Jul 25, 2026
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Add us on GoogleThe more scientists study coffee, the beloved beverage that an estimated billion people worldwide rely on to keep them going each day, the more mysterious health benefits they seem to discover hidden in the centuries-old drink.
You may never guess that your latte can lower your risk of Type 2 Diabetes by a whopping 20 to 30%, along with making you less likely to suffer from heart disease or stroke, dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, liver disease and even some cancers. For these reasons, it’s generally thought to help people live longer; in fact, studies argue that those who don’t consume java on a daily basis are 20% more likely to die early.
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At the same time, many uber-wealthy personal finance authorities advocate for cutting out “unnecessary” expenses like takeout coffee as an integral first step to responsible budgeting, as even one $5 cappuccino a day adds up.
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But costs for even homemade coffee have skyrocketed in the last few years, too, pushing some consumers to try and kick caffeine altogether — and lose all of the therapeutic effects in the process. The fact that coffee prices have this month become more volatile than they’ve been in over 25 years will likely only cause this trend to grow.
Coffee cost chaos — how have prices changed?
Earlier in July, arabica bean futures soared 19% in one day, showing just how sensitive the product is to various environmental factors. American consumers are paying a painful $4.94 more per pound of ground coffee to brew at home than they were in 2020 as its price tag continues to far outpace overall inflation.
Extreme weather conditions have stymied harvests while tariffs and increased supply chain costs (as well as difficulties) have prompted sharp price hikes, including a 20% bump between summer 2024 and 2025. Even after a brief dip when some import levies were rolled back, cup of joe charges have continued to push upward at both supermarkets and cafes.
But $5,500-plus per year for the average American who chugs back three cups a day is something that reasonable experts see as a more than acceptable expense for the positives, whether they be physical or mental in nature, and whether you’re taking them in at home or at your local java spot.
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What is it about coffee that our bodies and brains love so much?
What’s perhaps most interesting about all of humanity’s espresso-based research is the historic uncertainty surrounding the exact mechanisms that lead to all of these gains, as certain ingredients taken in isolation fail to demonstrate the same advantages.
It is believed that its antioxidants and other bioactive compounds are a large chunk of the story, cutting inflammation and enriching the gut microbiome, while the caffeine itself has clear impacts on brain and body performance, as well as mood.
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Then there’s the act of physically leaving one’s house for a cup, which can break up an otherwise monotonous day, make us more productive and give us much-needed social connection, however small. Professionally-made caffeinated drinks taste better, too, while the savings gap between brewing at home and heading to your favourite coffee shop is becoming less significant grocery coffee prices soar, adding up to hundreds per year.
As I Will Teach You to be Rich author Ramit Sethi has said in various viral videos, “If you enjoy your morning coffee, these are tiny, tiny expenses… focus on the $30,000 questions, not the $3 questions.”
He believes that “cutting out coffee is not going to make you rich… [and] while you are agonizing over a $5 coffee, you are almost certainly missing the things that actually matter.”
It should be noted, though, that if you’re into your morning cup solely for the healthy aspects, the packaging of takeaway consumables may present a new set of risks, with the potential to deliver a dose of microplastics.
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Becky Robertson is a senior staff reporter at Moneywise and a lifelong writer. Along with more than a decade covering news at outlets like blogTO and Quill & Quire, she's attended writing residencies around the world. With 33 countries visited, she finds travel to be among her greatest inspirations.
