🛒 Grocery Shopping in Seoul! 🤩🛍️

Not being able to find budget-friendly, small-portion white rice and bedsheets or linens was such a cultural shock for me. When I first came to Seoul, it was quite challenging for me to find good-quality and budget grocery shops, or any supermarkets in general. Eating out every day in Seoul can be fun and delicious, but it can be a bit expensive at times. Cooking and experimenting with fresh Korean ingredients and produce can be a healthy and meditative option for some students like me. From time to time, I love to cook and experience various recipes, as it becomes a little bit hurtful to my wallet when going out to eat all the time. For students looking for budget-friendly and good grocery shops around Yonsei Sinchon Campus, I will recommend some shops and supermarkets beyond convenience stores in this blog. 

1. DAISO

   🎀 Daiso! Daiso! Daiso! I LOVEEEE Daiso so much that I wish I could bring it with me when I go back to the USA 😆. You can find pretty much everything from Daiso within 500-5000 KRW ($0.35- $3.5). I got my basics, decorations for my dorm, pillows, stationery, kitchen supplies, toiletries, and even snacks from Daiso. Just after coming to Seoul, you might need to go there multiple times because they have everything and are located conveniently closer to the Yonsei Sinchon Campus. There are plenty of branches around Seoul, so you can find one on Naver or Kakao Map and go to the closest one near you. They also have some kitchen supplies like pots, knives, peelers, chopsticks, mugs, and almost everything you might need. So, definitely recommend going to Daiso first if you are looking for cute and budget-friendly options!

2. No Brand

   🍞 No Brand is a branch company of Emart, and they have discounted items and groceries . There is one near the Yonsei Sinchon campus that is within walking distance and takes around 5 minutes. If you are looking for fresh fruits, snacks, meat, and limited choices at a lower price than you would pay at other grocery stores. I get my milk, bread, and snacks from No Brand.

3. Saruga

   🥗 My favorite grocery market! Saruga is known for being an Expat Shopping Center. It is a relatively better-priced store than other department stores or Emart and Homeplus. It has various options and products from different countries. They have great deals on fresh products or food after 5pm, which makes it so much cheaper and still has good quality. Saruga also has a good vibe and a lot of expats shop there. It is also near the Yonsei Sinchon Campus, taking around 10 minutes by bus.

4. Dongill (동일할인마트)

   🥦 Dongil is my go-to market for weekly groceries, starting from snacks, to noodles, frozen products, fresh vegetables, and fruits. Veggies here are really fresh, good quality, and budget-friendly. It is also 10 minutes away from the main campus by bus and located right next to the Saruga shopping center. They also have delivery, which makes it 10 times better than any other option and helpful when you buy a lot of things.

5. Emart

   🍪 Emart is one of the big grocery stores you can find anywhere. Although it is a big chain store, it has high-quality products and smaller portions of veggies and fruits available as an option. I go to the Sinchon branch to get fresh produce in small portions for 900 KRW (~$0.6), and it is located right next to the Sinchon metro station and takes only about 10 minutes from the main campus. They also have a mobile application, which definitely helps with long grocery lists.

6. Homeplus

   🍎 Homeplus has fewer branches, but offers good deals after 7pm on some selected products. If you are looking for bigger supermarkets, Homeplus can be a good option with everything ranging from clothes, blankets, to groceries.

7. Coupang

   📦 We cannot forget Coupang! It has more products in bulkier options, like a whole case of drinks, eggs, and water. Although it is the most convenient option for heavy carts, it can be difficult since it is 100% online. For people like me who enjoy visiting the grocery markets in person, it could be less fun 😝.

These are the lists of budget-friendly grocery markets and stores for daily items that I go to. I wish I had known these places earlier because it took me at least 3 weeks to find a good grocery shop. Aside from these markets, other local markets and stores can be good for some fresh produce too. Whenever I run into one of those small markets, I end up getting something because they have really good prices and quality! I try to support local businesses and family-run markets rather than big chain ones. So, I hope this list helps at least a little bit when you come to Seoul for the first time and are trying to figure out where to find good groceries nearby!

🛒 Have a great grocery run! 🧾😉