Cheap advent calendars under £10 that are still good
Some of the cheapest chocolate calendars hold more chocolate per door than premium ones. Here is what under £10 buys, what to check, and where to look for lower advent calendar prices.
A cheap advent calendar does not have to be a disappointing one. Some of the cheapest chocolate calendars hold twice as much chocolate per door as premium ones, and a few paper and toy calendars also come in under £10. Below: the budget calendars compared door by door, the checks that separate a good cheap calendar from a bad one, and where to look for lower prices.
Cheap chocolate advent calendars compared per door
Branded chocolate calendars from Cadbury, Galaxy, Maltesers, Kinder and Lindt are the usual under-£10 buys. The heaviest holds more than twice as much chocolate as the lightest, so divide the weight on the box by 24 before choosing.
| Calendar | Total weight | Chocolate per door |
|---|---|---|
| Maltesers Reindeer | 108 g | 4.5 g |
| Galaxy | 110 g | 4.6 g |
| Lindt Lindor Assorted Mini | 117 g | 4.9 g |
| Lindt Milk Chocolate | 160 g | 6.7 g |
| Kinder Bueno | 181 g | 7.5 g |
| Cadbury Heroes | 230 g | 9.6 g |
| Cadbury Dairy Milk with Lotus Biscoff chunks | 236 g | 9.8 g |
| Cadbury Dairy Milk Chunks | 258 g | 10.8 g |
The three Cadbury calendars are the heavyweights of the budget range: the Dairy Milk Chunks calendar holds about twice the chocolate per door of the Hotel Chocolat dark calendar, which costs more. All of them are in our chocolate advent calendars collection.
Which cheap chocolate calendar for whom
- The most chocolate: Cadbury Dairy Milk Chunks, about 10.8 g a door.
- The most variety: Cadbury Heroes, with a different Heroes chocolate such as Wispa, Twirl or Fudge behind the doors.
- Two flavours: Cadbury Dairy Milk with Lotus Biscoff, with either a Dairy Milk chunk or one with Biscoff pieces behind each door.
- Truffles: Lindt Lindor Assorted Mini, a truffle calendar at a budget price.
- A small daily treat for young children: Maltesers or Galaxy, about 4.5 g a door.
Cheap advent calendars beyond chocolate
Under £10 also buys a few calendars without chocolate, and a little more opens up tea, toys and dog treats.
For children
- Picture calendars: the traditional paper kind, with a Christmas scene behind each door, such as the Santa’s Sleigh Ride calendar from the Vermont Christmas Company. No sugar and no small parts.
- Crafts: a charm bracelet and necklace-making calendar, with jewellery pieces behind the doors.
- Toys, for a little more: Furby Minis, or a MEGA Pokémon building calendar with 202 pieces and two poseable figures.
Our kids advent calendars collection has more toy calendars, from rubber ducks to gemstones and science kits.
For adults
- Dark chocolate: Divine’s 70% dark calendar holds 85 g, only 3.5 g a door, but it is the budget choice for someone who prefers dark.
- Tea, for a little more: 24-day calendars from Twinings and Pukka, one tea bag a day.
- Dogs, for a little more: calendars with one treat a day for the dog of the house.
A cheap calendar also works as an office present; our Secret Santa gifts collection has more small presents at the same budget.
How to tell a good cheap advent calendar from a bad one
- Work out the cost per door. Divide the price by 24: a £6 calendar costs 25p a day, a £9.60 one 40p.
- For chocolate, compare grams per door rather than the size of the box; a big box can hide a shallow tray.
- Read the allergy panel. Chocolate assortments often carry nut or milk warnings.
- For toy calendars, look for a UKCA or CE mark and warnings in English. Toys sold in Great Britain need one of the two marks, so an unmarked calendar from an unknown seller is one to skip.
Cheap toy calendars often contain small parts. Whatever the price, keep them away from children under three and check the age printed on the box.
When are advent calendars cheapest?
There is no single cheapest week, so start with loyalty prices. In 2026 Tesco put Clubcard prices on its branded chocolate calendars, including Cadbury, Galaxy, Maltesers and Lindt, valid from 5 September to 4 December.
- Compare the same calendar at several shops and online before you buy: a loyalty price at one supermarket can beat a sale elsewhere.
- Limited ranges do not come back: Aldi says its advent calendars, like all its Specialbuys, are not restocked once they are gone. If the person has a favourite, buy it when you see it.
- Any time after 1 December: a late calendar still works; open the missed doors on the first day and carry on.
Our advent calendars collection puts every type side by side, so you can compare before you buy.
A cheap calendar or a fill-your-own one?
A reusable calendar filled from a multipack of small treats lets you set the cost per door yourself, and the calendar comes back every year. Our DIY advent calendar ideas list what to put behind each door, for children and adults.
If you would rather buy one ready-made, compare the budget options with the rest of our advent calendar range, or see our guide to the best advent calendars for chocolate, beauty and LEGO picks at every level.
Frequently asked questions
What are the best affordable advent calendars?
For chocolate, the Cadbury Dairy Milk Chunks, Biscoff and Heroes calendars give the most per door in the budget range, around 10 g, while Lindt and Kinder sit in the middle. Outside chocolate, a traditional paper picture calendar is a low-cost choice with no sugar and no small parts.
Which supermarket has the cheapest advent calendars?
None is cheapest on every calendar, and loyalty prices change the answer. In 2026 Tesco has Clubcard prices on its branded chocolate calendars until 4 December. Compare the same calendar across shops and online before you buy.
Where can I find the cheapest advent calendars?
Check the same calendar at several sellers, Amazon included, and work out the price per door. Loyalty prices can start early: Tesco’s 2026 Clubcard prices on chocolate calendars began on 5 September.
Does Aldi have advent calendars?
Yes, as seasonal Specialbuys. In 2025 its range reached stores on 26 October, with a 12-day Lacura beauty calendar, a 25-day candle calendar, and toy and jigsaw calendars. Aldi’s press office had not announced its 2026 advent calendars when this article was written, so check the Specialbuys pages on its website. Once they sell out, they are not restocked.
Does Tesco have advent calendars?
Yes. In 2026 Tesco sells branded chocolate calendars from Cadbury, Galaxy, Maltesers, Kinder and Lindt, many at a lower Clubcard price until 4 December, so check loyalty prices before paying the shelf price.
Where to bulk buy advent calendars?
For a class or an office, buy the same branded chocolate calendar from one seller and look for multi-buy offers. For a group, one reusable calendar filled from multipacks, with a treat drawn by name each day, costs less than a calendar per person.
