Conakry - Post Report Question and Answers
How would you describe the availability and cost of groceries and household supplies relative to your home country?
The local produce is very affordable, especially if you go to the local markets or vegetable market at the Chinese shopping district. There are also Western markets that sell imported produce, that is VERY expensive. $15 for a head of romaine, $20 cauliflower, for example. They also have a lot of French imported food, which is also pricey. - Sep 2022
You can get everything you need here, from the basic to the fanciful. Processed and imported goods will cost more, but you can find them. It helps if you're flexible in terms of insisting on the content but not necessarily the presentation that you're used to. There is locally-made peanut butter; in fact you can get it straight from the woman who grows and grinds the peanuts. But Jif or Skippy will either cost a lot or you won't find them at all. I love the local beer, Guiluxe, but if you absolutely must have Bud Light or Fat Tire or whatever, that will be a problem. We get our fresh groceries at local markets or roadside stands (disinfect produce in chlorine water after you get home), packaged or processed stuff at the Euro style supermarkets (which used to be rare, but now seem to be popping up in almost every neighborhood), and if there's a caprice we absolutely must have, a la Milano cookies or something, we'll order online through our diplomatic post office service. - Jun 2021
There are several grocery stores that cater to expats, and their prices can be exorbitant. Some produce is available through local vendors. All produce should be bleached before consuming. - Nov 2019
Anything at the western type grocery stores is expensive. - May 2016
Imported goods are expensive and inconsistently available, staple foods are very affordable if bought on the local market. - Dec 2014
Most items are available in local grocery stores, but they are not always of great quality. It's definitely a post to use your consumables shipment. - Sep 2009
Food is expensive, except local fruits and vegetables. If you have a consumables allowance, take full advantage. The stores have very limited supplies and are incredibly expensive. Many people at the embassy use netgrocer. - May 2009
Groceries are mainly imported and expensive. The fluctuating dollar to Guinea franc exchange rate complicates things at the check out. You can find almost everything here including Mexican and other ethnic foods, but the brands may be mysterious and the quality questionable. Use your full consumables allowance and ship any brands to which you are particularly loyal. Fresh fruits, vegetables, nuts and seafood are plentiful and inexpensive. NetGrocer.com and Amazon's grocery service have made things easier, but if you must have diet lactose-free cherry vanilla bon-bons, ship them. - Mar 2008
