About Price Lens
Price Lens tracks daily price changes across Portuguese supermarkets to make invisible price creep visible. Below you can explore over 25 years of inflation data and understand the bigger picture behind the numbers on the shelf.
Inflation trends since 1999
Historical Consumer Price Index (CPI-U) inflation rates from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Portugal and Eurozone. Data represents year-over-year percentage change spanning 25+ years of economic cycles.
Data represents a cumulative inflation rate of 65.10%, 57.00% and 54.70% for the USA, Portugal and Eurozone since 1999, respectively.
| Year | 🇵🇹 PT | 🇺🇸 USA | 🇪🇺 EURO | Economic Context |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | +2.3% | +3.2% | +2.4% | Land the plane: Moderating toward targets |
| 2023 | +5.3% | +4.1% | +5.4% | Damage was done: Cooling but elevated |
| 2022 | +7.8% | +8.0% | +8.4% | Overspending: Energy crisis, Ukraine war |
| 2021 | +1.3% | +4.7% | +2.6% | Chaos: Supply chains, reopening economies |
| 2020 | -0.1% | +1.2% | +0.3% | COVID-19 pandemic deflationary impact |
| 2019 | +0.3% | +1.8% | +1.2% | Below targets despite low unemployment |
| 2018 | +1.2% | +2.4% | +1.8% | Above targets, trade war tensions |
| 2017 | +1.6% | +2.1% | +1.5% | Recovery strengthens across regions |
Economic Period Comparisons
Relevant intervals and events that have affected the US economy and therefore the world.
Relatively stable period with moderate inflation
Higher volatility with extreme lows and recent highs
GDP fell ~3.5% as lockdowns shut down activity
What can we do?
As consumers we can at the very least be weary of price fluctuations and be more careful and conservative with our budgeting. Price Lens is a project designed to help users understand prices beyond what shelves tell us, make informed decisions, save money and be more aware of the money environment that we live in.
Stop overpaying.
Start saving.
Most products go on discount at some point. Buy at the right time and the savings compound fast. Drag the slider to see your potential.
Assumes average product price of €4.00, ~60% of products go on sale each month, and an average discount of 20%.
Actual savings depend on regular shopping habits.
The invisible price creep
Prices don't jump - they creep. A tiny increase each month seems like nothing. But compound it over time and the picture changes completely.
Each month the increase is too small to care about. But compounded over time, your grocery bill is significantly higher - and no one asked for your permission.
How Price Lens helps
We do the tracking so you can make smarter choices at the supermarket.
Track
Monitor daily price changes across Continente, Auchan, and Pingo Doce - automatically.
Understand
See full price history and trends for any product - not just today's shelf tag.
Save
Make informed decisions and catch price hikes before they compound into real cost increases.
It's not just groceries
Inflation compounds silently. Since 1999, €100 worth of goods in Portugal now costs €175. The same pattern repeats at the product level - which is exactly what Price Lens tracks.
Historical CPI-U data from US Bureau of Labor Statistics, Eurostat, and INE Portugal. See the full inflation analysis →
Beware of price trends within key products
The inflation basket represents essential products selected by economic authorities to track consumer prices. The selection can change over time, but Price Lens keeps an eye on price trends on products that matter forever. Who doesn't care about the price of essentials like tuna, eggs, milk, etc.?
Simple, Transparent Pricing
Track supermarket prices and stay aware of inflation with Price Lens. Choose the plan that works for you.
- 14-day price history
- Track handpicked inflation basket products
- Access and compare multiple supermarkets origins
- Basic weekly price alerts
- Everything in Free
- Full price history (not just 14 days)
- Unlimited custom product tracking
- Daily price reports (vs. weekly in Free)
- Inflation insights dashboard with trends
- Shopping list optimizer across stores
- Purchasing power impact calculator
- Export CSV data and API access
All plans include the core functionality for price transparency and inflation awareness. Any questions? Contact us