🥬 Where to Buy Groceries in Bali

When we first arrived in Bali, supermarkets were not even on the list of things I thought we needed to research in advance.

A supermarket is a supermarket.

You find the nearest one, buy groceries and get on with your life. At least, that is what I thought.

The first one near us was Coco Mart. We stopped by for a completely normal grocery run: fruit, rice, oats, a couple of protein bars and mosquito repellent.

At the checkout, we spent around $50, and at that moment I simply decided:

Right. Groceries in Bali are expensive.

The next morning, we went to Pepito Market, because even at Coco Mart we had not found everything we usually buy.

The selection there was much bigger. We found familiar products, imported food, meat, dairy and all kinds of things for healthy eating.

We were happy.

Until we looked at the prices again.

They were a little better than at Coco Mart, but a regular grocery basket still came out quite expensive.

That was when it became clear that maybe the problem was not Bali.

We just did not yet know where people actually shop here.

Frestive became our main supermarket

The third supermarket we found was Frestive Supermarket.

Now we buy most of our regular groceries there.

The selection covers almost everything I need:

• dairy products;
• yoghurt;
• sour cream;
• cottage cheese;
• cheese;
• cold cuts;
• vegetables;
• fruit;
• meat;
• minced meat;
• fish;
• frozen food;
• tea;
• coffee;
• sweets;
• ingredients for cooking at home.

I have had no issues with the quality, but we definitely noticed the difference in price.

One of the clearest examples was a regular chamomile tea.

At Pepito, we bought it for 150,000 IDR. At Frestive, we found it for 67,000 IDR.

The difference was noticeable with other everyday products too: mushrooms, dairy, fruit, cold cuts and other things that regularly end up in our basket.

They can change, but after comparing several products like this, we realised that the supermarket you choose in Bali really does affect the final bill. :::

If there is a Frestive near you, I would check it first for a regular grocery shop.

View Frestive Supermarket on Google Maps

It is a chain, so you can simply choose whichever branch is closest to your area.

So what is Pepito for?

I definitely would not cross Pepito off the list.

Quite the opposite. It is a useful place to go when you need a bigger selection or something more specific.

There is a lot of:

• imported food;
• products you do not usually find in smaller local shops;
• sports and healthy food products;
• dairy;
• cheese;
• meat;
• things that can sometimes be difficult to find elsewhere.

We have bought meat at Pepito ourselves, including chicken, and I liked it. There are different options, including some that taste more like the farm-style chicken we are used to.

So for me, the logic now is:

regular grocery shop → Frestive

couldn’t find what you need → check Pepito

Pepito has many branches around the island. Here is one location so you can get an idea of what the chain looks like:

Pepito Market on Google Maps

Coco Mart

Our relationship with Coco Mart ended after that first grocery run.

Not because there is anything wrong with the store.

It is just that for the kind of groceries we need, I did not see a reason to go there specifically. The selection was smaller than at Pepito.

Coco Mart is also a chain, though, and if one happens to be on your way and you just need water, a snack or a few household essentials, why not.

We simply did not choose it as our main supermarket.

Here is one branch where you can see the format:

Coco Super Mumbul on Google Maps

We started buying fruit and vegetables separately

This gradually became another habit.

Fruit and vegetables are often better value at small local roadside stalls than in large supermarkets.

Sometimes they taste better too.

But there are two things I now always check.

First, I look at the produce itself

Small vendors do not always have refrigerators, so fruit can simply sit at outdoor temperature.

And Bali is warm.

So before buying, I actually check every piece of fruit and vegetable, especially if I am buying a lot at once.

First, I ask the price

If there is no price displayed, I ask how much it costs before asking them to weigh anything.

Not because every seller is necessarily trying to overcharge you, but prices can definitely vary depending on whether you ask or not.

It is simply a normal way to know the final amount in advance rather than finding out after they have already packed a whole bag for you.

Bokashi Berawa

If you want to look at a slightly different type of grocery store, try Bokashi Berawa.

The focus here is more on natural, farm-sourced and conscious products.

This is not really where I would do a large regular grocery shop.

It is more for when you are looking for organic products, something more specialised, or simply want to see a different kind of grocery store in Bali.

Bokashi Berawa

Puri Tomato and grocery delivery

There is another option: not shopping for fruit and vegetables yourself at all.

For example, Puri Tomato works with fresh produce and delivery.

You can order a box of vegetables. It lasts about a week and costs 600 00 IDR, and you receive farm-grown vegetables.

I have not ordered one myself yet, but I saw an order from a girl in Bali. They put together seasonal produce, so the contents can change depending on what is available.

I liked the idea itself, especially for someone who lives on the island longer and does not want to go out separately for fruit and vegetables every time.

It is better to check the current boxes, contents and prices directly with them: Puri Tomato on Instagram

A few more shops worth saving

When we were only starting to figure out everyday life here, Renata, who has spent around 2.5 years in Bali in total, sent me a small cheat sheet.

It included:

• Ithon — for a basic everyday grocery shop;
• Fresh Market — meat and other fresh products;
• Gourmet — cheese, bread and meat;
• Nirmala — another supermarket with a regular everyday selection.

Gradually, I want to visit different shops myself and build a proper FROGI database.

For now, you can simply save these as additional options and see what is close to your area.

I would not buy personal care products at the supermarket

There is one more thing we have noticed not only in Bali, but in other Asian countries too.

Shampoo, body care, toiletries and other personal care products are things I usually look for in pharmacies or specialised cosmetics stores.

A supermarket will have the basics.

But if you want better skincare or a specific brand, specialised shops usually have a more interesting selection.

So there is no need to try to solve absolutely every household task in one grocery supermarket.

What about grocery delivery?

We constantly order prepared food through Gojek.

But we hardly ever order regular groceries from supermarkets.

Grab has grocery delivery, but we simply have not needed it. We get around by scooter, and the supermarket is not far away.

So I do not yet have my own comparison of grocery delivery services.

When I do, I will add it.

How I would organise my first grocery shop now

If I had just arrived in Bali again today, I would not judge local grocery prices by the first supermarket I happened to walk into.

First, I would check which supermarket chains are near my accommodation.

For a regular large shop, I would try Frestive first.

If something was missing, Pepito.

I would gradually start buying fruit and vegetables from good local stalls near home.

And I would look for specialised products separately: Bokashi, smaller shops, delivery services and other places depending on what exactly I needed.

Because our first conclusion:

“Groceries in Bali are really expensive”

was not entirely right.

A better way to put it would be:

“We just did not know where to buy groceries here yet.”

And I think this is one of the most normal things about any new country.

At first, you pay for not knowing.

And then, little by little, you build your own map of the city.

Useful links

🛒 Frestive Supermarket

🛒 Pepito Market

🛒 Coco Super Mumbul

🥬 Bokashi Berawa

🥬 Bokashi Bali — official website

🥕 Puri Tomato

Read also:

📱 My set of apps for living in Bali

🏡 How we looked for accommodation in Bali — coming soon

📍 Bali neighbourhoods: where we have already lived — coming soon

🔐 Villa safety in Bali — coming soon