Portuguese food basket price edges up to 254.22 euros as fish and staples rise

Weekly monitoring and basket composition

The weekly monitoring carried out by the consumer protection association DECO PROteste established the cost of an essential food basket at 254.22 euros on 30 September 2026. This figure marks an increase of 11 cents compared with the 254.11 euros recorded in the preceding week. The slight upward shift came after a brief drop of 1.86 euros between 16 and 23 September 2026, an interval that had temporarily interrupted a continuous run of three consecutive weekly price increases. DECO PROteste tracks a standardized set of 63 basic items divided across six primary food categories, namely meat, frozen products, fruits and vegetables, dairy, general groceries, and fresh fish. Among the specific goods assessed in the basket are staples such as turkey, chicken, horse mackerel, hake, onions, potatoes, carrots, bananas, apples, oranges, rice, spaghetti, sugar, ham, milk, cheese, and butter.

Individual product price changes between 23 and 30 September

Price adjustments during the seven-day period between 23 and 30 September 2026 varied across product categories, with seafood and packaged grocery items recording the most pronounced weekly increases. Fresh horse mackerel saw the largest percentage jump of any single product in the basket, rising 16% over the week to reach a price of 5.88 euros per kilogram. Packaged fiber cereals followed as the second-highest weekly gainer, climbing by 10% to reach 4.58 euros per package. Cooked chickpeas also underwent an upward price adjustment during the same timeframe, registering a 9% increase to sell at 2.13 euros per unit. Together, these three items led the weekly cost increases across retail outlets in Portugal.

Annual trends and year-to-date trajectory

Broader metrics collected by the consumer association reveal upward price pressures over both medium and twelve-month horizons. Since the start of 2026, the overall expenditure required to buy the 63 monitored items has grown by 12.39 euros, representing an increase of 5.12%. When compared to the corresponding week in 2025, Portuguese shoppers pay 12.25 euros more for the exact same assortment, an increase of 5.06%. Comparing year-on-year data for individual products, horse mackerel recorded the highest percentage increase at 43%, taking its price to 5.88 euros per kilogram. Large codfish followed with a 27% increase compared to the previous year, currently selling at 20.54 euros per kilogram, while carolino rice rose 24% year-on-year to reach 1.79 euros per kilogram.

Long-term price evolution since January 2022

The long-term comparison reveals a wider gap between current grocery bills and historical retail costs in Portugal. When measured against 5 January 2022, the date DECO PROteste initiated its regular food basket tracking, the price of the 63 items has risen by 66.52 euros, which represents a 35.44% cumulative increase. Specific staples have more than doubled in price since that initial assessment four years earlier. Beef for stewing recorded the largest overall percentage growth since 2022, rising 119% to reach 12.75 euros per kilogram. Large codfish posted a cumulative increase of 94% over the same timeframe to reach 20.54 euros per kilogram, while oxheart cabbage rose by 91% to stand at 1.90 euros.