discovery Food

The Most Expensive Airport Coffees

28 airports · 12 countries

Why does a single espresso cost €7.20 past security? We audited terminal airside cafes across 200 global airports to benchmark the markup of caffeine against city-center averages.

€7.20 Highest Price

€5.10 Global Average

+218% Airside Markup

Sample Data Points

View full dataset (200 rows) →

01 SIN

Singapore Changi (SIN)

02 LHR

London Heathrow (LHR)

03 CDG

Paris Charles de Gaulle (CDG)

04 JFK

New York JFK (JFK)

05 HND

Tokyo Haneda (HND)

06 DXB

Dubai (DXB)

07 SYD

Sydney (SYD)

08 ZRH

Zurich (ZRH)

Passing through airport security is often described as stepping into a distinct micro-economy where standard market logic ceases to exist. Nowhere is this price elasticity more visible than at terminal coffee bars.

The €7.20 Flat White

Our audit of 200 international hubs revealed that Singapore Changi and London Heathrow Terminal 5 host the highest average price for standard milk-and-espresso drinks, reaching up to €7.20 ($7.80 USD) equivalent.

Across the entire dataset, the average airside markup compared to the respective city center was +218%.

What Drives Airside Coffee Markups?

Concessionaire Revenue Shares: Airport authorities frequently take 18% to 25% of gross sales from food and beverage tenants.
Security Credentialing Overhead: Every barista and pallet must pass strict background checks and daily x-ray screening.
Inelastic Captive Audience: Passengers with early departures or multi-hour layovers have zero substitute options airside.

Connected Dataset