locations)
Price level: Second cheapest; comparable to No Frills on most items
Distance from campus: Varies by location
Selection: Good variety including some international products
FreshCo (a Sobeys discount banner) competes directly with No Frills on price. Their flyer deals are strong, and they often have a better selection of international food products than No Frills. Check the location closest to your apartment — the Bath Road area has good coverage.
Loblaws (Princess Street)
Price level: Mid-range; 15-25% more than No Frills on most items
Distance from campus: Walking distance from most student housing
Selection: Excellent; full deli, bakery, PC brand products
Loblaws' main advantage is convenience — it's walkable from most Queen's student housing, open late, and has good selection. You pay for that convenience: a basket of staples costs notably more than No Frills. The PC brand (President's Choice) products offer quality at a lower price point than name brands, which helps. Practical use: quick mid-week restocks, specialty items, anything you need same-day.
Farm Boy (Princess Street)
Price level: Premium — 30-50% more than No Frills on most items
Distance from campus: Walking distance
Selection: Excellent produce, prepared foods, specialty items
Farm Boy is Kingston's quality grocery option. Their produce is consistently better than the other options, their prepared foods section is genuinely good, and the store experience is significantly better. It is not a student budget grocery store. A weekly shop at Farm Boy costs substantially more than the alternatives.
Appropriate use: the occasional treat, specific high-quality produce items, prepared foods when you need something ready-to-eat. Not as a primary grocery store on a student budget unless you have specific dietary needs that require their selection.
Walmart (Bath Road / Gardiners Road)
Price level: Comparable to No Frills on food; cheapest for non-food household items
Distance from campus: Requires bus or car
Selection: Large; good for one-stop shopping
Walmart's food pricing is competitive with No Frills on most items. Their main advantage for students is the combination — you can buy groceries and household supplies (cleaning products, toiletries, kitchen equipment) in one trip, and the non-food items are often cheaper than anywhere else in Kingston. Coordinate a Walmart run for stocking up on household essentials monthly.
The Practical Strategy
Most Kingston students use two stores: No Frills or FreshCo for the main weekly shop (bus trip or carpool), and Loblaws for mid-week top-ups. This gets you the cheapest prices on bulk purchases while maintaining the convenience of a walkable store for small needs. Avoid doing your full weekly shop at Farm Boy or the JDUC grocery-adjacent options on campus — the premium adds up fast.
What is the cheapest grocery store near Queen's University?
No Frills on Bath Road and FreshCo are the cheapest options in Kingston. Both require transit or a car from the Queen's campus area. Loblaws on Princess Street is the most convenient walkable option but costs 15-25% more. Walmart is comparable in price to No Frills for food and cheapest for household items.
