Over 10 francs A cup of coffee costs even more here than in Zurich

8.35 francs for a cappuccino in Austria? A café in Budapest charges even more. Where coffee is becoming a luxury in Europe - and where the price remains low.

DPA

01.03.2026, 15:19

02.03.2026, 10:53

dpa

Around 8.35 francs for a cup of cappuccino - this price at a service station in Austria recently caused quite a stir. But elsewhere in Europe, double-digit amounts in francs are occasionally charged for coffee. How affordable is the drink in European countries? An overview

Vienna: Rising prices, falling per capita sales

The top price in Austria is well above the usual level in the Alpine country. In Vienna, where coffee houses are a cultural asset, cappuccinos and the more traditional Viennese Melange cost between CHF 4.80 and just under CHF 5.75 in many places.

Those who prefer Melange with cream instead of milk foam pay more than CHF 6.70 in some high-end coffee houses. Industry representative Wolfgang Binder explains the high price level by saying that catering wages in particular have risen sharply in recent years. Guests are reacting: Binder reports a drop in per capita sales.

Copenhagen: CHF 10.10 for luxury filter coffee

In Denmark, Copenhagen consistently occupies top positions within the EU in coffee price rankings. On average, a cappuccino in the capital costs around CHF 5.75, in exclusive locations or in very touristy places it can be as much as CHF 7.70. In the famous Copenhagen pastry shop La Glace, however, you can only get filter coffee - at a hefty price of around 10.10 francs.

The high prices are not surprising: food is generally expensive in Denmark and is subject to 25 percent VAT. And the Danes earn very well: the average adjusted monthly salary is just under 5760 francs.

Also in Switzerland: high wages, high prices

A good CHF 6.70 for a cappuccino in Switzerland - this is not uncommon in Zurich and Geneva.

Swiss wages are also quite high compared to Germany. At discount retailers, the minimum wage for unskilled workers is the equivalent of a good CHF 4,800 gross per month. However, the costs for rent and healthcare are also high.

Paris: local rents as a price factor

In France's capital Paris, you can get close to the top Austrian price in tourist hotspots if you're after a cappuccino. Prices range from 1.90 francs for a simple coffee at the counter to over 4.80 francs for a cappuccino in the city center.

Local rents play a role in the prices. A traditional café on the edge of the city center was recently evicted because it could no longer afford the annual rent of 201,600 francs.

Italy: Surcharge for sit-down coffee

In the home country of the cappuccino, prices vary widely. In Rome, you can get a cup for as little as 1.15 francs - but in tourist locations, you can also pay many times more. Cappuccinos are cheaper in the south of Italy than in the north.

It also depends on whether you drink your coffee standing up or sitting down: If you want to stay longer, you pay a surcharge. "Coffee to go" has never caught on. The idea of drinking your coffee on the go from a paper cup is met with disapproval in many places.

Wide price range in Spain too

In Madrid, people rarely order a cappuccino. Instead, the "cortado", an espresso with a shot of milk, is the usual choice. In the Balearic Islands, it is known as "tallat". Coffee is often stronger in Spain than in Germany - and can sometimes be bought for around 0.95 francs.

On average, a "cortado" in the capital costs between 1.45 and 2.40 francs. Cappuccino is somewhat more expensive. In luxury hotels or designer cafés, a "normal" coffee can sometimes cost double-digit francs.

Greece and Turkey: Mocha as a cheap alternative

A cappuccino in the center of Athens, for example with a view of the Acropolis, costs between 4.30 and 5.75 francs. Prices can be even higher in luxury hotels. The Greek mocha is significantly cheaper and usually costs just 1.90 to 2.90 francs. Outside of tourist hotspots, the price of a cappuccino usually falls below 2.40 francs.

In the center of Istanbul, the price for a cappuccino is around 4.30 francs. A Turkish mocha costs around 2.90 francs. The monthly minimum wage is the equivalent of around 540 francs.

Cappuccino in London at 5 francs

The British are known to like tea with milk, but during the morning rush hour, many people also crowd the London subway with a coffee to go. In popular coffee house chains such as Pret A Manger, Londoners pay the equivalent of around 5 francs for this.

The Numbeo database has calculated an average price of around 4.30 francs for a cappuccino in a restaurant. In districts such as Kensington or Mayfair, it can be significantly more expensive.

Tourist surcharge in Budapest and Prague: 11 francs in a posh café

In the Hungarian capital Budapest, a cappuccino in the "New York" café on the ring road, which is besieged by tourists, costs the equivalent of around 11 francs, and 7 francs in the fashionable "Gerbeaud". In the average café around the corner, which the locals can afford, the benchmark is 3.20 francs. Just four years ago, it was 2 francs. During this period, the price of a cappuccino has risen twice as much as the average net wage.

The days when you could only order a "turek", a mocha, in the Czech Republic are over. Cappuccino prices in Prague vary greatly depending on whether you are in a tourist area or a "normal" district. You can expect to pay around 2.25 to 3.70 francs.

Warsaw and Moscow: Expensive pleasure for locals

In Poland, a cappuccino in the capital Warsaw costs the equivalent of between 3.80 and 4.80 francs in popular café chains. In tourist spots such as the old town, it can also cost 6.50 francs. That's a lot compared to the average net salary of 1,450 francs. There is a debate about coffee prices, which have risen sharply as elsewhere. However, Poles have become accustomed to the high prices in restaurants.

In Moscow, you can get a cappuccino in the Russian chain Azbuka Vkusa for the equivalent of around 3.80 francs - even near Red Square. The Coffeemania chain, which is popular with wealthy young people, charges a good 6 francs for a small cup. For many Russians, this is not a cheap pleasure. Anyone working full-time at the checkout in a supermarket, for example, only earns the equivalent of between 550 and 930 francs. The average salary in Moscow is around 1,900 francs.

South-North divide in Germany

In Germany, the average price of a cappuccino in 2025 was 3.14 francs, according to YouGov. In 2021, it was still 2.24 francs. At 3.20 francs, the drink cost slightly more in Bavaria and Baden-Württemberg than in the northern federal states at 3.08 francs. The Numbeo database calculated an average price of 3.57 francs for a medium cappuccino in a restaurant in Germany. There is currently a lot of movement on the coffee market. Several new chains have opened branches in major German cities.