by REERA YOO
Nowadays, a cup of coffee is a small luxury, and the rising price of brand-name coffees is just one of many first-world problems. YTN reported earlier last week that Starbucks in Korea costs twice as much as the U.S.
According to the Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency (KOTRA) and the Hyundai Research Institute, Starbucks stores in Korea have the sixth-highest prices among the international branches, outranking nations known for expensive goods such as Japan, Germany, and England. The report also named Poland as the country with the most expensive Starbucks coffee, followed by Hungary, Turkey, Greece, and the Czech Republic.
With that said, a tall Americano in Korea costs $4.85 USD whereas it costs $2.45 in the U.S. and $3.52 in Japan.
Below, the top half of the infographic lists South Korea (marked as brown) among the top 20 countries with the most expensive Starbucks coffee. Meanwhile, the bottom half of the graphic shows that Starbucks, in fact, is not the most expensive coffee in Korea compared to other coffee brands.
Photo Credit: Korea Bang
Back in June, Seoul was revealed as the city with the most Starbucks locations, beating New York City, Los Angeles, and the more densely populated cities Shanghai and Beijing. Seoul was reported to have a whopping 284 stores in its 233 square miles of land.
Researchers have taken into account that the majority of Starbucks shops in Korea are located in high-rent commercial districts, which ultimately translates to higher prices. In addition, a Starbucks official stated that Korean Starbucks have a higher operating cost due to customers staying in the shops longer.
Featured photo via Gypsy Gourmand
