If you suspect the price of your coffee has gone up lately, you’re probably right. A 2023 investigation from the Washington Post found that people now spend around $6 on average for a cup of joe at their local coffee shop.
The cost of producing milk and coffee beans has gone up over the last few years. Blame it on changing weather patterns, increased energy costs, and, of course, inflation and a labor shortage. All these factors converge, and retailers pass cost increases onto their customers.
The question then becomes: just how much are customers willing to pay for a cup of coffee? According to a 2021 CBS News poll, 39% of java lovers will pay between two and five dollars for a cup, while only 16% will pay more than five bucks. There wasn’t even a poll option for a $7-plus drink back then, but that’s the reality we’re now seeing. A 2023 Vox article estimated the base price for a regular latte could run you around $6, and that’s without any special syrups, non-dairy milks, or fancy foams on top. After those add-ons, your latte can quickly reach upwards of $8 after a tip. At that point, your trusty five-dollar bill isn’t going to cut it anymore.
Even baristas admit that coffee prices are approaching the threshold of what customers are willing to pay. “I’ve been a partner for a long time so I’ve seen the price gradually increase,” one self-described Starbucks employee recently wrote on Reddit. “I feel like $5 people can throw away [easily] without much thought, but now when your coffee is $7+ you’ll start to notice.”
Riddled with price increases, these five coffee chains are pushing the limit of what customers are willing to pay for a cup of joe—fancy or otherwise.
Starbucks
![](https://www.eatthis.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2024/03/Starbucks-store-exterior.jpg?quality=82&strip=all&w=640)
Back in 2022, Dunkin’ customers started to notice that their relatively cheap coffees were costing them more. For example, one customer on Reddit shared that a medium iced coffee with one flavor that was $2.88 was suddenly ringing up to $3.45. Nowadays, that second price sounds downright cheap.
Four months ago, one Redditor mentioned they paid $6.05 for a large iced coffee at their local Dunkin’ along a state highway. Dunkin’ fans replied that was too high: “It’s unsustainable when McDonald’s is next door and has… a $1.29 coffee.”
Other customers have reported similar price increases—which vary based on location and franchise, of course—sometimes in the span of a few days. “Last week, large cold brew (no foam or extras) = $3.99. Logged in to the app today to order, price is now $5.19!!! Ummm, no,” one Redditor wrote. “DD stepped over the edge of the supply/demand/cost cliff. And yes, same store, even checked another local store, same ridiculous increase.”
In fact, some Dunkin’ fans are likening the prices to Starbucks. “Is anyone else’s local Dunkin’ more expensive than Starbucks now?” one Redditor asked last year. “I [pulled] up the app on my phone—and literally had to do a double-take when I saw the prices, because they seemed to be higher than Starbucks. So I then go into the Starbucks app to check, and sure enough, Dunkin’s prices were higher,” they wrote, noting that a 24-ounce Iced Macchiato at Dunkin’ was $6.35, while the exact same drink at Starbucks was $5.95. “I thought I was going insane when I saw those prices, because Dunkin used to ALWAYS be the cheaper option,” they wrote.
In January, a reporter from Eat This, Not That! found the prices at Starbucks and Dunkin’ in one New Jersey location were pretty similar: “A grande iced Americano at Starbucks is priced at $4.45, while the same drink costs $4.39 at Dunkin’… a medium cold brew at Dunkin’ is $4.59, while a grande cold brew at Starbucks is $4.45.”
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