(NEXSTAR) – The year was 2004. MySpace was the hottest social networking site, movies like ‘Shrek 2’ and ‘Spider-Man 2’ were box office hits, and the newly released Motorola Razr was the hottest technology.
You can also walk into a coffee shop and expect to pay less than $3 for a cup of coffee. According to a GOBankingRates report, the average cost of coffee in 2004 was just $2.15. In some places, it was even less than that: Starbucks made headlines for raising its prices in 2004, raising a tall-house mix from $1.40 to $1.50 (that’ll cost you about $3 these days).
Now, the national average for a regular cup of coffee is $3.08, according to a new report from Toast, a restaurant management and point-of-sale system. The company reviewed the restaurants that use its platform and analyzed their prices for regular coffees until the first months of 2024.
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While the average was just over $3 for a regular coffee, that price varied widely across the U.S. Restaurants in the West, for example, were more likely to charge closer to $4 for a cup of coffee. , determined Toast.
Nowhere was coffee more expensive than in Hawaii, where the average price was almost five dollars between January and March. California had the second highest average coffee price at $3.88.
If you’re looking for coffee at 2004 prices, you’ll have to head to Nebraska, where the average cost was $2.12, according to Toast’s analysis. The average price of Tennessee coffee falls in the middle at $2.91.
The interactive map below shows how much a cup of coffee will cost you in each state, based on data from Toast.
Of course, how sophisticated your coffee is will affect the price you pay. Let’s say you’re ordering a cold brew coffee. It will still be the most expensive in Hawaii, priced at around $6.29, Toast found. California was close behind, with the median price just 10 cents lower.
You’ll have to travel across the country to West Virginia to find the cheapest average cold brew at $4.61. But if you’re going to drink coffee in Nebraska, you can travel south to Kansas and buy a cold brew for about the same price: $4.63.
Maybe you’re more of a latte drinker. Restaurants in Hawaii and Alaska charged more for them, Toast determined, with a price of $6.69 and $6.09, respectively. They were the only states with average latte prices above $6. The national average according to Toast data was $5.46.
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Kansas was, again, on the lower end, with an average latte cost of $5.09.
The company attributes Hawaii’s remoteness, as well as Alaska’s, to the high costs of its drinks. Meanwhile, Kansas has frequently been ranked as one of the most affordable places to live.
According to the latest Consumer Price Index from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, coffee prices (roasted and instant) fell about 2.5% in May from May 2023. But costs at your favorite coffee shop can still look expensive.
Earlier this month, Starbucks launched its own value menu in a bid to win back budget-conscious consumers. That includes a large coffee or tea, hot or iced, with a butter croissant, which starts at five dollars, much more than you probably would have paid in 2004.
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