Shoppers Say This Costco Milk Is A Dead Ringer For Fairlife

As the protein craze sweeps the nation, dairy milk has been making a comeback after years of declining sales. Fairlife Ultra-Filtered Milk is a major player in the white dairy milk category, thanks to its high protein content, strong social media presence, and staggering year-over-year sales growth. Now, a new competitor from Costco has entered the ring, and shoppers say it's a convincing dupe to the Fairlife brand.

Kirkland Signature Ultra-Filtered Reduced Fat Milk, 2%, Lactose-Free might not roll off the tongue as easily as Fairlife, but it's getting rave reviews. One Instagram influencer compared the macronutrients of Kirkland's milk with Fairlife 2% and pointed out that they are exactly the same: 120 calories, 4.5 grams of fat, 6 grams of carbs, and 13 grams of protein. He also points out it's much cheaper — three half-gallons (64 ounces each) of the Kirkland milk retail for about $10.59, which is comparable to the price of two 52-ounce bottles of Fairlife.

As for the taste, one Redditor said, "Love it. I did a side-by-side taste test and couldn't really tell the difference from Fairlife." Another Reddit user agreed: "Tasted very similar to me, too, although I only used it to make my usual protein smoothie that I previously used Fairlife milk for ... Glad to have this option." Costco released its three-packs of ultra-filtered milk in April 2026 in the Austin, Texas, area. The item is expected to appear in other locations in the forthcoming months.

If you're wondering what ultra-filtered milk is and if it's safe to drink, the good news is that it's essentially a concentrated version of regular milk. It's processed as normal, and a percentage of fat is separated. Then, the remaining milk is passed through a filter membrane. This filter allows protein, calcium, and certain fat-soluble vitamins (like A and E) to pass through, but removes most of the water and lactose — the complex sugar that naturally occurs in milk. After that, some fat and water may be reintroduced to create that familiar milky texture. Ultra-filtration not only results in a product with 50% less sugar, but it also allows many lactose-intolerant consumers to drink dairy milk.

While you wait for Costco to roll out Kirkland Signature Ultra-Filtered Reduced Fat Milk in your area, you might want to try Aldi Friendly Farms lactose-free ultra-filtered milk, which is also a Fairlife dupe. Whatever your options, we hope you udder-ly (sorry!) enjoy protein-packed, ultra-filtered milk!