Guides / Cafés
How much does a latte cost to make?
Beans are the small part. Milk, the cup and the drinks poured out while dialling in are the rest.
Skip the reading. The tool does this maths for you, free, as you type.
Cost a drinkA double shot uses about 18 grams of beans. At $32 a kilo that is under sixty cents. The 220 ml of milk, the paper cup with its lid and sleeve, the syrup and the remakes are what take a latte over a dollar. Knowing the split tells you which lever to pull.
The formula
Beans = price per kg ÷ 1000 × grams. Milk = price per litre ÷ 1000 × ml. Cost per cup = (beans + milk + cup + extras) × (1 + waste). Cost % = cost ÷ menu price.
What a good number looks like
Where most coffee shops aim on drinks. Food runs higher.
Thin. Usually the milk: charge the surcharge on alternatives.
Under-priced for the cup and the milk it takes. Raise the price or shrink the size.
What to do about it
- Charge for oat and almond. They cost nearly double dairy.
- A dine-in ceramic cup is free. Price takeaway a little higher, not lower.
- Track remakes for a week. Waste is usually higher than the 5% everyone assumes.
Now do it with your numbers.
Free, no account, saved on your device. The verdict comes back while you type.
Cost a drink