Coffee lovers across Canada are feeling the pinch as prices for their daily brew continue to climb to record levels.
Even the beloved double-double at Tim Hortons is no longer immune to inflation, with the company announcing an average price hike of 1.5 per cent per cup—roughly an extra three cents—citing rising bean costs and broader economic pressures.
According to Statistics Canada, the cost of coffee surged by 27.9 per cent in August compared to the same time last year. This dramatic rise is prompting many Canadians to rethink their caffeine habits.
In Calgary, some are cutting back on specialty drinks or switching to home brewing to save money.
“I’m addicted to coffee,” admitted one local. “But what I’ve done is instead of having lattes every day, I’m down to two days a week.”
Another added, “Today I was getting a regular black coffee, and it was almost $5… Definitely will speak to the home-brew coffee versus going out and buying coffee for those prices.”
The root of the issue lies in the poor climate conditions in major coffee-producing countries, such as Brazil and Vietnam. These challenges have disrupted supply chains just as global demand continues to grow.
Sven Anders, a professor of Resource Economics and Environmental Sociology at the University of Alberta, notes that consumers are now seeing the impact directly at cafés and grocery stores.
“Now we are seeing some major reactions where people see higher prices when they buy a cup of coffee out of the home or at the grocery store,” Anders said.
Veteran coffee roaster Shawn McDonald points to dwindling reserves in Brazil, once considered the “OPEC of coffee,” as a key factor.
“They had thousands of warehouses that kept extra product. When the price moved up, they would enter it into the market. But a lot of those warehouses are empty now,” he explained.
While the largest single-year spike in coffee prices occurred in 1995 with a 36% jump, StatsCan data shows a long-term trend: from 1979 to 2024, coffee prices have risen by a staggering 81.3 per cent. McDonald, who has been in the business for 35 years, says he’s never seen price swings this extreme.
Despite the sticker shock, some consumers are choosing to remain optimistic.
“Coffee, we need it,” said one Calgarian. “Let’s be grateful we got the money to get what we need and just try to remain happy during this time and season of inflation.”
