Eating out in Maui 24/7 isn’t the most budget-friendly option. Okay, there are these delicious pre-made bowls in various supermarket delis for around $5.99, but they often don’t fill you up, at least for me. Let’s save that for a rainy day, those amazing deli selections warrant their own post.
So what’s next? You just want a home-made salad with your own toppings and that specific dressing that you crave. You head to the nearest (most well-known) local supermarket and quickly realize that prices are…. juuuustttt a little bit high.
That happened to me when I walked into Foodland Kihei one night, picking up groceries for my dinner. Prices in Foodland, specifically for fresh produce, are 25-30% higher than what I’d find at Whole Foods(!) in the Bay Area. I was so hungry that we decided to buy some options in a small quantity to have something for that night. Two regular russet potatoes cost me more than $4, and a box of greens is around $10+, in comparison to around $4-5 in the Bay.
I totally understand the mark-ups due to the higher shipping costs and the shortage of selection for local vegetables and fruits. This article will outline where you should go grocery shopping, with the best deal available while still supporting local businesses.
Costco
There is only one Costco in Maui, which is situated in Kahului. It’s a full-service Costco with a gas station, car/tire service, and food court. A Costco membership is always a good idea, but it is extremely relevant especially when you decide to live here at least for a few months.
Selection: Costco offers a wide selection in bulk, but I was pleasantly surprised with how many items were actually sold in medium size (as opposed to ginormous sizes that you often see at Costco). I found locally-made seaweed salad, Honolulu char-siu baos, Kula-grown purple sweet potatoes, Ono shrimp chips, coffee beans from Maui coffee roasters, and various other kinds of local options.
Prices: For all the standard items, prices in Costco Maui is the same as Costco nationwide. This means that you get to buy vegetables, or any essential items at mainland prices – easily a 30% savings in comparison to Foodland, which is huge!
Verdict: Costco is best for fresh produce and any other home essentials that you need. The only downside is it may take you some time to finish it.
Whole Foods
On the higher-end of the grocery world, Whole Foods manages to exercise economies of scale to offer: 1. More product varieties and 2. mainland-comparable prices. You will find various household brands that you often see at any other Whole Foods, plus a wide selection of fresh fish and meats. Interestingly, in order to cater to the local market, I see Whole Foods stock chicken feet (which is a delicacy in Asian cuisine), chicken hearts and marinated Korean galbi (a darling for mixed lunch plate throughout the islands). You can also find more exotic options like locally-grown rambutan, longans, cherimoya, persimmons or purple sweet potatoes.
Tips: the vegetables and fruits section frequently go on Sale to ensure inventory turnover. We sometimes score amazing prices on apples or berries, especially as you shop for in-season fruits.
Verdict: high quality ingredients, especially fish and meats. You can shop with confidence if you are more used to options in the mainland.
Island Grocery Depot
This unassuming supermarket is situated at a rather odd location, in the middle of all these warehouses and factories. Don’t let the outside fool you as this place is like Costco but smaller quantity (does this concept even exist?). There are a few parking spots right on the side of the supermarket, but there is a much larger parking lot across the entrance, on the other side of this pond (with a ton of gold fishes!)
This place is known for a very unique selection, especially for heritage (Asian, Hispanic, etc.) cuisines. There will be certain things that you will not find in any other supermarket in Maui, at a much cheaper price. Here I found various types of kimchi, Korean pickles, fresh ho fun and udon, fresh vegetables, lotus roots, casava, taro, and a huge frozen food selection. I sometimes see the staff from various restaurants come here to shop for their ingredients.
Verdict: come here to find more unique options at an unbeatable price. No fresh meats/seafood, only frozen options.
Foodland
No post would do Maui justice if we don’t mention Foodland. Arguably the most famous local supermarket chain on the islands, Foodland has many locations all throughout Hawaii. Unfortunately, the price for fresh produce and groceries are sky-high here, due to the high shipping costs. Go somewhere else for the staples, unless you are strapped for time.
However, I’d come to Foodland for 2 things: fresh poke and the fried chicken. Each Foodland has a huge poke selection, usually 7-8 types of poke ranging from salmon, tuna, mussels to tako (octopus). These are made fresh daily and at a superb quality & price. The poke here is a strong contender for any other trucks or restaurants on the island. They also have a huge selection of pre-made food with fried chicken, stew (for rice), various lunch plates and dinner bowls.
Verdict: avoid fresh produce (low inventory turnover hence the products are not as fresh), but come for the freshly made food!
Times Supermarket
Times has 2 location on the island: Kihei and Lahaina. This supermarket has a good selection for ethnic foods (we saw a lot of imported Japanese specialties), baked goods from local bakeries, and a good selection for fresh produce. Times is frequented by mostly residents, and although the price is not the cheapest, it rates high for convenience and unique selection.
Verdict: convenient and good for Japanese specialties.
Honorary mentions
Other options, depending on where you live, include: Target (the groceries section), Napili Market (Lahaina), Island Gourmet (Wailea, extremely extensive pre-made food options, plus Filipino selections), Takamiya market (local small market in Wailuku), and Maui Oriental Market (Korean-specialty store in Wailuku).
Wandering Maui 