The Most Expensive Coffee in the World

If you love your coffees, the cost of a cappuccino or latte matters. Prices are currently rising due to the recent poor harvests having made coffee beans rarer commodities. Even instant coffee is becoming more expensive.

Of course, the cost of a drink varies dramatically according to exactly what you buy and where you buy it. Anyone living outside of London might be shocked at the cost of a latte in the capital. Higher operating costs in London mean that everything is sold at a premium including coffee.

But the price of a cappuccino in Leicester Square or Covent Garden is quite reasonable compared to some places I could mention.

Where would you find the highest prices and what is the most expensive coffee in the world?

Coffee and a Quartet

I was certainly shocked the first time I bought a cappuccino at the iconic Caffè Florian in Venice.

Situated in stunning Piazza San Marco, Caffè Florian is an ornate and sophisticated establishment that was founded in 1720. It has been patronised by Casanova, Byron, Dickens and many other leading lights and is the oldest continuously operating coffee house in Italy.

Caffè Florian is notable for its location, architecture, immaculately dressed waiters and wonderful ambiance, not to mention delicious coffees! But what really sets it apart is the music!

During the summer months, those seated outside the café are treated to beautifully music courtesy of a string quartet.

But if you wish to savour the music while supping a cappuccino, there’s a price to pay for that special rendition of Pachelbel’s Cannon in D major, and it is a high one. You can expect to pay up to 17€ for a coffee.

It has to be said that the costly coffees are fabulous but not so fabulous that they could ever justify the price, if it wasn’t for the music which is what you are really paying for.

More expensive than London

Costly though coffees are in central London, there are worse places to imbibe. Perhaps surprisingly, the most expensive cities for coffee lovers are Copenhagen and Zurich. Expect to pay at least £5 for a latte and there are no string quartets included in the deals.

A coffee certainly isn’t a cheap choice in most areas of the world. A recent study found that a cup of coffee is more expensive that a pint of beer in more than half of the world’s capital cities.

Coffee can certainly set you back a few quid in many cities but if you venture into the world of speciality coffees, you might need to acquire a second mortgage or take up gold mining before you treat yourself.

And talking of gold ……………

Coffee in the Golden State

California is known as the Golden State thanks to the proliferation of the sparkly stuff and the legendary gold rush of the 19^th century. It is also home to some eye-wateringly expensive coffee that even the 49ers might have refused to buy.

Klatch Coffee boasts several branches in Southern California where you can sample a variety of brews. Alongside a common or garden Americano your choices include a cuppa made from Elida Natural Geisha 803 beans that costs $75.

Black Ivory Coffee is another speciality drink that you might encounter on your travels. This is made in Thailand from Arabica beans that have been digested and excreted by elephants. The producer claims that the elephant's digestive process naturally refines the coffee, resulting in a unique taste profile with less bitterness and a smoother texture. A cup of Black Ivory Coffee will set you back around $40.

The delights of Kopi Luwak

You might have heard of Kopi Luwak. It’s made from coffee beans that have been eaten and defecated by the Asian palm civet, a small mammal native to Indonesia. The civet's digestive enzymes are said to impart a unique flavour to the beans, which are then roasted and ground in the usual way. A cup of Kopi Luwak can cost from $50 to $100.

That’s an absolute bargain compared to the most expensive coffee in the world.

A Scottish Flat White

Would you be prepared to pay £272 for a flat white? That’s the price of a coffee sold by Mossgiel Farm in Mauchline, Ayrshire. It’s made with milk from the farm and is on offer in 13 cafés across Scotland.

The high price does not reflect the uniqueness of the coffee, or the milk for that matter. It is designed to encourage consumers to think differently about milk consumption.

I should mention that in paying such an impressive price, you will also receive 34 shares in the farm.

Is this a concept that Jeremy Clarkson might wish to explore?

At the time of writing, this Scottish offering is the most expensive coffee on the planet.

Where would you find the cheapest coffee?

So, we have revealed the most expensive coffee in the world, but where are thBarista Shope cheapest coffees to be found? Research suggests that the cheapest place to drink coffee is Antananarivo in Madagascar, where you will pay £0.81 on average.

Watch this space because things could change. There will be further speciality coffees to explore.

Personally, I wouldn’t pay £272 for a coffee whatever the origin of its ingredients unless the deal happened to include multiple shares in Amazon. But the 17€ cappuccino at Florian is worth every cent because it buys you the best seat in an amazing town. Sometimes the value is in the experience and not the drink.