How to Calculate Coffee Cost per Cup for a Café

To calculate the cost of a cup, include the dry coffee dose, coffee used while dialing in, milk, cups and other consumables. Once you have the direct cost, account for expenses such as labor, rent and energy separately.

Start with the recipe

Measure the grams of coffee and the amount of milk in the drink. “One shot” or “a cup of milk” can mean different things to different teams. Write down the exact amounts so the calculation is consistent.

The following figures are illustrative. They show the calculation and assume all values are compared on the same tax basis.

Example cost per serving
Item	Example assumption	Cost per serving
Coffee	TRY 1,000 per kg, 10% waste, 18 g dose	TRY 20.00
Milk	TRY 80 per liter, 180 ml per drink	TRY 14.40
Cup and lid	One set	TRY 5.00
Total direct cost	These three items	TRY 39.40

How did we account for waste?

If 10% of a kilogram is lost while dialing in, through spills or through other waste, 900 g remain for service. At 18 g per drink, that makes 50 drinks. Divide TRY 1,000 by 50 and the coffee costs TRY 20 per serving. Measure the actual waste in your own business.

Which expenses still need to be included?

Add any syrup, extra consumables, water, cleaning, labor, rent, energy, delivery platform fees and payment fees that apply. Subtracting the direct cost from the selling price leaves these other expenses to account for before calculating net profit. Update the calculation when drink size or service format changes.

How should you compare suppliers?

Compare the actual dose, dialing-in waste and acceptable cup quality alongside the price per kilogram. A lower price per kilogram may still yield a higher serving cost. Test samples on your own equipment to see what the real recipe requires.

When asking Ahanda for a quote, share your daily sales, recipe and service format. This gives you a consistent basis for comparing offers. The figures in the table are examples rather than current market prices or an Ahanda quote.