Just like the Big Mac Index that was created by The Economist almost three decades ago, the prices of specific food and drinks around the world reflect the purchasing-power parity (PPP) and the cost of living of the city or country.
People are increasingly becoming interested and appreciative of a good cuppa, and a fantastic go-to beverage wherever we travel to is always a lovely hot latte.
Of course, there is a very stark and obvious price fluctuation between these major cities and they do in fact, reflect the cost and standard of living in that city itself. In this light-hearted article, we explore the prices of a cup of latte from a cafe or coffee house from 10 major cities in Asia Pacific.
So just How Much is a Cup of Latte in Asia Pacific? Let us find out in this latte index.
SUMMARY OF THE LATTE INDEX
Auckland / Average price: NZD$4 = SGD$3.70
Bangkok / Average price: THB40 = S$1.50
Beijing / Average price: RMB35 = S$7.40
Hong Kong / Average price: HK$30 = S$5.50
Kuala Lumpur / Average price: RM10 = S$3.30
Melbourne / Average price: A$4 = S$4
Seoul / Average price: W4,500 = S$5.50
Singapore / Average price: S$6
Taipei / Average price: NT120 = S$5.30
Tokyo / Average price: ¥320 = S$3.824
*For all the cities mentioned, we took an average price of three major coffee houses and cafes per city to calculate the generic average.
#1 AUCKLAND
With plentiful dedicated roasteries and chic cafes, we sure can tell that they take their coffee seriously in NZ.
Average price: NZD$4 = SGD$3.70
Despite the jarringly lower price tag, we know for a fact that the cafes in Bangkok do not skimp on good coffee. One of our favourite Asian cities for a cuppa!
Average price: THB40 = S$1.50
Over the past few years, China’s capital saw the opening of many exciting third-wave coffee specialty establishments.
Average price: RMB35 = S$7.40
Indie cafes, coffee chains and all, Hong Kong is a great place for coffee lovers to gather to sip latte together.
Average price: HK$30 = S$5.50
The Malaysian cafe scene is slowly but steadily growing, with more unique and beautiful cafes popping up very frequently. Third wave coffee is also starting to popularise.
Average price: RM10 = S$3.30
We don’t even have to explain much, because Melbourne is synonymous with the world’s best coffee.
Average price: A$4 = S$4
#7 SEOUL
Seoul is home to some of the best cafes in the world, and coffee is one of the many reasons to love Seoul’s cafes.
Average price: W4,500 = S$5.50
Singaporeans love specialty coffee, and with more new cafes roasting their own beans and upping their latte art game, a good cuppa ain’t hard to find.
Average price: S$6
#9 TAIPEI
The Taiwanese do love their coffee too, and Taipei has pretty amazing lattes too.
Average price: NT120 = S$5.30
Of quirky coffee houses and the prettiest cafes, the Japanese city has so many specialty coffee places to boast!
Average price: ¥320 = S$3.824
Think you might have converted the Bangkok one incorrectly, 4 baht is about 15 cents!