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The Daily Drain
Coffee Habit
Calculator
Your coffee is costing you right now. Watch it drain in real time. Then see what it becomes invested.
// spent on coffee so far today
$0.00
based on your daily average
updating every second...
// this year's coffees, piling up 0 cups
watch the pile grow as you adjust your habit above
// your habit
Cost per coffee$5
Coffees per day2
Days per week5
If invested, return (% /yr)7%
—
Per day
—
Per week
—
Per year
—
Cups this year
// if invested instead over 30 years
—
at 7% compound annual growth
10 years: —
// cumulative cost vs compound growth over 30 years
// related
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The real cost of your coffee habit

A daily coffee seems insignificant — $5 here, $6 there. But small daily purchases are deceptive because we evaluate them as single transactions, not as what they actually are: a recurring annual expense. That $5 daily coffee is $1,825 per year. Over a decade, invested at a 7% annual return, it compounds to over $25,000.

This calculator does not tell you to stop buying coffee. It shows you the real cost so you can make an informed choice. For some people, the daily coffee is absolutely worth it — it is a ritual, a treat, a reason to leave the house. For others, seeing the 10-year number is the wake-up call that shifts the habit.

The live ticker at the bottom shows your coffee spend accumulating in real time, down to the cent. It is a visceral way to feel what the numbers mean.

Frequently asked questions
Is the latte factor real?
Yes and no. The math is real: small daily expenses compound into large sums over years. But critics point out that cutting a $5 coffee saves far less than negotiating a higher salary, switching to a cheaper mortgage, or eliminating a car payment. Both matter — the latte factor is real, but it is not the biggest lever.
How much does a daily coffee cost per year?
At $5 per day, a daily coffee costs $1,825 per year. At $6 per day (a typical latte in Australian cities), it is $2,190 per year. Over 10 years with investment returns, these amounts compound to $25,000–$30,000.