Price for cup of coffee falling, but only in big cities

Nationwide in the Netherlands, the price for a cup of coffee increased by 3 percent compared to 2022. However, in the large cities, coffee prices dropped by around 6 percent, according to the annual coffee survey by the catering trade magazine Misset Horeca.

On average, buying coffee in one of the big cities is still more expensive than elsewhere. But it is remarkable that prices fell there while they continued to climb elsewhere in the country. “The exact cause of this is unknown,” Misset Horeca said. “It may be due to the group of respondents, but it may also be that guests no longer accept the high prices in the big cities, and entrepreneurs were forced to lower them.” A coffee currently costs 3.65 euros in Amsterdam, on average.

Every year, Misset Horeca surveys over 1,200 catering entrepreneurs nationwide on their prices for a cappuccino and espresso. Over 80 percent said that they increased the prices on the coffee menu this year, on average, by 0.18 cents per cup. There are regional differences. The cheapest cappuccino on the list costs 2.55 euros, and the most expensive is 3.75 euros.

Misset Horeca also noted that, after years of explosive growth, fewer coffee shops offer plant-based dairy variants. The share of shops offering oat- or nut milk with their cappuccinos and lattes, for example, grew from 57 percent in 2020 to 75 percent last year before dropping to 67 percent this year.

Of the companies that offer plant-based dairy alternatives, over a third said they sell a few such coffees daily. Nearly a quarter, 23 percent, indicated that one in ten of their milk drinks is plant-based. And 7 percent said that a quarter of their cappuccinos are plant-based.