Rice varieties at Australian supermarkets: which to buy and how to compare value

Rice is one of the best value staples available

Dry white rice is among the cheapest sources of calories and carbohydrates at Australian supermarkets. It stores indefinitely in a sealed container, cooks simply, and forms the base of an enormous variety of meals. Getting the comparison right — between varieties and between brands — is a straightforward way to keep a key pantry staple as affordable as possible.

The main varieties and their typical uses

White long-grain rice (everyday/standard white rice). The cheapest and most neutral option. Works for most everyday cooking — fried rice, rice bowls, curries, stir-fries. Store-brand white rice in 5 kg or 10 kg bags is consistently the lowest cost per 100 g option at most Australian supermarkets.

Jasmine rice. A fragrant long-grain rice used in Southeast Asian cooking. Has a slightly softer, stickier texture when cooked than standard long-grain. Costs more per 100 g than standard white rice, but is still an affordable pantry staple. Available in large bags at a lower unit price than smaller packs — and often cheaper in the international aisle than the mainstream rice section.

Basmati rice. An aromatic long-grain variety traditionally used in Indian and Middle Eastern cooking. Grains are longer and drier when cooked than jasmine or standard white rice. Comparable in price to jasmine at the supermarket level; more expensive per 100 g than plain white rice.

Brown rice. Whole-grain rice with the bran layer intact. Takes longer to cook (around 40 minutes versus 15–18 minutes for white rice), has a nuttier flavour, and costs slightly more per 100 g than standard white rice. Nutritionally denser in fibre and some micronutrients.

Arborio and risotto rice. A short-grain, starchy variety used specifically for risotto and rice pudding. Significantly more expensive per 100 g than long-grain varieties and not interchangeable for everyday cooking. Buy only when you plan to make risotto.

Sushi rice. Short-grain rice with a high starch content that gives it its characteristic stickiness when cooked. Only worth buying if you regularly make sushi or onigiri; not suitable as an everyday substitute.

Comparing value across pack sizes and brands

The price per 100 g drops considerably as pack size increases for most rice varieties. A 10 kg bag of standard white rice has a much lower per-100 g cost than a 1 kg bag of the same product. If you eat rice several times a week and have storage space, buying the larger format is almost always worth it.

The international foods aisle is often worth checking before buying from the mainstream rice section — jasmine and basmati in larger bags are frequently cheaper there than the same variety in branded packaging in the main aisle.

Run a search on TrolleyChecker for your regular rice variety and size before a restock to compare current prices across chains.