How Expensive Is Starbucks in the Philippines Vs. Other Countries?

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If there’s one thing Starbucks is known for, it’s consistency. Order a tall latte in a branch in Tokyo and it’s essentially the same one you’ll get when you order it in Milan, New Delhi, or Manila. 

But one thing Starbucks isn’t consistent in is its pricing. The global fast-food chain behemoth (yes it’s considered fast-food) has over 32,000 branches worldwide (as of March 2022), making it second only to McDonald’s. And just like the Golden Arches, Starbucks cost differently depending on where in the world you are.

A study by SavingSpot published in CashnetUSA looked at just how much a tall latte is in Starbucks stores all over the globe, and the findings give us a fascinating look at just how reasonably priced (or insanely expensive, depending on where you are in the socio-economic scale) the popular brew really is.

Photo by SavingSpot.

For starters, Switzerland apparently has the world’s most expensive Starbucks, with a tall latte there priced at $7.17 (about P374.28). Additionally, that country also serves the world’s most expensive Starbucks item: its Iced Caramel Macchiato is a whopping $9.31 (P485.94). that’s more expensive than a one-kilogram pack of Magnolia-brand whole chicken. 

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At the other end of the spectrum, Turkey apparently has the cheapest Starbucks in the world, with a tall latte there costing only about $1.31 (about P68.41).

And the Philippines? A tall latte here costs P170 or $3.26, which is good enough to place us 19th in the list of the cheapest Starbucks in the world, tied with the United States. We’re not that far off from countries like Malaysia ($3.04, the cheapest in Asia), Indonesia ($3.08), Cambodia ($3.25), Guatemala ($3.23), Romania ($3.29), and Vietnam ($3.42).

Photo by SavingSpot.

Most expensive Starbucks items in the world

Apart from the nearly P500 Iced Caramel Macchiato in Switzerland, Starbucks serves some pretty pricey items in other parts of the world. In Denmark, for instance, a Chocolate Cream Frappuccino costs $7.77 (P405.71); a regular Frappuccino is $7.32 (P382.18) in Luxembourg, and a Hot Double Shot White Mocha is $7.15 (P373.38) in Dubai, U.A.E.

Now when you’re talking about affordability—or the cost of a Starbucks drink relative to how much the average income is in that particular country—you get a different set of results. As an example, the CashnetUSA report illustrates that, while Egypt may have one of the world’s cheapest lattes ($2.23 or about P116.43), it also has one of the lowest GDPs. Similarly, Denmark and Switzerland may have some pretty pricey tall lattes, that’s because people there generally earn more. Unfortunately, while Argentina’s GDP is already pretty low, a tall latte there costs more than in the U.S., Germany or Qatar.

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Photo by SavingSpot.

Does that make you feel better about getting your daily Starbucks fix?

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Paul John Caña
Associate Editor, Esquire Philippines
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