A Guide to Cheap Groceries in Korea

#korea #lifeinkorea #cheapgroceries
Hello everyone! We have been struggling to make the 1.5M KRW/month that we originally planned on doing, so we have adjusted our eating habits to make sure we can get by without troubles, and while doing so we created this guide to help people who want to know how to buy cheap groceries in Korea. As always, enjoy the video and please share any tips you have in the comments below!
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[@troynoh69]

Love this channel. You two are giving real life Korea. Not Epik teacher who come and only show expensive coffee life

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks a lot Troy! Korea has a lot of sides to it and we really want to show more in the future too! Just trying to balance out paying the bills and making videos in the meantime

[@yrandy]

This is truly an insight on how local lives. I would love to hang out with you guys next time I go to Seoul.

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks a lot @YonathanRandyanto! Say hello to us if you see us around! 😁

[@doug2731]

Your summary toward the end is spot on. I find Coupang to be the cheapest for certain food items I buy frequently such as rice, kimchi, tuna, and frozen blueberries. I buy fruit + veggies from local marts and E-Mart tends to be the most expensive. We get eggs at E-mart and meat there when it's 1/2 off (the day before its set to expire).

[@lostthenfound]

It's so hard to have a 100% "easy" method to find decent prices on groceries eh? Good tips though! I've found a place nearby called 하모니마트 that has way cheaper prices than anywhere I've seen, so I'd see if you have one nearby if you haven't been before!

[@donnahollman4259]

Such a great video guys to help with ever increasing food prices! Good on you guys!!

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks a lot Mom!

[@ExclusiveTravelReviews]

Always super useful! Thanks guys for the informations!

[@lostthenfound]

Thank you so much! 😄😆😁

[@G2Star]

This is great! Cheers! One way I save is by cooking 98% of what I eat and keeping it vegetarian. Tofu can be really cheap here as well as lentils and rice.

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks a lot @G2Star! That's a really good tip too! Thanks for sharing it!

[@julietteknighton8880]

Just what I needed! 감사합니다

[@lostthenfound]

You're welcome! Thanks for watching our video and leaving a comment! Have a great day! 😃

[@zengularity5571]

Great information and great production value!

[@lostthenfound]

Thank you so much, Zengularity! 😃🙏

[@bonelwamnyameni]

Thank you so much, this was very helpful for someone who’s planning to come to Korea

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks so much Bonelwa! 😊 Really glad it was helpful!

[@yoona5820]

So useful! Thank you!

[@lostthenfound]

Really glad it was helpful @yoona5820 thanks a lot!

[@Not_Ciel]

I’m 2 weeks into my 90 day stay and this is HUGE. The only knowledge I have about shopping in Korea is from my girlfriend (a native Korean) but I don’t know if she even knows this stuff. Thanks for the tips!

[@lostthenfound]

Haha so glad that it was helpful Ciel! 😊 Coupang has changed a bit since then and I've noticed that overall the prices are a lot cheaper on there now and you can buy produce in less quantities, so if you are here for a while definitely check it out if you can!

[@Not_Ciel]

@@lostthenfound thanks for the info! I have nothing to reference the prices to beside USA so I don’t know what’s good or bad haha.

[@han-zn5hb]

this was soooo professional and helpful thank you smsmsm 💞

[@lostthenfound]

Thank you so much! 😆

[@nurulhudaabdulrazak4699]

This video is very informative..thank you Sir.

[@lostthenfound]

Hello Abdul thank you so much for the nice comment! 😊 Makes us feel amazing to hear!

[@chickencow_me]

Great information. Apply to budget travel ..

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks a lot, Philip! 🙏

[@nathancasey7712]

After seeing how expensive fruits were in korea a video showing the Cheongnyangni market gave me hope but this video snapped me back to reality haha

[@lostthenfound]

Haha right now fruits are out of control! I wish there was a simple way to save on fruits, but there is so much demand for them that stores don't have to lower the price too much.

[@PanteraRosa91]

Hello I just came to Korea for a month and this video has been very helpful!! I'm staying at a residence at Gangnam an the food is so expensive I'm in shock. I need to save as much as possible so I will follow your tips,thank you so much for the video!!

[@lostthenfound]

Hi there PanteraRosa were really glad it was helpful and thanks a lot for the kind words! 😊 Gangnam is super pricey for sure! I don't know any markets/produce vendors nearby in Gangnam as I've never lived there, but definitely ask some locals or maybe people in your residence if they know of any cheap ones. Found this one online that looks like it's right inside the station: m.blog.naver.com/army-navy/222337295631

[@MsNoelle20]

I am about to be a mom of two and found this super helpful! I know how I would meal prep on a budget in the US but have been struggling here in Korea. Thank you for the great advice! Will definitely be checking in on your channel more to get more advice :)

[@lostthenfound]

HiMsNoelle20 I'm glad it helped a bit! I think we'll make a new video this month updating this video a bit from what we've learnt, but the biggest change is Market Kurly where you can get pretty good deals when it comes to produce. We've been buying baby spinach for 2,800 KRW / 100g recently and it's been a game changer after not eating any baby spinach in Korea for the last 9 years. You might find something you like on there (bananas are insanely cheap), but to get free shipping I think you have to pay about 5,000 KRW/month and every purchase needs to be above 15,000 KRW. It's not perfect but it's definitely been worth it for us so check it out!

[@MsNoelle20]

@@lostthenfound Thank you! I was wondering about the other delivery services available here. I have also found that the tiny mom and pop fruit and veggie stands have good prices. Probably similar to the traditional market you showed in the videos. I am looking forward to the updates!

[@lostthenfound]

@@MsNoelle20 yep you're 100% right! The little fruit stands have great deals just like the bigger traditional markets!

[@sagarikasahoo2303]

Loved the info.... ❤️🫰

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks so much Sagarika! 😊 Glad it was a bit helpful!

[@han-zn5hb]

THANK YOU SOOOOOO MUCHHHHH

[@lostthenfound]

Thank you so much for watching our videos! 😆

[@susanrobinson6975]

Looks like driving in Korea is a bit harry! Thanks for the video!!

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks a lot Auntie Susan! It's come a long way in the past 8 years I've been here but definitely has a ways to go

[@alocasally2236]

Thank you so much for this video!! As a student I’m quite tight on budget. So tight that I’m willing to travel from Noksapyeong to Mapo gu just to do groceries 🙈 I’ll try to find closer traditional markets in the next months. If you have a heads-up about it, please let me know!

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks for the comment @alocasally2236! 😊 Recently I've been shopping at Hamoni Mart (하모니마트) in Sinchon (신촌) and it's basically the same prices as traditional markets, but you can buy things a lot easier because it's setup like a regular grocery store. Looks like the closest one to you is near Myeongdong Station if you take a bus there: naver.me/xUS4Sq6J I haven't been to that one, but hopefully it's the same as the one nearby me which is here if you are curious: naver.me/xzcyefOP

[@danielpark1477]

This is awesome thanks! What do you guys think of the smaller standalone veggie stores as an economical option for shopping?

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks a lot @danielpark1477! The small standalone veggie stores can be very hit or miss so it's hard to give general advice about them. Some of them are more expensive than E Mart/Home Plus, and some of them have products that go bad very quickly. I would definitely do a comparison between the Local Market, Coupang, Emart/Home Plus, and standalone veggie store just to get a general sense of the pricing/quality and go from there.

[@KoiinuNe]

this is good general advice! EMart is a definite overall middle ground. unfortunately, i'm no where near a traditional market so the closest i have is a GSFresh. it's about 1-4 stops either direction on the train to get to a EMart but then having to carry it so far is off putting xDD i've been trying to buy groceries like veggies every few days and buying things in bulk like rice and oats. i do miss fruit but it's so expensive. it's like a 1/mth type deal.

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks so much! Ah unfortunate about having no markets around. Haha once a month sounds about right for fruit here too! By the way recently I started using Market Kurly for vegetables and the selection is really good (they even have baby spinach), you don't have to buy too many at once usually, and it's "free shipping" if you pay 5,000/month and your order is over 15,000. Definitely check it out if you haven't as I think it's cheaper overall than E Mart.

[@itslynzee]

Thanks for the helpful info! We just moved here from California and were shocked at the prices of fruits and veggies here. I will have to try to find our local traditional market.

[@lostthenfound]

Glad it was a bit helpful! The veggies and fruits are so insane eh? Almost cheaper to just go to restaurants instead of cooking haha. Recently we've started using Market Kurly, and there have been some great deals there for fruits and veggies, but you have to pay about a 5,000 KRW/month fee to get free delivery on orders above 15,000 KRW. I'd check that out too and see how it compares!

[@itslynzee]

@@lostthenfound Thanks for the tip! I’ll check that out! I’ve been seeing a lot of ads for them lately. My husband is super into biking so have I’ll him check out your channel too.

[@jangchuko8509]

love it. I'm going to cheongju for 3 month and have no knowledge about korean prices, shops and currency value, so I'm trying to learn fast as I'm vegan and can't really use street food carelessly like my partner does every day ahaha is there a cheap cosmetic store? similar to "no brand" work. as a line of cosmetic that is cheap but good. do you maybe know?

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks a lot Jang Chuko! 😁 Yujin and I don't use many cosmetics so we don't know the answer to this, but you could try going close to Cheongju University and there should be some shops that cater to young University students. Those would typically be cheaper than the big brands. Good luck and have an amazing time!

[@mayretes8307]

I love your video. Do you know as to where I can find a wholesale/supplier of korean groceries in South Korea?

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks so much May! 😊That's a great question! I have no experience with wholesale, but the Korean word for it is "Domae/도매," and if you go to shopping.naver.com and search: "(food product) 도매" It looks like you can purchase from various sellers on there. If you want to order from specific companies, it would probably be best to email them (in English most likely too) and they should be able to help you out!

[@jotteria79]

since you have load-bearing bikes, 망원시장 is also a great place to shop (just try not to spend all yr money at the gazillion cafes / restaurants / bars lol)

[@lostthenfound]

Hi Kijoon Bae thanks so much for the great tip! 망원시장 is super cheap and since we live in 마포구 it's definitely worth it to shop for produce there!

[@MrLittlezebra]

That’s such a great video. How do I find where the closest market is. I live in seorae village.

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks a lot! 🙌 The closest market I can find is 남성사계시장 (Namsung Sagye Market) naver.me/GLKwcXQs There is probably a vegetable/fruits shop nearby too like 총각네야채가게 naver.me/FMAq770g that should have similar prices!

[@MrLittlezebra]

@@lostthenfound thanks i’ll check those out this week. As you might gather we are new here! If you are ever in the neighbourhood drop me a msg!

[@mamafb8462]

Meal planning is what most people do here in the states.

[@susanrobinson6975]

I’m interested to know why you would prefer to buy imported beef?

[@lostthenfound]

Imported beef is half the price or even less because Korean beef is kind of a luxury. There isn't much space here so there aren't many cow farms. Therefore the ones that are here are really competitive and do everything they can to make the meat have a super marbled texture. Korean beef gift sets can easily cost $500-1000! Pretty crazy haha

[@casadechris923]

I lived in Seoul for seven years way back….I first lived for 3 years in Hwagokdong on the number 5 line. I had a traditional market near by and shopped for fresh food very cheap and convenient. Then I moved to near Hong dae and I was thrown into a dilemma. There was no traditional one near by but would end up taking a local bus to a traditional market. I ate and cooked Korean traditional food and got side dishes in chongro. I must admit in those days I always met up with USA soldiers who would buy me stuff on the base because American food selling at Lotte or Shinsegae department store were crazy. Nice video.

[@lostthenfound]

That's awesome CasaDe Chris! 😁 These days Mangwon Market is pretty good close to Hongdae for cheap produce. We didn't put it in the video because it's so unique and different than other markets so it doesn't represent the other markets very well! Haha these days with Coupang you can pretty much order anything you want with free shipping from America so we are pretty spoiled! Also the soldiers are all down in Pyeongtaek now, so the vibe has changed a lot!

[@casadechris923]

@@lostthenfound ya until covid came around, every trip from Thailand to USA (Long story, before Suvarabumi opened we had Don Muang airport- SUV opened and the has never trusted the Airport scanners from China so there are no direct Thailand to USA flights so have to go via a third country) I would have a 3-4 day stop over in Seoul to see friends. Some expats had been living there and one of my besties lived in Mangwon-dong and he introduced me to this spot--then one of the ex president's had a Korean food campaign and he introduced the tour trips through markets and this really messed up the Mangwon market. Prices went up and too many trendy cafes and shops opened. Last time I was in Seoul in 2019 compared to first time I went in 2014 it was becoming another tourist market with Chinese, Thais and Vietnemase tourists eating their way through the market.

[@casadechris923]

@@lostthenfound AH and ya I saw how Itaewon was on its death bed as there soldiers gradually pulled out of Yongsan. Then came the Netflix series about a bar in itaewon and the last trip I went had tourists doing a tv series tour. Its become more an Muslim area now. The vibe had changed a lot.

[@lostthenfound]

@@casadechris923 100% Mangwon Market has changed a lot eh! It's actually pretty crazy how much Seoul has changed in the past 10 years overall. Almost like a full international city now.

[@lostthenfound]

@@casadechris923 yeah there is the famous Mosque that's been around for a while, and the alleyway nearby has a lot of different Halal restaurants and stuff like that. Itaewon definitely has a lot less of that hectic party vibe like it used to have for sure which I miss a lot to be honest!

[@TheMotivationZone888]

You should try Costco too.

[@lostthenfound]

Yeah Costco is good but our fridge/freezer is way too small to go there unfortunately! When we move to a bigger place with a bigger fridge I'll definitely be getting a membership again.

[@user-iz7gn4wd3d]

지방사람이라 잘모르지만 노량진이 물가가 싸다던데 단점은 유통기한이 짧을수 있다더라구요 잘하면 더 저렴히 생활 하실수도 있을거 같은데 데이트겸 다녀오셔요 영상도 올려주시구요 완전 궁금해요 요즘 코로나땜 상권이 죽었다는 말도 있긴하던데ㅜㅜ

[@lostthenfound]

네, 좋은 의견 감사해요! 노량진 영상 기획 들어갑니닷! 😁 영상 많이 기대해주세요! 😎

[@user-iz7gn4wd3d]

@@lostthenfound 기대됩니닷!!

[@lostthenfound]

@@user-iz7gn4wd3d 😁😁💚

[@sn350channel]

Tip for pasta. Never buy already made sauce. Always better to make your own sauce: Tomatoes, onion, olive oil, tomatoe puree (option) and mushrooms.

[@lostthenfound]

Thanks for the tip! 😁 I've never tried this before but I've heard it's way better than the store bought pasta. Gotta try it soon!

[@kimhan3864]

I love mapo-gu.

[@lostthenfound]

Mapo-gu is an amazing place to live for sure! 😁

[@kimhan3864]

@@lostthenfound yesssss. I lived in mapo allí 2020 and 2021.near Ewha station( grand Xii apartament) I miss it. As you said it amaizing.

[@GreatGrandCarrot]

Why is domestic Korean beef pricier than imported beef? I thought imported beef must be pricier because of logistics.

[@lostthenfound]

You would think imported beef would be more expensive, but Korea is a really small country without a lot of space so there aren't many cow farms. Therefore, the ones that do exist are kind of "specialists" as seen by the Korean public, and they keep a close eye on the quality of the beef. It's the laws of supply and demand, and Korean beef is heavily favoured by the Korean public because of how much work goes into raising the cows for good quality beef. However, in my opinion Korean beef is overrated for the most part, and I don't find a huge difference in taste between imported and Korean beef unless it's an especially really well marbled steak or something.

[@rosejamila8894]

Life must be really hard in Korea

[@lostthenfound]

@rosejamila8894 it's a country known for its hard work, but to be honest if we wanted to we could get a full time job and not be as financially limited. This was just our personal choice back then to try and make as many videos as possible while just getting by financially! 😁

[@rosejamila8894]

@@lostthenfound okey I get it now,thank you for the explanation

[@DrJuice-xb1cr]

Bismillah

[@imddestructive_power_d8_RM_hav]

So the 33,00 kwon meat u asked for, it actually costs 213 in Indian currency. I'm moving to Korea as I'm rich there. Ig I can live for a month there without working. But the food will be issue as I'm picky eater and allergic to meat and eggs P.S. 64 rupees is equal to 1000 kwon 😲 expensive for Koreans cheaper for indians

[@lostthenfound]

Hi there Meenakshi, I think you got the meat price mixed up as it's 33,000 KRW and not 33,00 KRW, so it was about 2141 Indian Rupees at the market. Quite expensive eh! Luckily there are cheaper ways to eat than the beef at the market though! All the best with your lifestyle in Korea! 😁

[@imddestructive_power_d8_RM_hav]

@@lostthenfound my jaw just dropped 😲 Still as an artist I earn a lot so I can still live there 🤣🤣🤣

[@lostthenfound]

@@imddestructive_power_d8_RM_hav woohoo that's great! Enjoy it a lot! 😁

[@bayosul]

I would say the price of groceries is still way cheaper in Seoul than in California. It’s getting ridiculous these days…

[@lostthenfound]

Wow! When I lived in California (2008-2011) it was way cheaper than Seoul. It must have skyrocketed these days eh?

[@jeanmoulin3938]

I was on a budget, and come on i never bought beef in Korea and i could live under 100 000won/month on food, and never eat other fruits than banana and frozen mango I recommand Kong Namul guk, cheapest food u can get, less than 400won with rice for a meal

[@lostthenfound]

100,000 KRW/month is insanely cheap in Korea haha that's awesome you pulled it off! Definitely need to avoid beef and most fruits for sure! Also I think the cheapest I've seen 콩나물국 is about 2,000 KRW. Where did you get it for less 400 KRW?

[@jeanmoulin3938]

@@lostthenfound soy bean sprout can be found for 600 won for a big bag which is enough for 4 portion of soup, u add 고추장 and water. And 100gr or rice per meal 250won

[@DeShay6]

I have one, question of concern: Why was there a demonic image fading on and off the screen when you were using 'coupang'? It really freaked me out...

[@lostthenfound]

@DeShay6 I put it there for comedic purposes because Coupang is well known as a big company that has taken a lot of small businesses away (kind of like Amazon). Sorry for my lousy humour and to spook you!

[@DeShay6]

@@lostthenfound Oh, ok. Thanks for clarifying, I was just concerned that it might have been something that would personally deter me from using the site because I am a religious person. I understand that you meant it as a joke and will not hold it against you.

[@lostthenfound]

@@DeShay6 Thanks a lot for the nice words and understanding! Really appreciate it, and take care eh!

[@someonesomewhere9133]

Did you say your budget for groceries is 1.5 million won and you struggle to keep it that low?

[@lostthenfound]

Hi there! Our entire budget including rent, food, and travel was 1.5 million for 2 people. 😊 We could go cheaper for sure but we wanted to have some flexibility too!

[@abhishekkenkaneki8372]

In Korea 1500 dollar per month is enough to survive but in India if you earn 500 dollar then you are rich you can give 50 dollar roomrent,40 dollar per month per person is enough for food with chicken every day,13 dollars for cooking gas of a family of three,2 dollars water bill, 20-30per month dollars electric bill with Ac 24 hrs, 1.75 dollar for unlimited mobile recharge with talktime and internet,4 dollars for Tv recharge with ultra HD Netflix package and , 10-15 dollars for bike petrol per month and after that you can save 300-350 per month that's lot for survive.

[@lostthenfound]

Wow that's a lot cheaper than Korea! Will have to travel to India once the world opens up again! Korea is pretty expensive compared to how much the jobs here pay you. Also groceries are really expensive here! $10 for 500g of strawberries and about $6-7 per kg of frozen chicken breast (not fresh). It's cheaper to eat at cheap restaurants than buying groceries sometimes.

[@allenk6373]

@@lostthenfound how much jobs pay you what? my frend spend 6 mounth in korean factory in Seoul and he made 3500 dollars a mounth in factory with no education so other more preseteges jobs will pa you even more

[@lostthenfound]

@@allenk6373 ah yeah fair enough! It's possible to make some decent money here, but the working hours are typically really long with very little holidays (which doesn't work well with our hobbies). Food delivery pays about $10-15 an hour which is what we typically do. If I taught English 1 on 1 I'd make between $30-50 an hour, but it's also really difficult to take time off to travel.

[@allenk6373]

@@lostthenfound just koreans complain non stops about anything and they can never hold responcibility for shit myf rend living in korea (not from the factory , I have another one ) she sad that she met many girls that had LV or DG bags cost 2500 bucks bag but where living in one room apartment and boys who own some expensive clothing or watches cost 5000 dollars but on dinner can only buy noodles and they will always blame someone government parents society never themselves financial litercacy in korea is very low only 35% according to official data so its not about salary its about them thats cannot spend money rights

[@lostthenfound]

@@allenk6373 ah yeah I definitely notice a lot of those things living here. For example, our villa apartment is literally the cheapest one in our area (it's so cheap for Seoul), and a lot of the other residents here have import cars that are insanely expensive, and most of them have really expensive bags, clothes, and jewelry. There is definitely a societal pressure here to appear beautiful, successful and wealthy, and there's a good chance that it stems from Korea's past where people were poor and had to work very hard to get this country to where it is today. However, in the past 9 years I've lived here, I've seen massive changes which is good! People are becoming a lot more diverse (especially in Mapo-gu), and the focus on appearance is definitely mellowing out over time. I'm really curious to see it 30 years from now!

[@hippgal]

super expensive omg cant stay there singapore better cheaper

[@lostthenfound]

Haha groceries in Korea are pretty expensive eh! 🤣 Was shocked my first time seeing the prices too!

[@justanotherguyful]

Whats with the weird devil emoji fading in and out throughout the video?

[@lostthenfound]

Put it there as Coupang is well known for taking out smaller businesses just for comedic reasons. My humour is very hit or miss for sure!