Starbucks and Caribou Coffee have a lot in common. They’re both reliable, widespread chains with large menus and plenty of seasonal offerings. They also both make a pretty good latte, which you can customize any way that you can imagine. The real question is: Which one makes the more affordable latte? The answer to this really depends on location, but we did do some digging to try and figure it out.
With thousands of stores in 80 different countries, Starbucks has much more of a global footprint than Caribou, whose main market is the Midwest, though there are locations scattered around the U.S. For the sake of cohesion, we set our location to St. Paul, Minnesota, where Caribou has 10 cafes and Starbucks has 12. At the latter, a tall 12-ounce latte with regular milk will set you back $4.75 before tax, while a grande 16-ounce drink will cost $5.25, and a 20-ounce venti sized latte at Starbucks in St Paul is priced at $5.65.
Lattes at Caribou in St. Paul are priced at $4.99, $5.29, and $5.79 for a small, medium, and large, respectively. So it seems that Starbucks makes the slightly more affordable option in each size, if only by a few cents. But the next question is what happens when you start ordering those hot drinks like a barista.
Starbucks has free alternative milk and whipped cream
The good news is that neither chain charges extra for non-dairy milks, though you do have to order through the Caribou Coffee app to redeem the perk there, otherwise, it costs an extra dollar. Caribou’s other customizations can also add up quickly. An extra shot will set you back $1.25 and cold foam costs $1, as do mix-ins like honey. You can add chocolate to your coffee for 65 cents or syrups for 50 cents. Drizzles, toppings, and whipped cream also cost $1 each.
Starbucks has even more options available. If you want to add sweet cream or cold foam flavors to your latte, you need to pay around $1.25 more at the location we tested. It’s the same price to add an extra shot of espresso, while syrups, sauces, and powders cost 80 cents each. A drizzle of caramel or mocha syrup costs 60 cents, and Starbucks drink toppings are 50 cents. However, it’s free to add whipped cream or cinnamon.
So if you want a medium latte with syrup, whipped cream, and a topping, your order at Starbucks will cost $6.55, while Caribou will charge $7.79. A large extra shot latte will cost $6.90 vs. $7.04, and a small oat milk latte will cost $4.75 vs. $5.99. However, a vanilla latte will work out cheaper at Caribou at $5.79 vs. $6.05 for a medium. It really depends on what you order but, overall, it does seem that Starbucks is more affordable for most of your latte needs.
