7 Costco Food Products Available In Other Countries But Not The US

Costco has come a long way since it first opened in Washington back in the 1980s. Its unique warehouse design and signature membership model have helped it transform from a simple Seattle wholesaler to an international success. In fact, Costco has spread across the U.S. and has stores in 14 different countries, including Canada, Australia, the U.K., South Korea, New Zealand, and even Iceland.

For the most part, Costco's international stores look pretty similar to the American ones. They also sell many of the same products, too, like hot dogs and rotisserie chicken. But there are some differences, which vary depending on where you are in the world.

The food court menu items are usually different, for example, and so are some of the products on the shelves. In the U.K., you'll find Marmite, in Canada, there's Tim Horton's products, and in Australia, there's Milo. Find out about all of this and more, including the rare meat you can find in South Korea, below.

If you stop by Costco stores in Canada, you'll be able to snap up multipacks of Tim Hortons coffee. In fact, the warehouse chain stocks Tim Hortons ground coffee, single-serve K-Cup pods, and even cases of Tim Hortons hot chocolate and French vanilla cappuccino sachets. For Tim Hortons' fans, it's a dream.

It makes sense that this coffee is available in Canadian Costcos, considering that Tim Hortons is a Canadian chain. While the coffee and restaurant company has expanded since its founding in the 1970s (it has around 675 locations in the U.S., for example), it still has the biggest presence, and therefore fan base, in Canada. In fact, at the time of writing, there are more than 3,500 Tim Hortons restaurants across Canada, most of which are in its home state of Ontario.

But thanks to Costco, Canadian fans of the chain don't even have to visit a Tim Hortons to taste its coffee. They will still have to make the drive if they're after any of its best-selling doughnuts, though. Still, you can't have everything.

You'll probably be unsurprised to learn that in the U.K., Costco shelves are lined with Marmite. This dark, gooey, salty spread, which is made with yeast extract, has been popular in the country for decades. It was invented back in the early 1900s, and to this day, millions of Brits love to eat it in sandwiches, on toast, bagels, crumpets, or even straight out of the jar. Millions don't, of course — this spread is famously divisive.

But for those who really do love Marmite, Costco is the perfect destination, because it stocks 600-gram tubs of the spread. For context, the average jar you'll find in the grocery store is around 250 grams. While some Americans do enjoy Marmite, they won't find it in American Costco stores. But if you're in this club, don't worry, you won't have to book a flight. You can still buy Marmite from stores like Walmart and Kroger, for example.

Canada Costco has Tim Hortons, the U.K. has Marmite, and Australia's? Australia's Costco has Milo, of course. The chocolate malt drink is unique to Australia, and was invented back in the 1930s as an affordable way to help children get more nutrition in their diets. Like the U.S., Australia was affected badly by the Great Depression, and food was scarce. Milo was designed to help. But it also happened to taste pretty good, thanks to its malty, chocolatey flavor.

Today, plenty of Australians still enjoy Milo. Like with Marmite, everyone has their own way of enjoying it. Some like it with ice cream, for example, while others like to whisk it with milk and eat it with a spoon. Some even like to mix it with milk and sprinkle more dry Milo on the top, for an added crunch. At Costco, Milo superfans can stock up on 1.5-kilogram tubs of the malt chocolate drink.

In the U.S. right now, there are more than 630 Costco stores across the country. In Iceland? There is just one, in Garðabær, which is a town outside the capital of Reykjavik. But Iceland is a small place with a small population of less than 400,000 people, so arguably, it doesn't need hundreds of Costcos. Still, some locals might disagree, as the place is pretty popular. When Costco first opened, one-fifth of the Icelandic population joined its Facebook group.

Iceland's Costco is pretty similar to the ones in the U.S., with an indistinguishable layout and a food court, for example, but there are some key differences. For one, you probably won't find hardfiskur in Costco's American locations. That's because hardfiskur is very unique to Iceland — it's a traditional snack made with wind-dried white fish. It's kind of like jerky, eaten in chewy strips, which are often covered in butter (which should be Icelandic).

If you're heading to Iceland on a trip, many advise stopping by Costco to stock up on road trip snacks. While you're there, maybe consider making like the locals and adding hardfiskur to your cart.

With 19 stores in the country, Costco has a significantly bigger presence in South Korea than in Iceland. Again, the warehouses look very similar to the U.S. locations at first glance, but some of the offerings are considerably different. The food court sells dishes like bulgogi pizza for a start. It also sells Hanwoo beef, a rare type of beef that is produced and, for the most part, only sold in South Korea. It's rarely exported internationally, which means you certainly won't find it in any of the U.S. Costco stores.

Hanwoo beef is named after the breed of cow it comes from, Hanwoo cows, which are native to South Korea. The surface of their meat is incredibly marbled, and the texture is tender, which is why many compare it to Japanese wagyu. Hanwoo beef is controversial to some — to get that distinct marbled pattern, cows are often kept in very confined spaces. That said, this is very similar to the American beef industry.

In the U.S., Costco's prepared food section includes options like the classic Kirkland Signature Rotisserie Chicken, for example, as well as loaded mashed potatoes, pasta dishes, enchiladas, and pizzas. In France, you'll also find plenty of comfort food, but, as you'd expect, this section has a little more of a French spin.

One of the items you can take home for your lunch or dinner from Costco France is tartiflette. The dish is popular in the Alps and is incredibly comforting, thanks to the layers of potatoes, cheese, butter, and cream. If you're heading to France on vacation in the winter, tartiflette is a must, whether you pick it up from Costco or a local restaurant.

Other options in the French prepared food section include choucroute (which is made with fermented cabbage) and croissants (but that goes without saying). Prefer to keep things familiar? Like most Costcos, the French warehouses also have the classic rotisserie chicken, too.

Costco stores in the U.S. have plenty of sweet treats; there's no denying it. You can pick up everything from Oreos to Toblerone to Reese's in the warehouse chain. But one thing you'll struggle to find? Biscoff KitKat. If you head to New Zealand, though, you might have more luck.

Several posts on social media have highlighted that this particular candy bar is available in New Zealand Costco locations — or at least it was once upon a time. The most recent post we can find from Costco dates back to December 2024. Still, you're far more likely to find it in Kiwi stores than in the U.S., which never appeared to stock the candy in the first place.

If you're wondering why you should be falling over to buy KitKat Biscoff from Costco, the clue is in the name. It is exactly what it sounds like, which is a harmonious combination of Biscoff cookies and KitKat wafer chocolate.