Data
What specialty coffee costs in India, and why
Where a price sits among 1,537 coffees from 129 Indian roasters, what makes some cost more, and how it all compares with India's coffee as a whole.
Half the specialty coffees we track cost ₹795 or less for 250g, about ₹3,180 a kilo. A quarter cost ₹600 or less, and nine in ten cost ₹1,332 or less, so a bag above that is in the priciest tenth. A ₹2,700 bag costs more than 98% of the 1,537 coffees we list.
| Price per 250g | Share of coffees at or below it |
|---|---|
| ₹500 | 15% |
| ₹700 | 41% |
| ₹1,000 | 77% |
| ₹1,500 | 92% |
1,537 coffees from 129 Indian roasters, with prices from the roasters' own shops compared per 250g. They run from ₹125–₹18,333.
Is ₹1,000 for 250g expensive for coffee beans?
It's on the high side but not unusual: 77% of the coffees we list cost ₹1,000 or less, so it's dearer than most but far from the top. Around ₹700 is typical (41% cost that or less), and under ₹500 is genuinely cheap (15%). Our budget guide lists well-liked coffees below the median.
Why do some coffees cost so much more?
Mostly the coffee itself and how it was processed. Robusta has a median of ₹495 and Arabica ₹790. Washed coffees have a median of ₹800, naturals ₹950 and anaerobic coffees ₹995, and light roasts (₹940) cost more than dark ones (₹600). Even one grade varies: 22 coffees sold as Mysore Nuggets Extra Bold cost ₹375–₹1,499, because each roaster buys its own lot and roasts it its own way.
How can you pay less for good coffee?
Look at blends and darker roasts: Arabica–Robusta blends have a median of ₹525, and dark roasts ₹600. You don't need a grinder to start, either, since 69% of the coffees we list can be ground by the roaster when you order.
How does specialty coffee compare with regular coffee powder?
It costs several times as much. The Coffee Board's average retail price for pure coffee powder made from Arabica Plantation A, across Bengaluru, Chennai and Hyderabad, was ₹598 a kilo in 2023 and ₹737 by July 2024. The median specialty coffee we list works out to about ₹3,180 a kilo, for whole beans from independent roasters.
Do Indian roasters sell more Arabica or Robusta?
Arabica, by far. Of the coffees that say which species they are, 603 are Arabica, 112 are Arabica–Robusta blends and 76 are Robusta. India grows the opposite mix: 259,000 of the 360,500 tonnes it produced in 2023–24, about 72%, were Robusta, according to the Coffee Board.
Where does Indian specialty coffee come from?
Mostly Chikmagalur. Among coffees that name a region, 418 come from there, followed by Coorg (80), Sakleshpur (46) and Koraput (38). By tonnage, though, Kodagu (Coorg) is India's biggest producer, with 132,620 tonnes in 2023–24, most of it Robusta. Our regions guide compares them.
How much coffee does India export and drink?
Far more instant than specialty. In 2023 India exported 142,448 tonnes of instant coffee and 17,399 tonnes of its three specialty grades (Mysore Nuggets Extra Bold, Monsooned Malabar and Robusta Kaapi Royale). A Coffee Board study by CRISIL estimated that India drank 91,000 tonnes of coffee in 2023 and 96,000 tonnes in 2024. What the grades mean.
Where these numbers come from
- Prices and counts: the 1,537 coffees we list, with prices from the roasters' own shops. They describe the coffees we list, not all Indian coffee, and update as prices change. A coffee counts under a roast, species or process only when its roaster states it.
- Production, exports, consumption and powder prices: Coffee Board of India, Database on Coffee, July 2024 (tables 1.8, 1.9, 4.14, 5.1 and 6.4).