Mamdani’s $70M city-run grocery plan could buy more than 1M Costco memberships: critics

It’s no bargain.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s plan to build government-run supermarkets in all five boroughs will cost taxpayers at least $70 million — enough to buy Costco members for more than 1 million New Yorkers, critics noted.

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The social media-focused democratic socialist, who campaigned on government run markets with a promise to drive down cost, announced plans on Monday for the stores to offer select items at a 30% discount despite a host of questions about how the program will work — and how private businesses will be affected.

“$70M for slightly discounted produce is ridiculous,” City Councilwoman Joann Ariola (R-Queens) said. “At this point it would be cheaper to just buy a million Costco memberships. We’d save $5M in taxpayer funds, and the public can buy their items in bulk. Win-win.”

The estimated price tag just to build the locations — one in each borough — would be enough to buy eight basic Costco $65 memberships for every resident of East Harlem, or about an eighth of all residents of the Big Apple.

The locations of only two of the five markets have been announced and the first one won’t open its doors until 2027 at the earliest.

The first store is set to open in the South Bronx neighborhood of Hunts Point at The Peninsula — a former Juvenile Detention Center. A second store is planned in the 9,000-square-foot space at the Marqueta space in East Harlem.

Councilman Phil Wong (D-Queens) compared the planned stores to something out of communist China.

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“Back in mainland China where my parents and grandparents fled, these state owned grocery are price controlled but because they are provide controlled the shelves are empty,” Wong said.

“They only way for you to buy them when people to rush to buy them is to ration ticket,” he added. “It doesn’t work. It’s simple economics, you have a supply and demand issue. We know it doesn’t work but the only person who doesn’t know it is the mayor and his people.”

Democratic operative Hank Sheinkopf said the plan was good on paper but is now clashing with reality, with the price tag expected to grow.

“It all sounds good until you have to do it. He’s running a great show,” he said. “Itss like free busses. It’s not going to happen.”

City Hall estimates shoppers will save $90 a month once the stores open — more than a full year of Costco dues.

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City Hall did not respond to a request for comment.