In 1971, three former students from the University of San Francisco set up the first Starbucks at Seattle’s Pike Place Market, selling fresh roasted coffee beans, teas, and spices from around the world. This was a relatively humble beginning for what is now the largest coffeehouse chain in the world. Today, Starbucks boasts 32,000 stores across 80 countries, second only to McDonald’s in the fast-food chain business. Let’s learn more about the price of Starbucks and how it varies from country to country.
This map made by SavingSpot has the answer to which country has the most and least expensive Starbucks coffee, for those connoisseurs who want to get the most bang for their (Star)buck—or for those who want to examine relative cost and purchasing power.
Which Country Has the Most Expensive Starbucks Coffee?
The underlying data for this map uses a combination of sources, including delivery apps, Google Reviews, menu images, and desk research, all cross-checked to come up with the price of a Tall Latte per country (converted to USD).
Per their findings, the most expensive Tall Latte (12 oz) in the world can be found in Switzerland for $7.17. On the other hand, the same drink can be bought for a little over a dollar in Türkiye.
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The U.S. has the 21st-least expensive coffee in the world at $3.26 for a Tall Latte, making it an unusual combination of a high-income country with a low price. Usually, it’s more common to see countries with a “developing” or “low-to-middle income” status have cheaper Starbucks prices than higher-income countries.
The Price of a Tall Latte Relative to Income
However, simply converting local prices to USD doesn’t give the most accurate picture of how expensive Starbucks is in a country. Taking purchasing power into consideration, here’s how the price of a Tall Latte measures as a percentage of a country’s median daily income.
In Cambodia and India, it would take more than 70% of the median daily wage to buy a Starbucks coffee. Other countries with relatively cheaper Tall Lattes in U.S. dollar terms include Indonesia, Morocco, and Bolivia—but these are still not the most affordable for local customers.
For a more broad-based view of Starbucks affordability, SavingSpot has also charted the price of a Tall Latte against each country’s per capita GDP. Countries placing higher than the trendline get relatively bad value at Starbucks, while those below the line can get more lattes with their average local paycheck.
Switzerland, Denmark and Luxembourg all have expensive Tall Lattes, even relative to their high-earning populations.
But countries like Chile, Panama, and Argentina have the worst of both worlds. Not only do they have more expensive lattes than higher GDP per capita countries like Canada, the U.S., and Australia, they do so at a fraction of the income.
What’s the Most Expensive Starbucks Item?
Based on SavingSpot’s findings, the Iced Caramel Macchiato in Switzerland is the most expensive Starbucks menu item in the world, coming in at a whopping $9.31 for a coffee with vanilla-flavored syrup and a caramel drizzle.
Denmark, Luxembourg, and France also have items well above the $7 USD price tag.
Whether those prices justify the quality of Starbucks coffee is a question best left up to the coffee aficionados, but for Starbucks, it’s a strategy that’s certainly helping the company’s earnings.