Food prices continue to rise in Portugal, increasing the burden of shopping on the family budget and highlighting the increase in the cost of living. Despite the slowdown in inflation, the price of essential food continues to rise, with new records recorded in recent weeks.
According to the digital newspaper Executive Digest, the food basket rose again last week, another 67 cents (0.27%), now costing 244.34 euros. This is the second highest value since this monitoring began, in January 2022. Almost four years ago, the same products cost 56.64 euros less, which represents a difference of 30.18%.
Coffee: the most expensive product
Ground roasted coffee is, at the moment, the product with the biggest percentage increase since the beginning of the year. In the last week alone, it increased by 71 cents (plus 16%), now costing 5.13 euros per 250-gram package. On January 1st, the same product cost 3.81 euros, 1.32 euros less, which means it was 34% more expensive. In November 2024, the price was just 3.03 euros, which means a difference of 2.10 euros in one year, an increase of around 70%.
According to historical data from DECO PROTeste, on January 5, 2022, ground roasted coffee cost 2.99 euros, 2.14 euros less than today, equivalent to a 71% increase in four years.
How the basket price is calculated
According to the same source, since January 2022, DECO PROTeste has been monitoring the price of a set of essential food items on a weekly basis, collecting data from the main supermarket chains with online stores.
The price of each product is calculated based on the average of the available values, and is then added together to determine the total cost of the food basket.
Products with the biggest increases
In the last week, in addition to roasted ground coffee, the products with the biggest percentage increases were tuna steak with vegetable oil (21% more), spiral pasta (15% more) and cooking oil (11% more).
Compared to the beginning of the year, on January 1, 2025, the rise in eggs (32% more), spaghetti (22% more) and oranges (20% more) also stands out. Since monitoring began in 2022, the largest accumulated increases have been recorded in beef for cooking (97% more), eggs (86% more) and whole grains (72% more).
Three years of successive rises
According to the same source, the war in Ukraine was one of the main factors that has put pressure on the agri-food sector since 2022, by limiting the supply of cereals and raw materials essential for European production. The increase in energy and fertilizer costs further aggravated the situation, reflected in the prices of meat, cereals and various vegetables.
In April 2023, the Government even applied a temporary VAT exemption on more than 40 foods, which momentarily halted the increases. However, after the end of the measure, prices increased consistently again, particularly for olive oil, eggs and now roasted ground coffee.
Inflation shows signs of slowing
Despite the persistence of increases in the food sector, global inflation has been moderating. According to the National Statistics Institute (INE), the average annual rate stood at 2.4% in 2024, below the 4.3% recorded in 2023 and the 7.8% in 2022. In October 2025, estimates point to a further slowdown, with inflation standing at 2.3%.
Tools to save
DECO PROTeste recommends consumers to compare prices between supermarkets before doing their weekly shopping. Its “Know How to Save” simulator, available online, allows you to check the cost of the same food basket by district or municipality and identify the most economical stores.
According to , this tool, updated daily, helps you choose where to buy based on the price index of each distribution chain, offering a practical view of market variations and the best opportunities to reduce expenses.
Also read:
