Is Costco membership worth it in 2026?

Costco membership is worth it in 2026 for many households if you can reliably save enough on gas, groceries, household essentials, prescriptions/OTC items, tires, appliances, or travel to cover the annual fee. For a typical solo shopper, it’s often about $65/year for Gold Star and about $130/year for Executive; Executive only makes sense if your eligible annual Costco spending is high enough to earn back the extra cost.

Good rule of thumb:

• Gold Star: best if you want basic warehouse access and expect moderate, steady Costco spending.
• Executive: best if you spend enough that the 2% rewards can offset the higher fee.
• Skip it: if you live far from a warehouse, shop mostly for one person, hate bulk storage, or already get better prices elsewhere.

A nice safety net is that Costco memberships are generally refundable if you’re dissatisfied. Prices, fees, and the value of gas/grocery savings can change by location, so check current rates and a few sold/current local prices before joining.