www.CostaRicaTicas.com

So, I finally made the plunge and moved to Costa Rica.

Now that I am here, I am finding it difficult to find a lot of items at the grocery store that you take for granted in the U.S. I can't find things like seasoning salt, garlic salt, sesame oil, canned tomatoes, etc...

I am not surprised... but I figure that if a higher-end grocery store does exist in Costa Rica, someone here might know where it is....

Any suggestions?

Can not imagine you cannot find some of those items. Auto Mercado carries the most gringo items of all the supermarkets and is also the highest priced.Hipermas carries much of what you are looking for and Mas x Menos depending on size and location also have some. Pricesmart has a lot of gringo stuff but in large quantities and requires a membership ($30 per year). In Escazu Super Saretto has some stuff. Very little frozen food is available here if that is what you are looking for

I do not know where you live but I have never been in any supermarket in Costa Rica that did not have canned tomatoes. However fresh tomatoes are so cheap why bother with the canned ones anyway. Learn where your weekly agricultural feria is held and get a lot of your stuff there. Fresher and cheaper and good for practicing your Spanish.

.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

i love markets like ID mentioned....anyplace where there are tons of latinas....lol


you can always ask them how to cook or prepare something...they feel sorry for you and sometimes...sometimes, well, you know...lol

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The difference between a Sea Story and a Fairy Tale is that a Fairy Tale starts out 'Once Upon a Time..' and a Sea Story starts out 'This is no Shit...'

(export version only, some restrictions may apply, some assembly required, not valid where the sun don't shine...

if you live in the states of Poverty, Darkness or anywhere outside of The Blessings of Civilization Trust, Inc...other rules may apply)

Thank you all for your input. This is great info!

I have been to a few Mas X Menos and Megasupers, and I found that the size of the store affected the variety of the products offered.

I assume Auto Mercado is the same way.... so is there one that is better than the others?

Thanks in advance for your input.

Have not noticed much difference in variety at AM stores. Largest is in Lindora Santa Ann but I found about the same stuff in their stores in Multi Plaza, Plaza Atlantis and Plaza Major. The downtown store A3 Y C3 is small and may have less variety not sure about that though.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Sort of related...
La Nacion had a story yesterday that compared prices in CR grocery stores. They compared prices on many items that Ticos would buy. Rice, beans, coffee... The bottom line, the Wal-Mart owned stores were usually cheaper. Pali, Mas x Menos, Hipermas, et al. The difference was as much as 13%.

As far as getting things that you are jonesin' for, you need to develop a cadre of mules who can help keep you supplied when they come to visit. No meats, dairy goods or vegetables though.

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Women are like beers. I've never had one that I didn't like. Just some that I like more than others! --Western

Dear sirs.

May I please have the locations of the Wal Mart stores in CR with the one closest to Barrio Amon being first?

Thanks!


fittie

Closest one is in San Sebastian. Next to the circumvalcion south of downtown.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Mas X Menos (WalMart owned) Avenida Central, East of Calle 11 on the North side of the street

_________________
Women are like beers. I've never had one that I didn't like. Just some that I like more than others! --Western

Guess I misunderstood the question. I thought you were looking for the CR Wal*Mart clone which is Hipermas.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Okay!
I will try agin.

Wal Mart stores with the actual Wal Mart store signs out in front?


five-O

No such animal in Costa Rica. When Wal*Mart took control of the Mas x Menos group it was said they were going to brand the new Escazu Hipermas with the Wal*Mart brand name. A week before they opened they announced they were going to stick with the Hipermas name. Now they gave operational control to Wal*Mart Mexico it will be interesting to see if they stick with the Hipermas name or re-brand them Wal*Mart as they do in Mexico.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine

Actually the closest to barrio Amon is the one in Guadalupe, especially considering crosstown traffic to San Sebastian. It is less than a kilometer from the Sportsmens.


BKTUNA
I am never going home

So lemme get this scraight.

I can just go to the same dam Mas x Menos store which is actually run by Wal Mart, and I should be really saving about 13 % on my purchases compared to Tico stores?


50

That's quite a stretch in reasoning based on what was posted.




If by Tico stores they were referring to pulperias there is nothing surprising in that. Pulperias are like any neighborhood convenience store in cities in the U.S. in that there prices are higher then supermarkets.

_________________
Pura Vida
Only Irish coffee provides in a single glass all four
essential food groups:
alcohol, caffeine, sugar and fat.
Alex Levine