Is Almond Milk More Expensive Than Cow's (Dairy) Milk?

I drink almond milk regularly. Three of the four people in my family enjoy it. If you have read other articles I have written on the subject, you know that I have tried dairy, soy and rice milk prior to settling on almond milk as my preference. I was motivated mostly by my desire to avoid the nasal congestion that I often experienced with dairy products.
The issue of cost often surfaces with non-dairy beverage substitutes. The retail price of substitutes is usually higher than dairy products. Recently, in a local grocery store, the price was $2.94 for a half-gallon of refrigerated Silk almond milk. Fortunately, after a previous purchase of refrigerated Almond Breeze almond milk, I received a coupon for $1.00 toward my next purchase of Silk's brand. I gave my coupon to the cashier and, low and behold, the coupon doubled. Instead of having $1.00 off, I received $2.00 off Silk's brand! My final price was $.94 for the half-gallon. That is less than what I pay for a half-gallon of cow's milk (my husband's preference). Clearly, in this example almond milk was not expensive at all.
Coupon offerings from Silk and Almond Breeze manufacturers happen regularly--at least for now. I do not necessarily pay $.94 per half-gallon every time. Yet, the two companies are clearly battling for sales. Apparently, in 2008 Blue Diamond tested their almond non-dairy product on a segment of the Hispanic population, who were known to be lactose intolerant (CHAKER, 2011). The product was received with open arms. Blue Diamond later launched their product in 2009. Silk introduced their product in 2010.
With the stiff competition between the two brands creating an affordable environment for consumers, almond milk is more expensive than cow's milk sometimes but not all of the time. When there are no sales promotions and I have to fork over $3.00 per half-gallon, I still make a purchase because I like the health benefits. However, I may opt to buy less.
When I go to the store, I look to see which brand is on sale or has a coupon dispenser nearby. I also pay attention when I check out because sometimes coupons print along with the receipt. Although I prefer the taste of Almond Breeze Original, I usually get whatever is on sale because the products taste so similar. As for cost, I can only say to watch for price changes and special offers. They can help improve the price significantly.