The Froth Price Index
How much is a long black?
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The Froth Price Index
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The Froth Price Index
A regular long black (or americano).
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 1,262 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 7 cities at $5.00, cheapest in Gold Coast at $4.80: a 20c gap.
What most cafes charge
Each column is how many cafes charge a price in that step, from 1,262 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 5 charge $5.50 or more.
$5.00 is the most common price: 1 in 4 cafes charge exactly that.
A long black the way most Australian cafes make it.
Illustrative: a typical build, not one cafe's recipe.
What cafes typically add to a long black at $5.00.
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 $4.50 in South West Sydney to $5.00 in Canterbury-Bankstown.
Typical prices in Australia, against a long black at $5.00.
A long black typically costs $5.00 in Sydney, from 334 menus we read in November 2026. Most Sydney cafes charge $4.30 to $5.50. That is the same as the typical price across Australia.
A long black typically costs $5.00 in Melbourne, from 298 menus we read in November 2026. Most Melbourne cafes charge $4.40 to $5.60. That is the same as the typical price across Australia.
A long black typically costs $5.00 in Brisbane, from 212 menus we read in November 2026. Most Brisbane cafes charge $4.23 to $5.60. That is the same as the typical price across Australia.
A long black typically costs $5.00 in Perth, from 174 menus we read in November 2026. Most Perth cafes charge $4.03 to $5.50. That is the same as the typical price across Australia.
A long black typically costs $5.00 in Adelaide, from 107 menus we read in November 2026. Most Adelaide cafes charge $4.30 to $5.94. That is the same as the typical price across Australia.
A long black typically costs $4.80 in Gold Coast, from 82 menus we read in November 2026. Most Gold Coast cafes charge $4.50 to $5.50. That is $0.20 less than the typical price across Australia.
A long black typically costs $5.00 in Canberra, from 40 menus we read in November 2026. Most Canberra cafes charge $4.48 to $6.00. That is the same as the typical price across Australia.
A long black typically costs $5.00 in Hobart, from 15 menus we read in November 2026. Most Hobart cafes charge $4.50 to $5.84. That is the same as the typical price across Australia.
Of the 8 cities with enough cafes, Gold Coast is cheapest at $4.80 and Hobart dearest at $5.00, 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.