Free tool

Coffee Drink Cost Calculator

Real cost per drink — beans, milk, cup, syrups. See your margin at retail and what to charge for the margin you want.

Calculate drink cost

Bean cost

Milk

Packaging

Pricing

Cost per drink

Your margin

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

What's a healthy COGS (cost of goods sold) % for a coffee drink?
Specialty cafés typically target 18–25% COGS on espresso-based drinks. Pour-overs and specialty brew bar items run higher (often 25–30%) because of green coffee cost. Drip and batch brew can be under 15%. Anything consistently above 30% on a high-volume drink is a pricing or sourcing problem worth fixing.
Should I include labor in drink cost?
For COGS purposes, no — labor is its own line. For pricing decisions, allocate the labor minute it takes to make the drink (typically $0.30–$0.60) so you understand fully loaded cost. Some operators call this 'prime cost' and target 55–65% of revenue (COGS + labor combined).
How much should I markup espresso drinks?
3–5× ingredient cost is typical for specialty espresso drinks. A drink with $1.00 in ingredients usually retails at $4–$5. Premium markets ($5.50+ lattes) are 5–7× markup. Below 3× and you'll struggle to cover labor and overhead.
What's the biggest pricing mistake cafés make?
Anchoring to a competitor instead of to cost. If your COGS is $1.40 (premium beans, alt-milk, good cups) and you price like the café down the street that sources cheaper, you're working harder for less margin. Price from your numbers up, not from their menu down.

Ready to run a tighter ship?

Join 30+ cafes and restaurants already saving time, reducing waste, and delivering consistent quality with Brewspace.

Free 14-day trial
No credit card required
Cancel anytime