Meal planning

Updated 19 February 2026

Asian grocery staples in Australia: costs and where to buy

Essential Asian cooking staples, what they cost at Australian supermarkets vs Asian grocers, and how to build a budget pantry.

Essential Asian pantry staples and their costs

These 10 items form the foundation of Asian cooking. Once stocked, they last months and enable dozens of different meals.

Soy sauce

Soy sauce is non-negotiable for stir-fries, soups, marinades, and dipping sauces. Coles and Woolworths stock it at 2 to 4 dollars per 500ml bottle, usually Kikkoman or their own brand. Asian grocers sell the same volume for 1 to 2 dollars. Buy a larger bottle (1 litre) at an Asian grocer for 2 to 3 dollars, compared to 5 to 6 dollars at supermarkets. One bottle lasts a household of four 2 to 3 months of regular use.

Fish sauce

Fish sauce is the foundation of Southeast Asian cooking: Thai curries, Vietnamese pho, pad thai, and everyday dipping sauces all rely on it. Supermarkets charge 3 to 5 dollars for a 200ml bottle. Asian grocers sell it for 1.50 to 2.50 dollars. Fish sauce lasts 6 to 12 months unopened, making a single bottle a worthy purchase. If you're new to Asian cooking and the smell is off-putting, remember it mellows dramatically when cooked and becomes invisible in the finished dish.

Oyster sauce

Oyster sauce adds umami depth to stir-fries, noodle soups, and braises. Woolworths and Coles stock it at 2.50 to 4 dollars per bottle. Asian grocers sell it for 1.50 to 2.50 dollars. It lasts 6 to 12 months, making volume purchasing worthwhile.

Sesame oil

Toasted sesame oil is a finishing oil, not a cooking oil. You use a teaspoon per dish for flavour, not a tablespoon. A small bottle (250ml) lasts a household of four for 2 to 3 months. Supermarket prices: 4 to 6 dollars. Asian grocers: 2.50 to 3.50 dollars. Buy pure sesame oil, not blends.

Rice vinegar

Rice vinegar is milder than white vinegar and essential for dumpling dipping sauces, fried rice, and pickled vegetables. Supermarket price: 2 to 3.50 dollars per 300ml bottle. Asian grocer: 1 to 1.50 dollars. One bottle lasts 6 months with regular use.

Mirin

Mirin is a sweet rice wine used in Japanese cooking and some Asian stir-fries. Supermarkets stock it at 4 to 6 dollars per 250ml bottle. Asian grocers: 2 to 3 dollars. One bottle lasts 3 to 4 months. Mirin is optional if you're focusing on Southeast Asian cooking, but essential if you're doing Japanese dishes.

Sriracha (hot chilli sauce)

Sriracha appears on the table as a condiment and in cooking. Supermarkets: 3 to 4.50 dollars per 270ml bottle. Asian grocers: 1.50 to 2.50 dollars. One bottle lasts 2 to 3 months with regular use.

Coconut milk

Coconut milk is essential for Thai and Southeast Asian curries. It comes in tinned form (400ml) and is widely available. Coles and Woolworths: 1.50 to 2.50 dollars per tin. ALDI: 1.29 dollars (best supermarket value). Asian grocers usually don't stock tinned coconut milk as competitively, as they often sell fresh or frozen alternatives. For one Thai curry serving four people, you need 1 tin. Curries cost between 2 and 4 dollars per serve once the curry paste is accounted for.

Rice noodles

Dried rice noodles are the base for pad thai, rice paper spring rolls, and noodle soups. A 400g packet costs 1.50 to 2.50 dollars at supermarkets and 1 to 1.50 dollars at Asian grocers. One packet serves 2 to 3 people as a main course. They last indefinitely in dry storage.

Curry pastes

Red, green, and yellow Thai curry pastes come in jars (200g) or tubes. Supermarket prices: 3 to 4.50 dollars. Asian grocers: 1.50 to 2.50 dollars. One serving uses 1.5 to 2 tablespoons mixed with 200ml coconut milk. A single jar makes 6 to 8 curry serves, bringing the cost per serve to between 25 and 40 cents for seasoning alone.

Asian rice versus supermarket rice

Rice is the most-used staple in any kitchen eating Asian meals. Jasmine rice and long-grain rice are the standards. Supermarkets mark up rice significantly compared to Asian grocers.

A 5kg bag of jasmine rice costs 10 to 15 dollars at Coles and Woolworths, roughly 2 to 3 dollars per kilogram. At Asian grocers, the same 5kg bag costs 8 to 12 dollars, or 1.60 to 2.40 dollars per kilogram. For a household eating Asian rice 4 to 5 nights a week, a 5kg bag lasts 6 to 8 weeks. Shopping at an Asian grocer saves 2 to 4 dollars per bag, or 12 to 24 dollars per year.

Bulk buying from Asian grocers becomes more economical: a 10kg or 20kg sack costs between 1.20 and 1.80 dollars per kilogram, further reducing cost per serve.

Tofu and fresh Asian vegetables

Tofu is a core protein in Asian cooking. Supermarket prices range from 2.50 to 4.50 dollars per 300g block. Asian grocers sell tofu for 1.50 to 2.50 dollars per 300g block or sometimes cheaper by weight. Fresh tofu from Asian grocers is also higher quality, firmer, and less likely to fall apart during cooking.

Bok choy, Chinese broccoli, and other Asian greens appear in supermarkets at premium prices: 2.50 to 4 dollars per bunch. Asian grocers sell the same produce for 1 to 2 dollars per bunch and offer more variety (choy sum, kai lan, gai choy). Prices vary by season, with winter typically cheaper.

Supermarket vs Asian grocer price breakdown

Here's a direct price comparison for a typical stir-fry shop:

Item	Coles / Woolworths	Asian Grocer	Annual saving per item
Soy sauce (500ml)	2 - 4	1 - 2	12 - 24
Fish sauce (200ml)	3 - 5	1.50 - 2.50	18 - 30
Oyster sauce (500ml)	2.50 - 4	1.50 - 2.50	12 - 18
Sesame oil (250ml)	4 - 6	2.50 - 3.50	18 - 32
Rice (5kg bag)	10 - 15	8 - 12	24 - 42 (buying 4 bags yearly)
Tofu (300g)	2.50 - 4.50	1.50 - 2.50	36 - 72 (buying weekly)

For a household eating Asian meals twice a week, the annual saving from shopping at an Asian grocer instead of supermarkets is between 200 and 300 dollars.

Building a starter Asian pantry for 20 to 30 dollars

To get started, buy small quantities of each essential item once, then replenish as needed. Here's a starter list:

Visit an Asian grocer and buy:

• 500ml soy sauce: 1.50 to 2 dollars
• 200ml fish sauce: 1.50 to 2 dollars
• 250ml oyster sauce: 1.50 to 2 dollars
• 250ml sesame oil: 2.50 to 3.50 dollars
• 300ml rice vinegar: 1 to 1.50 dollars
• 400g curry paste (red, green, or yellow): 1.50 to 2 dollars
• 400g rice noodles (two packets): 2 to 3 dollars
• 1kg rice (if you don't already have it): 1.50 to 2 dollars
• 300g fresh tofu: 1.50 to 2 dollars
• Fresh bok choy or gai lan: 1 to 1.50 dollars

Total: 18 to 25 dollars.

This pantry enables stir-fries, curries, noodle soups, fried rice, dumpling dipping sauces, and marinades. Once stocked, you buy fresh proteins (chicken, pork, seafood) and seasonal vegetables, which cost the same at supermarkets and Asian grocers. The seasonings last 2 to 6 months, making future shopping trips cheaper.

Cost per serve for common Asian meals

Once your pantry is established, here's what meals cost per serve (ingredients only, excluding rice and seasonings already stocked):

• Stir-fry with protein and vegetables: 1.50 to 3 dollars per serve (depends on protein choice)
• Thai curry: 2 to 3 dollars per serve (curry paste and coconut milk are the main costs)
• Pad thai: 1.50 to 2.50 dollars per serve (rice noodles and protein)
• Fried rice: 1.50 to 2 dollars per serve (rice, protein, vegetables)
• Pho or noodle soup: 1.50 to 2.50 dollars per serve (broth, noodles, protein)

By comparison, a single meal takeaway from an Asian restaurant in Australia costs 12 to 16 dollars. Home cooking costs a quarter to a third as much.

Tips for shopping at Asian grocers

Find a grocer near you. Major cities have multiple options. Google "Asian grocer" or "Chinese grocer" plus your suburb. Visit a few before committing to one, as quality, freshness, and price vary.

Ask staff for recommendations. Asian grocer staff often have deep knowledge of ingredients and cooking methods. If you're unsure about a product or need a substitute, ask.

Check expiry dates on tinned and jarred goods, but don't stress too much. Miso, soy sauce, and fish sauce are stable and last well past their printed dates if stored properly (cool, dark, dry place).

Buy fresh produce on the day you'll use it, as turnover is high and stock changes daily. This is an advantage, not a disadvantage: you get the freshest ingredients available.

Ask about bulk discounts on rice and noodles. Many Asian grocers offer better prices for 10kg or 20kg bags of rice. If you have storage space and eat Asian meals regularly, bulk buying pays for itself quickly.

Stock up on shelf-stable items when you visit. Soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, and rice vinegar last months to years. Buy enough to last 3 to 6 months, then you only need to buy fresh vegetables and proteins regularly.

The bottom line

Asian cooking is affordable in Australia once you build a pantry and shop at Asian grocers instead of supermarkets. An initial 20 to 30 dollar investment in staples covers 2 to 6 months of cooking. For households eating Asian meals twice a week, shopping at Asian grocers instead of Coles or Woolworths saves 200 to 300 dollars per year. Meals themselves cost 1.50 to 3 dollars per serve, making Asian food one of the cheapest home-cooked options available.