10 Ways Australia's Costco Is Different (And Better) Than America's

It won't come as a surprise to learn that Costco Australia is very different from Costco in the United States. The beloved grocery chain is known for customizing its products according to country and culture, so that no two stores offer the exact same experience. Thus, Costco Canada offers many products that aren't available in the U.S., as do stores in the United Kingdom, Sweden, and New Zealand.

In some ways, Australian Costco stores are better than what we have stateside, offering unique bakery and grocery items that may have us planning a trip to the land of sun and surf. We've combed the aisles to find the biggest differences that made us go "crikey, that's a ripper." We sourced juicy mangos, hearty steak pies, barbecue meat pizza, and those most Aussie of treats, Tim Tams and Vegemite. Settle in and get your shopping list ready, because we're off on a tasty trip Down Under.

We're starting off warm and hearty, with an Aussie steak pie served piping hot at Costco Australia food courts; unmistakably local and very different from the Costco food court experience we're used to in the U.S. For just $7.99 AUD, you get to indulge in a large pie with golden puff pastry and slow-cooked chunky beef in a rich gravy.

If you think the description sounds too good to be true for a food court pie, we'll stop you right there. Customers just love it, and it's one of the items on the Australian Costco food court menu that receives very high scores from fans. One TikToker even calls it "legit better than the majority of Australian bakery pies I've tried..." The closest thing that customers have likened to the Aussie pie at U.S. Costcos is probably the Chicken Bake — except that it's chicken, and it's way smaller. So, there's no comparison, really.

Let's talk ready-to-eat pizza. Costco U.S. has two options available at the food court: cheese and pepperoni. Now, let's be clear, no one's disputing that Costco's food court pizza is supremely tasty, not to mention seriously popular. After all, pepperoni is many Americans' first choice of pizza topping. That said, the choice remains a tad basic. Enter Costco Australia, which ups the game considerably with a delicious BBQ Meat Pizza that's guaranteed an immediate thumbs up from meat lovers. A slice costs $2.99 AUD, or you can get a whole one for $15.99 AUD so you can enjoy some truly gooey, meaty goodness.

If this has given you serious cravings, don't bother driving down to your local Costco. You won't find anything similar. Your easiest option is probably to buy the frozen Kirkland Signature Four Meat Pizza and heat it up at home. Or, you can always make a homemade BBQ pizza and add all your favorite meats.

We get it. Costco's amazing $1.50 hot dog  and soda combo is practically a national treasure in the U.S. and bears no criticism. Where else are we going to get a ¼ pound dog and a refillable soda for that price? Still, without any disrespect for this icon, we're going to have to cast a longing glance at the Costco Australia hot dog combo, which is described as an all-pork hot dog that comes with a 590-milliliter soda and a free refill. That's the regular 20-ounce beverage to Americans. It's the pork that gets us, though. If you're wondering about the type of meat typically used for hot dogs, this is usually a mix of beef and pork. All-pork dogs aren't quite common in the U.S., and you know what they say about the grass always being greener.

To add some extra hot sauce to the mix, some customers even claim that, after taking the currency exchange into account, the Aussie Costco dog combo is actually cheaper. Based purely on that, some will undoubtedly agree that makes the Australia Costco version better than the U.S. Oh, and if you're really jonesing for a pork dog and you're up for preparing it at home, well, you're still out of luck. In the U.S., Costco's frozen food section doesn't offer a pork version, either.

Milo is one of the most iconic drinks in Australia, having been created in the 1930s to feed children during an economic depression. With a history that tugs at the heartstrings and a high comfort factor, it was inevitable that the warm beverage would become a classic. Costco Australia sells 1.5 kilogram packages of Milo, made in Australia from at least 55% Australian ingredients. Looking to replicate the experience at your U.S. Costco? You're going to have to settle for the Nesquik Chocolat Drink Mix which, as any self-respecting Aussie will be quick to point out, is really not the same.

There's more. Costco stores in Australia even stock Milo snack bars, delivering all the sweet and hearty flavor of the drink with a satisfying crunch on top. U.S. Costco stores have precisely zero options when it comes to Milo, although you'll find a decent variety of other protein and cereal bars.

Does it get more classic Aussie than a Vegemite sandwich? Costco Australia sells Vegemite in 950-gram tubs, and the product is made in Australia. If you're thinking of using your Costco membership card for a spot of overseas shopping, don't bother. There are some hefty shipping restrictions on this one, and it's only available within a 20-mile radius from seven specific warehouses.

If you're asking yourself what's Vegemite, and why the fuss, this is perfectly okay. Vegemite is often compared to Marmite, as both are made from leftover brewer's yeast mixed with veggies. Both taste luscious spread on warm toast, but they tend to create polarizing opinions among customers. One thing's for sure, no trip to Aussie is complete without picking up this iconic souvenir, which is exactly what many U.S. Costco members do when visiting Down Under.

Costco Australia lists a selection of Arnott's Tim Tam cookies available in bulk packages of six. This is another Aussie classic, but they're not totally gatekeeping it Down Under. It's also available at Costco Canada, for C$23.99 and in the U.K. warehouses for £13.29. Now the million-dollar question. Can you get Tim Tams in the U.S.? Sure you can, albeit, not as easily as you may imagine. Tim Tams were reintroduced to America by Pepperidge Farm almost 20 years ago, and, today, they're imported to the U.S. by Arnott's.

That said, U.S. customers looking for that iconic crunchy chocolate biscuit will have a hard time sourcing it in U.S. Costco stores. So far, we haven't managed, no matter which warehouse we visit. Arnott's website offers a list of four options where Americans can buy Tim Tams online, including — drumroll please — Costco. Following the link got us absolutely nowhere, however, with Costco U.S. offering Pocky or Oreo cookies, instead. Cheeky much getting our hopes up, Arnott's? But it's worth a shot trying to find them in-person at your local Costco.

Does anyone remember a time when bubble tea, also known affectionately as boba, wasn't popular? Its origins may be steeped in mystery, but its popularity among American consumers is undeniable. The drink appears to be even more popular in Australia, with many considering it a staple, rather than a novelty. As befits any other staple, it's featured on the Costco Australia Food Court menu, which lists bubble tea for $3.99 AUD. The grocery chain itself actually describes bubble tea as one of the items that are unique to Costco Australia, alongside Vegemite.

Meanwhile, Costco U.S. has Joyba Bubble Tea available as a packaged grocery item rather than a ready-to-drink item. We're not done yet, as there's another way Costco Australia is better than the U.S. version, at least as far as the Food Court is concerned. Aussies can also buy ready-made smoothies made with real mango for $3.99 AUD.

Time for another massive Aussie classic, the lamington. A lamington is essentially a classic sponge cake dipped in chocolate and coconut and served in a small cubed portion. Why? Because it's fun, and because they can. They're such a beloved sweet classic Down Under that Aussies even celebrate National Lamington Day on July 21. As befits a national icon, the treats are prepared daily at Costco Australia bakeries where you can find the Kirkland Signature Choc Lamingtons in a 16-pack format.

Sadly, there's nothing remotely similar in the U.S. stores, although we found plenty of online requests pleading for the originals to be stocked at Costco stores in America. There are plenty of cake options available at Costco U.S., such as various types of Kirkland Signature cakes, including cheesecake, mousse cake, vanilla, carrot, and chocolate. There's also a rather fancy range of chocolate, tiramisu, limoncello, and carrot cakes. No lamingtons, or even a simple chocolate sponge cake, to be found anywhere, though.

Now, we know exactly what you're going to say. You can find mangos pretty easily within the fruit section of any Costco U.S. That's accurate, but you won't find these same mangos that are available at Australian Costco stores. So what's special about the Perfection Fresh Calypso Mangos? This variety is a popular hybrid grown on farms in Australia and it known for it's red-and-gold skin, firm texture, and has smaller seeds than other mango types. The result is more juicy flesh. The flavor is sweet and the fruit has no stringy fiber, and the fruit can be eaten raw or cooked as part of a recipe. Aussies love adding them to salads and desserts.

Although Calypso Mangos have been introduced to the U.S. market, they're still not widely available to Americans. Costco stores in the U.S. offer a different variety, the organic Mexican Atualfo mango, also known as "honey mangos." Incidentally, if you're one of the many who still find cutting a mango too complicated, you simply need to start by cutting two slices around the pit. Score the flesh without piercing the skin, and enjoy.

What if we were to tell you that Costco's nuts are frequently returned by shoppers? Weird, right? In reality, the bad press is usually related to the Kirkland Signature nut varieties that are sold in the U.S. Customers on social media have complained about the walnuts, pecans, cashews, and even the peanuts, saying that they often taste bitter, are sometimes rancid, and even look shriveled.

So what's Costco Australia doing better than Costco U.S. in this regard? It offers Nature's Delight All Natural Raw Nut Mix in a 1.25-kilogram jar that very conveniently seals so you can keep the nuts fresh for longer. It's not just about the storage options, of course. What we have here are ingredients consisting of a mix with Australian macadamias, pistachios, walnuts, almonds, cashews, and Brazil nuts. These are all high in protein and omega-3, so it's not just your tastebuds that you're helping. Nature's Delight is an Australian brand known for its commitment to freshness, quality, and flavor. This mix includes macadamia nuts, which kind of seals the deal. They're native to Australia and are known to have a multitude of health benefits.