Grocery Shopping in Phu Quoc for Long-Term Residents: Markets, Supermarkets, and Real Prices
Grocery shopping in Phu Quoc works very differently depending on how long you are staying. A tourist buys snacks from a 7-Eleven and eats out every meal. Someone living here for three months needs a system — where to get fresh fish for a reasonable price, whether Co.opmart or WinMart is worth the trip, what imported goods actually cost, and how to run a kitchen without spending more than you would back home.
This guide is written specifically for long-stay expats and digital nomads who plan to cook at home regularly. We have helped hundreds of guests set up their apartments and kitchen routines here, so the numbers and advice below come from actual experience on the island — not guesswork.
- Best fresh produce and seafood: Duong Dong market (Chợ Dương Đông), morning, before 8:00 AM
- Main supermarket: Co.opmart, Trần Hưng Đạo street, Duong Dong — open 8:00–22:00 daily
- Alternative supermarket: WinMart inside Vincom near Grand World
- Korean snacks and instant noodles: available at both Co.opmart and WinMart
- Imported goods (cheese, wine, olive oil): 40–100% more expensive than in Europe or Australia
- Monthly grocery budget cooking at home: roughly 2,500,000–4,000,000 VND ($100–160 USD) per person
In this guide:
Where Do Long-Term Residents Actually Buy Fresh Food in Phu Quoc?
The morning market is the answer, and specifically Duong Dong market (Chợ Dương Đông) on Võ Thị Sáu street. It is the largest and oldest traditional market on the island, and it is where most local families — and most expats who have been here longer than a month — do the bulk of their fresh shopping.
The fish and shellfish section opens around 5:30–6:00 AM when the boats come in. If you want the best choice, you need to be there by 7:30 at the latest — after 9:00 the selection is noticeably thinner. On a good morning you will find live squid, whole snapper and grouper, tiger prawns, mud crab, blood clams, and whatever else came in overnight. Whole fresh snapper runs around 80,000–120,000 VND per kilogram depending on the species; squid is typically 100,000–150,000 VND/kg. Both are significantly cheaper than anything you will pay at a restaurant for the same ingredient. Buy two kilograms of squid. You will wish you had.
The produce section runs through most of the day. Tropical fruit is both abundant and cheap: papaya, dragon fruit, rambutan, mango, and pineapple at 15,000–40,000 VND/kg. Morning glory (rau muống), Vietnamese basil, lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves, and fresh turmeric are sold in bundles for a few thousand dong each. For anyone cooking Vietnamese or Southeast Asian food at home, this is where the kitchen really starts.
One practical note: the stalls right at the main entrance charge more than the ones further inside. It takes about three or four visits before you stop getting the first-time-foreigner price from the same vendors. Learning the numbers in Vietnamese — even just being able to say the amount in đồng yourself — helps immediately. Once vendors recognize you as a regular, the interaction shifts.
There is also a smaller afternoon resupply around 15:00–16:00, when some fruit and vegetable vendors restock. Useful if you forgot something in the morning or prefer a quieter market.
Co.opmart and WinMart — Which Supermarket Should You Use?
For packaged goods, dairy, meat, cleaning products, and anything the morning market does not carry, there are two real options: Co.opmart and WinMart.
Co.opmart on Trần Hưng Đạo street in Duong Dong is the one most long-term residents use as their main supermarket. It is the largest and best-stocked grocery store on the island — a proper supermarket layout with fresh meat and fish counters, packaged dairy, a reasonable fruit and vegetable section, canned goods, dry staples, cleaning products, personal care, and a small imported-goods aisle. Hours are 8:00–22:00 daily. If you are based in Duong Dong, it is roughly a 10-minute walk or 2-minute ride from most apartments.
Stock consistency is the main issue. Most items are reliably available, but specific brands or products occasionally go out for a few days without explanation. If there is something you rely on — a particular type of yogurt, a specific cheese, a brand of instant coffee — it is worth buying two when you see it rather than assuming it will be there next week.
WinMart (operated by Masan Group, formerly branded as VinMart) has a branch inside the Vincom shopping centre near Grand World. It is convenient if you are already in that area, and it tends to carry a slightly wider Korean and premium imported range. The prices are comparable to Co.opmart, sometimes marginally higher on local items, sometimes competitive on Korean and Asian imports. Neither is dramatically cheaper than the other — the practical question is location.
There are also small local convenience stores (tạp hóa) scattered throughout Duong Dong and other neighborhoods. These are not supermarkets — think basic dry goods, snacks, water, beer, eggs, and instant noodles — but useful for top-up purchases without a dedicated trip. Prices on basics like eggs, bottled water, and instant noodles are very close to Co.opmart.
Korean Products, Asian Imports, and the Reality of Imported Goods
Phu Quoc has a substantial Korean expat and tourist community, which is reflected in both supermarkets' stock. Co.opmart has a dedicated Korean section — Shin Ramyeon and Samyang instant noodles, gochujang, doenjang, roasted seaweed snacks, Korean rice crackers, and a rotation of Korean snack brands. WinMart near Grand World carries a broader Korean range. Neither is a specialty Korean grocery store, but for the basics — enough to cook jjigae at home or satisfy a craving — the selection is workable.
Japanese products are thinner. You will find Kikkoman soy sauce, miso paste of some kind, and dried udon or soba noodles at Co.opmart, but anything more specific is difficult. Most Japanese expats we know either bring things from Ho Chi Minh City when they visit, or just adapt their cooking to what is available locally.
Imported European goods are available but carry a real price premium. Expect to pay 40–100% more than home country prices on most imported items:
- A 200g block of imported French or Australian cheese: 180,000–280,000 VND ($7–11 USD)
- A bottle of mid-range European wine: 300,000–500,000 VND ($12–20 USD)
- Olive oil (500ml): 120,000–200,000 VND ($5–8 USD)
- Muesli or granola (500g): 80,000–130,000 VND ($3–5 USD)
- Pasta (500g, Italian): 40,000–80,000 VND ($1.50–3 USD)
None of these are unavailable — they are just expensive relative to local alternatives. The practical approach most long-term residents settle on: cook Vietnamese or Asian food most of the time (where local ingredients are exceptional and cheap), and treat imported European items as an occasional indulgence rather than the everyday foundation of your kitchen. See our Phu Quoc food guide for local dishes worth learning to cook at home.
Real Price Reference — Phu Quoc Groceries 2026
Approximate prices across common categories. Market prices fluctuate by season and depend on whether you are buying at tourist stalls or from regular vendors who know you.
| Item | Market (Chợ) | Co.opmart / WinMart | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fresh snapper, whole (1 kg) | 80,000–120,000 VND | 90,000–140,000 VND | Market has better variety and freshness |
| Fresh squid (1 kg) | 100,000–150,000 VND | 110,000–170,000 VND | Market: morning only for best quality |
| Tiger prawns (1 kg) | 200,000–350,000 VND | 220,000–380,000 VND | Size and season affect price significantly |
| Chicken breast (1 kg) | 90,000–110,000 VND | 95,000–130,000 VND | Both options are reliable |
| Eggs (10 pcs) | 35,000–45,000 VND | 35,000–45,000 VND | Same price; buy at convenience store on weekdays |
| Dragon fruit (1 kg) | 20,000–35,000 VND | 30,000–50,000 VND | Market is notably cheaper and fresher |
| Mango (1 kg) | 15,000–40,000 VND | 30,000–60,000 VND | Depends heavily on variety and ripeness |
| Jasmine rice (5 kg bag) | 55,000–75,000 VND | 60,000–80,000 VND | Co.opmart carries several brand options |
| Shin Ramyeon (pack of 5) | — | 55,000–75,000 VND | Available at both Co.opmart and WinMart |
| Imported cheese (200g block) | — | 180,000–280,000 VND | 40–100% above European retail prices |
| European wine (bottle) | — | 300,000–500,000 VND | Limited selection; better to buy at duty-free |
| Olive oil (500ml) | — | 120,000–200,000 VND | Stock varies; buy two when you see it |
How Do Experienced Long-Term Residents Keep Grocery Costs Down?
After watching hundreds of guests go through the learning curve, the pattern is consistent. The people who spend the least and eat the best are doing a few specific things.
They have a morning market rhythm. Three or four times a week, before 8:00 AM, they pick up fresh seafood and fruit. They do not do a huge weekly haul — fresh seafood does not keep well, and buying daily-to-every-other-day is actually cheaper because nothing gets wasted. The single biggest grocery savings on this island come from buying fish at the market instead of eating it at restaurants. A whole snapper for 100,000 VND feeds two people at home. The same snapper grilled at a restaurant costs 300,000–500,000 VND.
They cook Vietnamese basics. Morning glory stir-fried with garlic (rau muống xào tỏi), grilled fish with rice, steamed clams with lemongrass — these are fast, cheap, and very good. The ingredients cost almost nothing at the market. You do not need a complex kitchen for this. A gas burner, a wok, and a knife handle it. Our kitchen setup guide covers exactly what equipment a long-term resident actually needs.
Monthly grocery spend for a single person cooking at home most days runs roughly 2,500,000–4,000,000 VND ($100–160 USD). Couples cooking together spend around 60–70% more than a single person, not double — staples like a bag of rice or a bottle of fish sauce serve two as easily as one.
Add imported items — regular cheese, wine, European breakfast foods — and the monthly spend climbs to 5,000,000–7,000,000 VND ($200–280 USD). That is still significantly less than grocery shopping in Western Europe or Australia for equivalent quality, but the gap is smaller than people expect. The real value on Phu Quoc is in fresh local produce and seafood — that is where the pricing advantage is dramatic. Imported packaged goods, less so.
A last practical note on wine: the duty-free shops at Phu Quoc airport sell at genuine international duty-free prices — much better value than Co.opmart or WinMart for wine and spirits. Worth buying on arrival rather than in-town if wine is a regular part of your home cooking.
For the full picture of what living here actually costs month to month, see our Phu Quoc cost of living guide for expats.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — the main options are Co.opmart on Trần Hưng Đạo street in Duong Dong (the largest and best-stocked supermarket on the island, open daily 8:00–22:00) and WinMart, which has a branch inside the Vincom shopping centre near Grand World. Both carry fresh produce, packaged foods, dairy, cleaning products, and basic imported goods. Co.opmart is the better everyday option for long-term residents; WinMart is convenient if you are already in the Grand World or Vincom area.
Duong Dong market (Chợ Dương Đông) on Võ Thị Sáu street is the top spot — the fish and shellfish section opens around 5:30–6:00 AM and the best choice is gone by 8:00. You will find live squid, whole fish, prawns, crab, and clams at prices 50–70% below restaurant rates: whole snapper around 80,000–120,000 VND/kg, fresh squid 100,000–150,000 VND/kg. The vendors know the regulars; after a few visits you will stop being quoted the tourist price.
A single person cooking at home most days spends roughly 2,500,000–4,000,000 VND per month (around $100–160 USD) on groceries. That covers local produce, seafood, eggs, rice, and snacks from the market and Co.opmart. Add imported items — cheese, wine, breakfast cereals, olive oil — and budget goes up to 5,000,000–7,000,000 VND ($200–280 USD). Couples cooking together tend to spend about 60–70% more than a single person, not double, because staples like a bottle of oil or a bag of rice serve two just as easily.
Yes, with some limitations. Co.opmart stocks a small Korean section — instant noodles (Shin Ramyeon, Samyang), gochujang, doenjang paste, roasted seaweed snacks, and some Korean snack brands. WinMart near Grand World carries a wider Korean range, which reflects the large Korean expat and tourist community on the island. For Japanese products, selection is thin — basic soy sauce (Kikkoman), miso, and udon noodles appear at Co.opmart, but anything more specific needs to come from the mainland via someone's luggage or an online order.
Yes, expect to pay 40–100% more for imported packaged goods compared to European or Australian supermarket prices. A 200g block of imported French or Australian cheese typically costs 180,000–280,000 VND ($7–11 USD). A bottle of mid-range European wine runs 300,000–500,000 VND ($12–20 USD). Olive oil, muesli, pasta sauces, and breakfast cereals are all available at Co.opmart and WinMart but carry a noticeable import premium. Local Vietnamese alternatives — rice, fish sauce, fresh herbs, coconut milk — cost almost nothing by comparison.
Duong Dong market (Chợ Dương Đông) operates from roughly 5:00 AM to around 18:00–19:00, seven days a week. The fresh produce and seafood sections are most active from 5:30 to 8:00 AM — that is when the fishing boats have come in and the choice is best. After 9:00 AM the seafood selection narrows significantly, though the dry goods, fruit, and prepared food stalls run through the afternoon. For cooking dinner at home, a second visit around 15:00–16:00 catches afternoon restocking at the fruit and vegetable stalls.
The Duong Dong Night Market (Chợ Đêm Dương Đông) runs daily from 17:00 to around midnight on Bạch Đằng street near the river. It is primarily a cooked-food market — grilled seafood, bánh mì, bún quậy (the local Phu Quoc noodle dish), fruit stalls, and snacks. You can buy raw fruit and some vegetables here, but it is not a substitute for the morning market if you need fish, meat, or a full week's produce. For long-term residents it is more of a dinner option than a grocery run.
Go early and go regularly. After three or four visits to the same vendors at Duong Dong market, you stop getting the foreigner markup — you become a familiar face rather than a one-time customer. Learning a few Vietnamese numbers helps immediately: know how to say the numbers 50, 100, and 200 (năm mươi, một trăm, hai trăm) and vendors will often drop into fair pricing faster. Pointing and holding up fingers works fine, but saying the number yourself signals you know roughly what things cost. Also: skip the stalls right at the market entrance — prices normalise further inside.
Co.opmart on Trần Hưng Đạo street in Duong Dong is the most comprehensive supermarket on the island for everyday shopping. It carries fresh meat, packaged dairy, a reasonable fruit and vegetable section, canned and dry goods, cleaning products, personal care, and a small imported-goods aisle. The fresh fish section is serviceable but cannot compete with the morning market for variety or price. Stock levels fluctuate — occasionally a specific item is simply out for a few days. Opening hours are 8:00–22:00 daily.
Tropical fruit, fresh herbs, and seafood are the standout categories. Ripe papaya, dragon fruit, rambutan, and mango cost 15,000–40,000 VND/kg at the morning market — a fraction of what the same fruit costs imported in Europe or Australia. Fresh morning glory (rau muống), Vietnamese basil, and lemongrass are essentially free in terms of cost. Eggs are cheap and very fresh (around 3,500–4,500 VND each). Coconuts, both drinking and cooking, are abundant and inexpensive. Rice — choose jasmine or broken rice — is available in 5 kg and 10 kg bags at Co.opmart and all market dry-goods stalls.
As of mid-2026, there is no dedicated online grocery delivery covering the whole island reliably. Some Co.opmart locations in larger Vietnamese cities offer the Co.op Online app, but coverage on Phu Quoc is limited. The most practical workaround long-term residents use is a combination: morning market for fresh items three or four times a week (the market is 10 minutes on foot or bike from most Duong Dong apartments), and a weekly Co.opmart run for dry goods and packaged items. Grab Food delivers from some local restaurants but not from supermarkets.
