Where to find Western groceries in Jakarta?

A can of imitation fried Potato goo for $7.50? And fake pig flavored MSG laden instant noodles. Hey, did they have any vegan bacon?
I can't wait to go there as soon as possible, to stock up on those items, with my Bimoli, cheese in a squeeze tube, Margarine, and diet Coke. Yum, Yum!
It on the way to my Apotik, to buy my insulin medicine for my diabetes. Thanks for the tip!
 
Thank you. How expensive are Western groceries in Jakarta? I remember when I was in Thailand a month ago, whenever I would go to gas stations and coffee shops in Bangkok, I was astonished by just how incredibly cheap everything was. Compared to the USA, it seemed like paradise.

Are prices comparable to Thailand?
Are you saying that these products are cheaper than in their countries of origin? If they are directly imported with minimal changes such as little re-bagging, re-packaging, or local licensed manufacturing, it is hard to understand why they would be less expensive than in their origin countries. That seems counter to basic economic principles.

For example:
  • A 1.5L bottle of Evian natural water costs about Rp35k in Indonesia, while in Europe, it’s around Rp29k.
  • A 180g bag of Doritos Tortilla Chips costs around Rp90k in Indonesia, but in Europe, it’s just Rp45k.
One exception might be agricultural products, as they are sometimes subsidized by local governments.

Another reason for the lower prices could be that they are dupes. This is particularly true if you buy from unverified distributors or less known shops in the gas stations or coffee shops. Just as a reminder, in Indonesia there are tons of fake items sold in public market. One good example is that, you could get a Rolex,Tag Heuer Watch, Hermes, Louis Vuitton bags for around Rp1m. 😁😁😁
 
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Are you saying that these products are cheaper than in their countries of origin? If they are directly imported with minimal changes such as little re-bagging, re-packaging, or local licensed manufacturing, it is hard to understand why they would be less expensive than in their origin countries. That seems counter to basic economic principles.

For example:
  • A 1.5L bottle of Evian natural water costs about Rp35k in Indonesia, while in Europe, it’s around Rp29k.
  • A 180g bag of Doritos Tortilla Chips costs around Rp90k in Indonesia, but in Europe, it’s just Rp45k.
One exception might be agricultural products, as they are sometimes subsidized by local governments.

Another reason for the lower prices could be that they are dupes. This is particularly true if you buy from unverified distributors or less known shops in the gas stations or coffee shops. Just as a reminder, in Indonesia there are tons of fake items sold in public market. One good example is that, you could get a Rolex,Tag Heuer Watch, Hermes, Louis Vuitton bags for around Rp1m. 😁😁😁
Actually, the reason for many products lower in price with the same brand as the US is simple. Many US and other major International brands have production facilities in Asian nations thus reducing cost of if labor and shipping. Before Pepsi dropped out those Doritos were only less than US$1.00 when the US was over $3.00. The products produced in Asia are in accordance with major brands specs.

So, yes, there are many products from major US brands you can get for less than the same item sold in the US. Now, if you want to buy that same cereal you get here for Rp30,000 from someone who has brought in US manufactured cereal that sells for Rp120,000 than go right ahead. It's your money and I guess bragging rights for cereal image. Same goes for things like shampoo and cosmetics along with numerous items. That label that states, made in the USA really isn't that important to me if I get the same product that is manufactured in Asia.
 
Went to Grand Indonesia mall in Jakarta for the first time in 7-8 years. Was perusing the Food Hall supermarket there, and they had many more imported items than their location in Bintaro.

They had USA imported Pringles, 158 gram (5.5 ounces) cans, in some limited edition flavors. Price was 122,900 IDR each. Ouch.

They did small bags of fried pork skins, and a number of Babi ramen flavors.
If you really loved the taste of the US Pringles I think 120k is not so much that it would put you off buying it as an occasional treat - I do buy some biscuits in M&S here that cost 80k+ (milk chocolate digestives - prob 25k back home) on occasion. The food hall in GI used to have some M&S stuff - not sure if it still does.
My diet is so much better since moving to Indonesia because I don't buy many "treat" items here. I dont like the local biscuits. The imported ones are expensive enough to make me buy them less often than I did at home. So I just eat fewer biscuits (its the same for most processed packaged foods I regularly consumed at home - breakfast cereals etc.).
 
If you really loved the taste of the US Pringles I think 120k is not so much that it would put you off buying it as an occasional treat - I do buy some biscuits in M&S here that cost 80k+ (milk chocolate digestives - prob 25k back home) on occasion. The food hall in GI used to have some M&S stuff - not sure if it still does.
My diet is so much better since moving to Indonesia because I don't buy many "treat" items here. I dont like the local biscuits. The imported ones are expensive enough to make me buy them less often than I did at home. So I just eat fewer biscuits (its the same for most processed packaged foods I regularly consumed at home - breakfast cereals etc.).
Unfortunately I think the M&S food section has now closed. The one in Kokas closed last month, not sure about the others.
 
Unfortunately I think the M&S food section has now closed. The one in Kokas closed last month, not sure about the others.
Oh yes, i noticed it was closed in the GI mall M&S - didn't realize they were closing them all. I suppose it makes sense as all the items were overpriced. No more milk chocolate digestives for me.
 
Marks & Spencer selling groceries? Must be some part of a wider blue ocean strategy.
 
They've been selling biscuits, sweets, chocolates, soup etc for 10+ years (not groceries), but as the prices are about 3x what they cost back home they have decided to exit the market - I would imagine sales are very low at those prices.
 
Thank you. How expensive are Western groceries in Jakarta? I remember when I was in Thailand a month ago, whenever I would go to gas stations and coffee shops in Bangkok, I was astonished by just how incredibly cheap everything was. Compared to the USA, it seemed like paradise.

Are prices comparable to Thailand?

Are you comparing prices to Thailand or USA?

Jakarta is more expensive than Bangkok for food, both in restaurants and unprocessed. I saw an Indonesian from Jakarta in the restaurant industry get angry about it this year when comparing prices. Thailand has a higher wage there but slightly lower average food prices. Thailand has a development level that both lets there be better competition and more efficiency. Indonesia is very protectionist with higher tariffs and quotas on food import. At first this was to get rid of the Dutch after colonialism, then it was to protect domestic production and distribution. Thailand developed a major food production industry. It is a regional powerhouse, importing raw food, processing and packaging it, and exporting it for the world. Some years it can be up to 20% of exports. If you look at many western products in the west, it will say packaged or made in Thailand. There was a viral photo a few years ago of peaches grown in South America, packaged in Thailand and reshipped back to the USA.

Food falls under what is known as the law of one price. Most food is an interchangeable commodity. Freezing/preserving and global shipping is generally a small percentage of the cost. The majority of the difference of price in unprocessed food (grains, meats, vegetables) is tariffs and distribution costs. Since you are from the States, you enjoy some of the lowest food costs compared to average income in the world. Regulation is low, tariffs are low, corruption is low, competition is high, and logistic efficiency of distribution systems are high.

In Jakarta, many of the grocery stores with the quality level of USA supermarkets will have close to the same prices or more expensive. Prepared foods from restaurants will be cheaper, because of the lower labor rates and lower food standards. The other major overhead, real estate, is generally comparable in Jakarta to much of the U.S.A. In my experience, finer restaurants in Jakarta will be 50-75% of the price of the states, without alcohol. Street food is close to the same price as Thailand because it uses many of the lowest quality cheapest ingredients, with cheap labor, and no real estate overhead. Get your typhoid vaccination, it is endemic in Indonesia.
 
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I don’t find a huge difference in taste (other than some unique flavors available) from US produced and Malaysian Pringles. So paying an extra 100k for a can does nothing other than making me poorer. I generally don’t even eat Pringles here, unless there’s nothing better. I’m perfectly happy with a half pound, $2 bag of jalapeno kettle chips from Walmart. These were $1.22 when Covid started.

I understand the extra costs involved in importing things, especially items that are spoilable. Some things seem so expensive here, compared to others. I can find 10 varieties of dates, from 5 countries that are very cheap. I guess they arent commercially packaged until they hit the food distributors here.

For special occasions, I prefer a box of See’s chocolates. While pretty pricey in the US, I’d pay double, for a pound here, about $60. I don’t think they distribute much outside of North America. Godiva or similar brands just never did anything for my taste buds.
 
If you really loved the taste of the US Pringles I think 120k is not so much that it would put you off buying it as an occasional treat - I do buy some biscuits in M&S here that cost 80k+ (milk chocolate digestives - prob 25k back home) on occasion. The food hall in GI used to have some M&S stuff - not sure if it still does.
I think m&s stopped all food in Indonesia now. I was at the plaza indo m&s and they have stopped all food inside.

For digestives Grand Lucky and Ranch occasionally have mcvitiies in for a reasonable price. I find them better than the m&s ones which often seem to have melted and reformed into one big block of biscuit. Sometimes they have Hobnobs too.
 
I think m&s stopped all food in Indonesia now. I was at the plaza indo m&s and they have stopped all food inside.

For digestives Grand Lucky and Ranch occasionally have mcvitiies in for a reasonable price. I find them better than the m&s ones which often seem to have melted and reformed into one big block of biscuit. Sometimes they have Hobnobs too.
Yeah - I just hate going to grand lucky - I prefer to use happy fresh to make my life easier, and as a result I miss out on any special items that they have in store. But it saves me hours of travelling/ shopping so on balance I'll just keep using happy fresh with their limited selection. It was so easy to pop into M&S food section whenever I was in Kokas or GI.
 
Are you comparing prices to Thailand or USA?

Jakarta is more expensive than Bangkok for food, both in restaurants and unprocessed. I saw an Indonesian from Jakarta in the restaurant industry get angry about it this year when comparing prices. Thailand has a higher wage there but slightly lower average food prices. Thailand has a development level that both lets there be better competition and more efficiency. Indonesia is very protectionist with higher tariffs and quotas on food import. At first this was to get rid of the Dutch after colonialism, then it was to protect domestic production and distribution. Thailand developed a major food production industry. It is a regional powerhouse, importing raw food, processing and packaging it, and exporting it for the world. Some years it can be up to 20% of exports. If you look at many western products in the west, it will say packaged or made in Thailand. There was a viral photo a few years ago of peaches grown in South America, packaged in Thailand and reshipped back to the USA.

Food falls under what is known as the law of one price. Most food is an interchangeable commodity. Freezing/preserving and global shipping is generally a small percentage of the cost. The majority of the difference of price in unprocessed food (grains, meats, vegetables) is tariffs and distribution costs. Since you are from the States, you enjoy some of the lowest food costs compared to average income in the world. Regulation is low, tariffs are low, corruption is low, competition is high, and logistic efficiency of distribution systems are high.

In Jakarta, many of the grocery stores with the quality level of USA supermarkets will have close to the same prices or more expensive. Prepared foods from restaurants will be cheaper, because of the lower labor rates and lower food standards. The other major overhead, real estate, is generally comparable in Jakarta to much of the U.S.A. In my experience, finer restaurants in Jakarta will be 50-75% of the price of the states, without alcohol. Street food is close to the same price as Thailand because it uses many of the lowest quality cheapest ingredients, with cheap labor, and no real estate overhead. Get your typhoid vaccination, it is endemic in Indonesia.
Thank for a very informative post.
I'm just visiting Indonesia for the first time, so obviously I don't know anything. I only went to mall restaurants so far. Comparing mall restaurant prices, e.g. in in Grand Indonesia vs a similar major mall in Bangkok, I find the restaurant prices here noticeable cheaper than in Thailand, if comparing the same food types (e.g. Thai, Korean, Japanese etc). The portions are smaller here, but even factoring that in it's still cheaper, definitely not more expensive in my observation so far.
 
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Thank for a very informative post.
I'm just visiting Indonesia for the first time, so obviously I don't know anything. I only went to mall restaurants so far. Comparing mall restaurant prices, e.g. in in Grand Indonesia vs a similar major mall in Bangkok, I find the restaurant prices here noticeable cheaper than in Thailand, if comparing the same food types (e.g. Thai, Korean, Japanese etc). The portions are smaller here, but even factoring that in it's still cheaper, definitely not more expensive in my observation so far.
The comparison of meal price, grocery price has been done by some market researches. This is just one of them. As you could see in general in Mid Range Restaurant, meal are indeed cheaper in Jakarta. But the opposite prevails for Low-Mid Range Restaurant, Inexpensive meal, imported beers, bottled water, chicken filets, etc.

Bangkok vs Jakarta.jpg
 
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The comparison of meal price, grocery price has been done by some market researches. This is just one of them. As you could see in general in Mid Range Restaurant, meal are indeed cheaper in Jakarta. But the opposite prevails for Low-Mid Range Restaurant, Inexpensive meal, imported beers, bottled water, chicken filets, etc.

View attachment 4607
I see, very interesting. So I guess it's one of those rare instances where dining at mid-range and up gives me a better deal :D
 
I see, very interesting. So I guess it's one of those rare instances where dining at mid-range and up gives me a better deal :D
While it is true that based on statistics, you are more likely to find dining at Mid-Range Restaurant will be cheaper in Jakarta compared to Bangkok. There is what is the so called the 'exception rather than the rule". Therefore, in this specific case, you may need to observe and compare the prices by yourself.
 
It would seem that some posters must think that the entire population of Indonesia exist in Jakarta. Give it a break. Jakarta is higher priced than this or that foreign city. Who really cares? Jakarta is higher priced then the whole rest of Indonesia. Be it food, housing, consumer goods, Jakarta is higher. Bali today is probably next in line.

If you don't like Jakarta prices, get out of Jakarta. Simple as that. If you say you can't get out because some Western employer put you there with some Western salary, give me a break. Jakarta even will be cheaper than your home. I am a 30 minute flight or 5 hour drive including a ferry from Jakarta. I pay half or less than what is paid in Jakarta.
 
Thank for a very informative post.
I'm just visiting Indonesia for the first time, so obviously I don't know anything. I only went to mall restaurants so far. Comparing mall restaurant prices, e.g. in in Grand Indonesia vs a similar major mall in Bangkok, I find the restaurant prices here noticeable cheaper than in Thailand, if comparing the same food types (e.g. Thai, Korean, Japanese etc). The portions are smaller here, but even factoring that in it's still cheaper, definitely not more expensive in my observation so far.
Food in restaurants is different than food prices. The cost of labor here is lower than in Thailand so things requiring labor can be cheaper (e.g. low and mid range restaurants).
Anything imported here (so western foods) will be much more expensive than Thailand and also - due to the country having a more closed system for imports food prices are higher here than thailand (even for things like rice).
 

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