The Froth Price Index
How much is a chai latte?
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The Froth Price Index
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The Froth Price Index
A regular chai latte (not a dirty chai).
The typical price is the middle price: half the cafes charge less, half charge more.
The thin line or pale band runs from the 10th to the 90th cafe in every 100, so it covers the middle 80% of cafes.
From 1,342 menus in 8 cities, November 2026.
The typical price is the middle price: half the cafes charge less, half charge more.
The thin line or pale band runs from the 10th to the 90th cafe in every 100, so it covers the middle 80% of cafes.
Dearest in Adelaide at $5.60, cheapest in Brisbane and Gold Coast at $5.20: a 40c gap.
What most cafes charge
Each column is how many cafes charge a price in that step, from 1,342 menus in 8 cities, November 2026. Each cafe counts once, at its main price.
The darker columns hold the middle 80% of cafes, from the 10th to the 90th cafe in every 100. The solid column holds the typical price: half the cafes charge less, half charge more.
The first and last columns also hold the few cafes cheaper or dearer than the picture runs.
1 in 7 charge $6.50 or more.
$5.00 is the most common price: 1 in 5 cafes charge exactly that.
A chai latte the way most Australian cafes make it.
Illustrative: a typical build, not one cafe's recipe.
What cafes typically add to a chai latte at $5.50.
Area by area
An area's figure is the typical price among its cafes, with the city's own set-asides. An area needs at least 5 cafes with a price.
Each bar is against its city's typical price, the dashed mark.
In Sydney, from $5.00 in Inner West to $5.50 in Upper North Shore and Hornsby.
Typical prices in Australia, against a chai latte at $5.50.
A chai latte typically costs $5.50 in Melbourne, from 367 menus we read in November 2026. Most Melbourne cafes charge $4.50 to $7.00. That is the same as the typical price across Australia.
A chai latte typically costs $5.40 in Sydney, from 347 menus we read in November 2026. Most Sydney cafes charge $4.50 to $6.00. That is $0.10 less than the typical price across Australia.
A chai latte typically costs $5.20 in Brisbane, from 203 menus we read in November 2026. Most Brisbane cafes charge $4.80 to $6.00. That is $0.30 less than the typical price across Australia.
A chai latte typically costs $5.50 in Perth, from 175 menus we read in November 2026. Most Perth cafes charge $4.74 to $6.75. That is the same as the typical price across Australia.
A chai latte typically costs $5.60 in Adelaide, from 97 menus we read in November 2026. Most Adelaide cafes charge $4.96 to $6.50. That is $0.10 more than the typical price across Australia.
A chai latte typically costs $5.20 in Gold Coast, from 83 menus we read in November 2026. Most Gold Coast cafes charge $4.50 to $6.00. That is $0.30 less than the typical price across Australia.
A chai latte typically costs $5.50 in Canberra, from 46 menus we read in November 2026. Most Canberra cafes charge $4.50 to $6.40. That is the same as the typical price across Australia.
A chai latte typically costs $5.50 in Hobart, from 24 menus we read in November 2026. Most Hobart cafes charge $5.00 to $5.94. That is the same as the typical price across Australia.
Of the 8 cities with enough cafes, Brisbane is cheapest at $5.20 and Adelaide dearest at $5.60, each its typical price.
From the cafe menus we read in each city, November 2026. Each cafe counts once, at its main price for the item, and add-ons, large sizes and combos are left out. The typical price is the middle price: half the cafes charge less, half charge more. A city needs at least 8 cafes with a price before we show a figure; below that we say not enough cafes yet. We never name a cafe for its prices.