What a daily coffee adds up to
A specialty coffee drink commonly costs $5 to $7 in US cities. At $5.75, five days a week, that is about $1,500 a year. Brewing at home costs well under a dollar a cup for good beans, even including milk, so the gap is roughly $1,340 a year.
Over 20 years, that difference invested at 7% grows to about $58,000. Whether that is worth giving up the ritual is personal. Many people land in the middle: coffee shop on Fridays or with friends, home brew the rest of the week.
Home brewing options
How much you save by brewing at home depends on how you make it. Good whole beans bought by the pound typically work out to well under a dollar a cup, even with milk, while single-serve pods usually cost more per cup than beans but still far less than a coffee shop. A reusable cup and a basic grinder pay for themselves within weeks for a daily coffee drinker.
You do not need to give up the café entirely to save. Swapping two of five weekly coffee shop visits for home-made coffee saves about $10 a week on a $5.75 drink, which is roughly $536 a year. Our guide to the real cost of a daily coffee works through the numbers in more detail, including what the savings could grow to.
Common questions
How much do I save by making coffee at home?
On a $5.75 drink five days a week, brewing at home for about 60 cents a cup saves roughly $1,340 a year.
How much does the average person spend on coffee?
Estimates vary widely, but a daily coffee shop habit easily reaches $1,000 to $2,000 a year.
How much does a cup of coffee cost at home?
Typically 25 cents to $1, depending on beans, milk and machine.
This calculator gives estimates for planning. Real returns, rates and prices change, so treat the result as a guide rather than a promise. Read how we build and check our calculators.