The Best Supermarkets in Coimbra: Where to go

Today I will show you Coimbra’s best and most affordable supermarkets for Erasmus students. When I went to Coimbra, I felt quite disoriented during my first week there, and I didn’t know where to do my food shop.

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In Coimbra, there are two large supermarket chains: Continente and Pingo Doce. They are both very similar to large hypermarkets, with sections where you can buy furniture, kitchenware, and clothing.

There are three Pingo Doce supermarkets in Coimbra: one in Baixa, one in Celas, and one near Rua do Brasil. As they are well located in the city, you will have a Pingo Doce near you no matter which neighbourhood you live in.

There are also three Continente supermarkets, one of which is in Baixa and also equipped with a bar.

This is, without a doubt, the least recommended for students, as there isn’t a wide range of products and they are also overpriced. As it’s located in the tourist area, the brands are of a certain quality and accompanied by heftier price tags. The other Continente supermarkets are in Forum Coimbra and Coimbra Shopping, inside the city’s large shopping centres.

Here, the Continente supermarket is the biggest and more like an immense American-style hypermarket, where you can find dozens of different brands filling entire shelves of the same product. The prices vary depending on the brand, but they are still higher than the prices at Pingo Doce. That being said, you can still choose a price that suits you, as there is such a large assortment available. Compared with Pingo Doce, here you will find large sections dedicated to gluten-free, lactose-free, and vegan foods. I wouldn’t recommend this supermarket to students. Aside from it being quite far away, I also don’t think it meets students’ needs. This supermarket is more suited to families, with people going at the weekend to do a big food shop.

Pingo Doce is definitely more affordable. When I lived in Coimbra, I often did my food shop at Pingo Doce: it’s considered the best supermarket for Erasmus students. The prices are low, and, especially at the weekend, there are interesting and affordable offers. Although the assortment might not be quite as large, you will find everything that you need for an affordable price. For Pingo Doce supermarkets, I recommend that you ask for a PoupaMais (save more) card, which gives you access to offers and discounts, as well as allowing you to earn points on your food shop that can be spent on petrol, which could come in useful if you go on a road trip with friends or family.

Compared with Continente, the fruit section at Pingo Doce is much more varied and more affordable. Its low-quality meat however is not recommended, instead, I advise you to purchase meat from Continente or a butcher. The fish is of good quality in both supermarkets, but be wary of the daily offers, which are often there to get rid of the fish that isn’t as fresh.

There is also a large hypermarket called Jumbo in Coimbra, which is, so to speak, like that of Auchan in Italy. You can find it in Alma Shopping. The prices are fairly affordable, especially if you buy from Jumbo’s own brand.

Please note: in Portugal, VAT is very expensive, but, typically during weekends, there are special offers that reduce or even cancel out the price of VAT altogether. For example, for a three-litre bottle of washing machine detergent, you would pay 29 euros for a well-known brand, but with these special offers, you can pay as little as 10 euros. I recommend that you do your food shop at the weekend if you want to save some money.

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