> or even $5?

$10 is obviously nuts, but I find this one surprising as I've seen it come up a couple times. I'm on Vancouver island in BC and I'd be hard pressed to find a non-drip coffee that's not from a fast food place and isn't almost $5 after taxes.

It is a common marketing tactic.

A coffee is cheap, most of the times it is less than a dollar, sometimes as low as 10 cents if you brew it yourself from cheap ground beans.

But you probably paid $5-$10 for a coffee on a few occasions too. Though TBH, you may have done it just to rent a seat at Starbucks.

So 1-2 coffees is probably something you correctly value at about $1. By associating it with coffee, they make you think their $10/month service costs you just $1, using the super expensive case as an excuse.

Using US prices, a black basic coffee is probably $2-3 at a coffee shop.

Any kind of specialty drinks, which most people I would believe get at Starbucks, Dunkin Donuts, the local coffee shop, end up being $5-8, not even in a major city or metropolitan area.

As a student I paid £5 p/m, and I've definitely had a coffee that cost me £5.

As a not student, I pay £10 p/m. As I've had coffees that cost me £5 in the past, that is two coffees.

In NYC, I would say the average at an upscale place is about $3 for a cup of coffee, more like $5 for a cappuccino or similar espresso drink. With tip, I often end up spending $4-$5 for an espresso, though it pains me to admit that.

Vancouver, BC, man. My morning coffee/latte order comes out to $4-6 (CAD, so... 3-5ish USD) depending on where I get it from.

When I lived in Seattle... the numbers on the signs were still the same. $4-6 for morning coffees.

Toronto Starbucks: $4.95 for a grande cafe macchiato, which becomes $5.60 w/ tax. Even the cheapest black coffee is $3 I believe.

$5 or more coffees are common in San Francisco.

Boston Stoker Large Grogg Latte

When I visited San Francisco I saw some cafe lattes and similar to be over $10, and that was the smallest size. That place is seriously expensive.

On the other hand it’s nice to visit a place where restaurant food costs more than in Finland.

EDIT: A Finnish comparison might be ”It’s just a pint or two per month”. So not that expensive.

I typically buy at least 1 coffee a day for $7 at starbucks. Without this, I cannot function. I still cannot justify paying for any media. Certainly not $10+/month for Spotify or Netflix. Sorry. I don't care this seems inconsistent, its consistent to my own beliefs.