A large gulf on the cost of groceries remains between Aldi and the major supermarkets, ahead of rules cracking down on price gouging coming into effect.

The latest quarterly survey of supermarket prices by consumer advocacy group Choice found Aldi had the cheapest basket of items, coming in at $72.41, followed by Woolworths at $98.98, Coles at $100.04 and IGA at $109.25.

The list of 20 supermarket items included seven base items such milk, bread and apples, as well as 13 items commonly bought to entertain guests during the festive season, such as crackers, hummus, camembert cheese and party pies.

The order of which supermarket was cheapest remained the same whether or not specials were taken into account.

“When including specials, Aldi was still the cheapest, with the price remaining the same as our basket without specials at $72.41,” Choice editorial director Mark Serrels said.

“The Woolworths basket with specials was $93.17, while at Coles it was $100.04, and $105.38 at IGA.”

The results of the survey were based on a survey of 104 supermarkets in 27 locations in September.

The consumer advocacy group has been releasing the surveys each quarter since June 2024 after receiving federal government funding to conduct the research in the hope of providing better transparency to customers.

Supermarkets have been put on notice about price gouging, with large retailers from July banned from charging prices deemed excessive when compared to the cost of supply.

Fines of up to $10 million per breach could apply, or 10 per cent of the company’s turnover during the preceding 12 months could apply.

The Australian Retailers Association and National Retail Association have both strongly opposed the government’s move.

In March, the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission found the near-duopoly enjoyed by Coles and Woolworths gave them little incentive to compete vigorously.

They were among the most profitable supermarkets in the world, an inquiry found.