This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure for more info.
Are you really saving cash by making coffee at home? Sure, cheap beans cost less than a Starbucks latte. But, we’re curious – can we enjoy top-notch coffee at home without spending as much as we do at our favorite local cafe?
I explored various coffee choices to figure out the true cost of my cup of joe. Along the way, I created a simple calculator for you. Now, you can easily calculate your coffee expenses and see how much you’re saving by skipping your daily Starbucks run.
How Much Is a Cup of Coffee?
Brewing coffee at home? It’s mostly about the cost of the coffee grounds. Yes, there’s a bit for water and electricity, but those costs are tiny in comparison. Enjoy your home brew!
Coming up, I’ve got a handy calculator to help you figure out the cost of your home-brewed coffee. But first, let’s dive into some quick estimates to get started.
A pound of Arabica coffee beans, which you can get for around $12, goes a long way. Using a 1:15 coffee-to-water ratio, perfect for a bold drip brew, you’ll get about 28 cups from it. Ideal for coffee lovers on a budget!
So one cup costs about $12 / 28 = $0.43.
If you drink 2 cups of coffee daily, you’re spending roughly 86 cents a day, adding up to $314 a year on your coffee habit!
Choosing ethically sourced or single-origin coffee often means paying around $25 per pound. This translates to about $0.89 per cup or $652 annually for someone who drinks two cups daily. Spending those extra cents helps ensure coffee farmers make a living wage.
If you’re craving something special, consider splurging on premium Kona coffee beans. Expect to pay about $100 for a pound of this luxurious brew.
Let’s break it down: if you love Kona coffee, it comes down to $3.57 for each cup. For someone who drinks 2 cups a day, that’s a whopping $2,606 a year! But let’s be real, as much as we adore it, drinking Kona all year might be a bit much for most of us.
Discover another coffee choice: Cafe Bustelo, a beloved Cuban-style brand, priced at about $6.50 a pound.
Brewing Cafe Bustelo at home costs just $0.23 a cup. Enjoy two cups daily, and spend only $168 for a whole year’s supply of delicious coffee.
Discover how much your next cup of coffee might cost you.
- For low-to-mid-range coffee: $0.20–0.40 per cup ($145–190 per year for 2 cups a day)
- For ethically sourced or single-origin coffee: $0.80–1.00 per cup ($580–730 per year for 2 cups a day)
- For very high-end varieties like Kona: $3.50–4.00 per cup ($2,500–2,900 per year for 2 cups a day)
Coffee Cost Comparison
Let’s compare home brews to the coffee you grab from local cafes or big names like Starbucks and Dunkin. It’s a great starting point for our coffee journey!
Luckily, I didn’t have to ask many people about their coffee spending. The Square’s 2019 coffee report has all the answers we need.
Did you know the average price for a regular cup of coffee is $3.13? If we’re talking about 16-ounce cups, this means an 8-ounce cup costs around $1.57. Pretty interesting, right?
At home, brewing coffee beans costs four times less!
How Much Does Coffee Cost at Starbucks?
- Tall (12 ounces) — $1.85 ($1.23 per 8-oz cup)
- Grande (16 ounces) — $2.10 ($1.05 per 8-oz cup)
- Venti (20 ounces) — $2.45 ($0.98 per 8-oz cup)
Buying a grande coffee daily? That’s 2.5 times pricier than brewing with $12-per-pound beans at home. Plus, your homemade coffee will likely taste way better than Starbucks!
If these prices seem cheap, keep in mind we’re only discussing plain coffee, not fancier drinks like lattes or cappuccinos. Plus, these are average prices across the country. In big cities, where it costs more to run a cafe, expect to pay a bit more.
How Much Does Coffee Cost at Dunkin?
Not a fan of Starbucks? You’re not alone. I often swing by Dunkin for my coffee fix when I’m out and about. Let’s dive into their usual prices and see what’s brewing.
- Small (10 ounces) — $1.81 ($1.45 per 8-oz cup)
- Medium (14 ounces) — $2.15 ($1.23 per 8-oz cup)
- Large (20 ounces) — $2.38 ($0.95 per 8-oz cup)
- Extra large (24 ounces) — $2.61 ($0.87 per 8-oz cup)
Surprisingly, Dunkin and Starbucks coffee cost about the same per ounce! But, if you’re buying a small size, Dunkin’s a bit pricier. Go big, however, and you’ll find Dunkin’s options are slightly cheaper.
Coffee Cost Calculator
What Is the Cost of Pod Coffee?
Pod coffee makers like Keurig and Nespresso are all the rage now. They use pods or capsules instead of beans, making each cup’s cost different from the usual drip coffee maker.
When you use standard pods, these are the costs to expect. But, if you switch to a reusable pod, your cost per cup drops to match that of a traditional drip coffee maker.
K-cup cost
K-cup prices start at just 30-40 cents each. But, if you’re after the top-notch or super strong ones, be ready to pay up to $1.50 for each pod.
Making coffee with pods is super simple – one pod equals one cup. If you’re on a budget, expect to spend around $0.30–$0.40 for each cup. That’s about $220–$290 yearly for someone who drinks two cups daily.
If you love fancy coffee pods, they might cost you up to $1.50 a cup, which adds up to about $1100 a year. That’s if you stick to just those. But hey, it’s still less expensive than daily Starbucks runs!
Nespresso pods cost
Discover the world of Nespresso pods with two unique types: OriginalLine and VertuoLine. If you own a VertuoLine machine, you’ll use special pods that have a unique barcode, meaning only Nespresso’s own brand fits. But, if you’re an OriginalLine user, you’re in luck! You can explore a vast array of third-party pods, which often come at a more affordable price.
Nespresso pods cost the same across both lines, so let’s explore them together.
Nespresso capsules for Original and Vertuo machines range from $0.70 to $1.10 per cup. That’s about $500 to $800 yearly if you enjoy 2 cups daily.
Opting for third-party OriginalLine pods lets you enjoy your coffee at just $0.30 a cup, or $220 yearly for two cups daily. Interestingly, this is on par with the more affordable Keurig pod options.
Less Money, Better Coffee, Happy You
Brewing coffee at home can save you a lot of money. Imagine saving up enough in one year to get a great espresso machine! Or, you could use that money on something else, but why would you want to?
Believe it or not, high-quality, ethically sourced, or single-origin coffee beans can cost less than your Starbucks routine. Plus, when we visit Starbucks, we rarely settle for just plain black coffee, right?
Did you know the money spent on a single latte could let you explore coffees from across the globe? Imagine the adventures you’re missing out on. Ready to broaden your coffee horizons?
