How to price coffee drinks: from cost per shot to the size ladder
Updated October 20, 2026
To price a coffee drink, add up what goes in the cup (coffee by the gram, milk by the ounce, syrup by the pump) plus the cup, lid and sleeve, then divide by your target beverage cost percentage. A 16 oz latte that costs $0.97 in coffee, milk and cup, at a 20% target, needs $4.85, so $4.95 on the menu. Then check the price still covers the barista's time and the card fee, which on a $5 drink is about 9%.
In short
- Price = (coffee + milk + extras + cup) ÷ target beverage cost %. $0.97 ÷ 0.20 = $4.85.
- Cost per gram first. At the BLS September 2026 average of $9.33 a pound for ground coffee, a gram is about 2.06¢ and an 18 g double shot is $0.37.
- Milk is the bigger cost in a latte. Whole milk at $4.11 a gallon is 3.2¢ an ounce; 11 oz in a 16 oz latte is $0.35.
- Labor matters on every drink. At the BLS median barista wage of $15.00 an hour, 90 seconds is $0.38.
- Small tickets, big card fee. Stripe's 2.9% + 30¢ is $0.44 on a $4.95 latte, about 9%.
The formula
Drink price = (coffee + milk + syrup and extras + cup, lid, sleeve) ÷ target beverage cost %
- Coffee: the grams in the drink × your price per gram.
- Milk: the ounces you pour (before steaming) × your price per ounce.
- Extras: syrup pumps, whipped cream, cold foam, a second shot.
- Cup, lid, sleeve, straw: often more than the coffee itself.
- Target beverage cost %: the share of the price you spend on what goes in and around the cup. Coffee drinks usually run a lower percentage than food, because labor, rent and the card fee take a bigger share of a small ticket. There's no official number; pick yours and check it covers everything.
This is the same cost-percentage method as our menu pricing guide, applied to a cup.
Step 1: cost per gram, per shot and per ounce
Prices marked BLS are US city averages for September 2026. They're retail prices; a café buying wholesale beans and milk will pay less, so use your own invoices.
| Input | Price | Unit cost |
|---|---|---|
| Coffee, 100% ground roast (BLS) | $9.332 per lb | 453.6 g per lb → 2.06¢ per gram |
| Double espresso shot | 18 g of coffee | $0.37 |
| Triple shot | 27 g | $0.56 |
| Drip, 16 oz cup, brewed at 60 g per liter (your recipe) | 473 ml → 28.4 g | $0.58 |
| Whole milk (BLS) | $4.106 per gallon | 128 fl oz → 3.2¢ per oz |
| Oat milk (assumption: $4.49 per 64 oz carton) | 7.0¢ per oz | |
| Syrup (assumption: $10 per 750 ml bottle, ¼ oz pumps) | about 100 pumps | $0.10 per pump |
Step 2: the latte size ladder
Milk amounts are what you pour into the pitcher for each size; adjust to your own recipe. Cup costs are assumptions; use your supplier's price.
| Size | Coffee | Milk | Cup, lid, sleeve | Cost | Price at ~20% | Menu price | Beverage cost % |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 oz | Double, $0.37 | 8 oz, $0.26 | $0.20 | $0.83 | $4.15 | $4.25 | 19.5% |
| 16 oz | Double, $0.37 | 11 oz, $0.35 | $0.25 | $0.97 | $4.85 | $4.95 | 19.6% |
| 20 oz | Triple, $0.56 | 14 oz, $0.45 | $0.28 | $1.29 | $6.45 | $5.65 | 22.8% |
Notice the 20 oz. At a strict 20% it would be $6.45, a jump customers won't accept from $4.95. Most shops let the largest size run a higher cost percentage to keep the ladder smooth: here 70 cents a step. That's a choice, as long as the dollars left over (price minus cost) still rise with each size: $3.42, $3.98, $4.36.
Step 3: drip, cold brew and the rest
| Drink | What's in it | Cost | Menu price | Beverage cost % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drip coffee, 16 oz | 28.4 g coffee + cup and lid $0.25 | $0.83 | $3.25 | 25.5% |
| Americano, 16 oz | Double shot + cup and lid $0.25 | $0.62 | $3.75 | 16.5% |
| Cold brew, 16 oz | Coffee at your concentrate recipe + cup, lid, straw | Cost from your batch | ||
| Cappuccino, 12 oz | Double shot + 6 oz milk $0.19 + cup $0.20 | $0.76 | $4.25 | 17.9% |
For cold brew, cost the whole batch (coffee in, concentrate out, and the ratio you dilute at), then divide by the number of cups it gives. The recipe cost calculator does batch-to-portion costing.
Step 4: price the upcharges
| Add-on | Your cost | Common charge | Covers it? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Oat milk instead of whole, 16 oz | 11 oz × (7.0¢ − 3.2¢) = $0.42 extra | +$0.75 | Yes, with $0.33 left |
| Extra shot | 9 g = $0.19 (or a full double, $0.37) | +$1.00 | Yes |
| Syrup | $0.10 a pump | +$0.60 a pump | Yes |
| Cold foam | Your recipe cost | +$1.00 | Check |
Upcharges are where coffee margins live. Price each one from its own cost, and make sure the menu shows the charge before the customer orders.
Step 5: check labor and the card fee
The cost-percentage method leaves labor out, so check it separately. BLS put the median wage for baristas at $15.00 an hour in May 2025. If a latte takes 90 seconds of barista time, that's $0.38 a drink before payroll taxes. On the 16 oz latte, $4.95 − $0.97 − $0.38 leaves $3.60 for rent, management, waste and profit.
The card fee is the other quiet cost. On your own ordering page, Stripe's US rate of 2.9% + 30¢ takes $0.44 from a $4.95 latte, about 9%. A delivery app's pickup rate (DoorDash charges 6% on US pickup) is $0.30. On small tickets, the fixed 30¢ matters more than the percentage, so encourage bigger orders: a pastry with the latte, a second drink, a bag of beans. On a $12 order, Stripe is $0.65, or 5.4%. See our DoorDash commission page for delivery rates.
When to reprice
| Price | September 2025 | September 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ground coffee, average price per lb (BLS) | $9.139 | $9.332 | +2.1% |
| Coffee, consumer price index (BLS CPI, all coffee bought in stores) | +7.1% | ||
| Whole milk, per gallon (BLS) | $4.129 | $4.106 | −0.6% |
Coffee prices bought at retail rose 7.1% on BLS's consumer price index in the year to September 2026; the average price of ground roast coffee per pound rose 2.1%. Your roaster's invoice is the number that counts. Recost your top drinks whenever your bean or milk price changes by more than 10%, and at least twice a year. The menu price calculator does the division in US dollars and rounds up.
Sell at the price you set
Menuthere gives a coffee shop its own ordering page with 0% commission: each size gets its own price, milk is a required choice, and oat milk, shots and syrups add their price on the ticket. Customers order ahead with a pickup time and pay into your own Stripe account (Lite, $17 a month). See online ordering for coffee shops and loyalty programs for cafes.
Order-ahead coffee at your price, 0% commission.
How to price your coffee menu, step by step
- Get your unit costs. Price per gram of coffee, per ounce of each milk, per pump of syrup, per cup and lid.
- Write each recipe. Grams of coffee and ounces of milk for every size.
- Cost each drink. Add coffee, milk, extras and the cup.
- Pick a target. Choose your beverage cost percentage and divide each cost by it.
- Smooth the ladder. Set even steps between sizes and check the dollars left rise with each size.
- Price the upcharges. Oat milk, shots and syrups from their own costs.
- Check labor and fees. Make sure the price covers barista time and the card fee on a small ticket.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate the price of a coffee drink?
Add the cost of the coffee, milk, extras and cup, then divide by your target beverage cost percentage. A 16 oz latte costing $0.97, at 20%, needs $4.85, so $4.95.
How much does a latte cost to make?
In our example, about $0.97 for a 16 oz latte: $0.37 of coffee, $0.35 of whole milk and $0.25 for the cup, lid and sleeve, using September 2026 US average retail prices. Your wholesale costs will differ.
How many shots are in a pound of coffee?
A pound is 453.6 grams. At 18 grams per double shot, that's about 25 double shots. At $9.33 a pound, each double shot costs about $0.37.
How much should I charge for oat milk?
Price it from the cost difference. In our example, oat milk costs about $0.42 more than whole milk in a 16 oz drink, so a $0.75 upcharge covers it with some margin.
What beverage cost percentage should a coffee shop aim for?
There's no official number. Coffee drinks usually run lower than food because labor, rent and card fees take a bigger share of a small ticket. In our example, the latte ladder runs about 20% to 23%.
How much does labor add to a cup of coffee?
BLS put the median barista wage at $15.00 an hour in May 2025. At 90 seconds a drink, that's about $0.38 before payroll taxes.
Should coffee cost more on delivery apps?
Usually yes. At a 25% delivery commission, a $4.95 latte loses $1.24. Raise the app price by percentage, using the price plus packaging divided by one minus the commission.
Sources (4)
- BLS Average Price Data, U.S. city average, via the BLS Public Data API (https://api.bls.gov/publicAPI/v1/timeseries/data/): Coffee, 100%, ground roast, all sizes, per lb (APU0000717311) $9.332 (Sep 2026), $9.139 (Sep 2025); Milk, fresh, whole, fortified, per gal (APU0000709112) $4.106 (Sep 2026), $4.129 (Sep 2025) (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- BLS CPI-U, Coffee, U.S. city average, NSA (CUUR0000SEFP01): 299.101 (Sep 2026) vs 279.280 (Sep 2025) = +7.1%, via the BLS Public Data API (accessed 20 Oct 2026; title "Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers: Coffee in U.S. City Average" on FRED)
- BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025, national: Baristas (35-3023) median hourly wage $15.00 (series OEUN000000000000035302308), via the BLS Public Data API (accessed 20 Oct 2026)
- Stripe US standard pricing, 2.9% + 30¢ (stripe.com geo-redirects to India from this machine; Stripe support/pricing pages; same as Wave 1), accessed 20 Oct 2026