Time to Switch to Tea? Coffee Prices Soar in Russia
Coffee in Russia in 2025 has become so expensive that it«s impossible not to notice. Prices for instant and bean coffee continue to steadily climb in 2026, setting new records. We asked experts what is happening with the cost of this product, why the usual morning cup of invigorating drink is becoming a rare pleasure, and whether there is a chance that coffee will stop getting more expensive.
Will Coffee Become an Unaffordable Luxury?
Coffee prices have been confidently rising over the past three years. Both instant and bean coffee have become more expensive. According to Rosstat (the Federal State Statistics Service), in January 2022, a kilogram of instant coffee in Russia cost an average of 2,638 rubles (about $29 at current rates). By the end of that same year, the price had jumped by a quarter. In 2023, the price decreased slightly, but, alas, not for long.
In January 2024, instant coffee began to rise in price and reached the mark of 3,500 rubles (about $39 at current rates) by December. And in November 2025, this product updated its maximum — 4,152 rubles per kilogram (about $46 at current rates). Instant coffee, which was long considered a «budget» option, gradually lost this status and over three years increased in price by almost 60%.
Prices for bean coffee grew less rapidly, but almost without declines. In January 2022, a kilogram cost 1,136 rubles (about $13 at current rates), and by December — already 1,490 rubles (about $17 at current rates). Throughout 2023, the price practically froze around this mark, fluctuating within a few rubles.
A new increase began in 2024, and in November 2025, the price reached a maximum — 2,061 rubles (about $23 at current rates). Over three years, bean coffee increased in price by about 80% — noticeably more than instant coffee.
«Rosstat records averaged dynamics, which »smears« these sharp spikes across different goods and periods, so the personal experience of consumers is often more painful,» comments MSK1.RU general director of «Lalibela Coffee» Dmitry Gushchin.
Why is Coffee Getting More Expensive in Russia
At the beginning of 2025, experts suggested that coffee prices could rise significantly, but even their forecasts were far from reality: the average increase was expected at the level of 30–40%.
«In fact, we see price increases. According to market estimates and consumer observations, over the past 2–3 years, many popular brands of ground and bean coffee in supermarkets have increased in price by 50–100% or more. A package that cost 300–400 rubles (about $3–4 at current rates) in 2021 now costs 600–800 rubles (about $7–9 at current rates) and above,» MSK1.RU was told by SEO of the coffee brand Elbeans Anna Belikova.
In 2025, the price increase of this product in Russia was felt more strongly than «average inflation,» because coffee is almost entirely tied to imports and the exchange price of raw materials.
«World prices for coffee raw materials remained high. For Russia, this is immediately translated into the purchase cost, because there is no local raw material,» emphasizes marketer Anastasia Mikhailova. «Fluctuations in the ruble plus the increase in the cost of international payments and logistics raise the price of a bag of coffee even before roasting. Delivery has become longer and more expensive, and also the increased cost of packaging (film, valves, boxes) — a noticeable share of the cost.»
As a result, coffee has ceased to be an unnoticed purchase for the budget. Prices bite both for instant coffee, which has sharply increased in price, and for bean coffee, which has added in cost more smoothly.
Price Hikes Occur in Stages
Lovers of the morning ritual and visitors to cafes will have to either look for promotions and discounts, or come to terms: coffee has again become an expensive pleasure.
«Coffee in cafes in general, by feel, has increased in price by about 20 percent,» MSK1.RU reader Dmitry said. «If we talk about the mass segment like »Kofiks« (at one price), then there it seems like it hasn»t changed much. If about specialty, then it«s already felt. The beans themselves have also become more expensive, because I order, and probably there is a growth of about 10–15 percent.»
«I started drinking coffee less often, and not at all because doctors forbid it. And before, no morning began until I sat in the kitchen with a cup,» complained pensioner Tatyana Anatolyevna.
Not only coffee lovers suffer from the increase in raw material prices, but also business owners. The myth of the «super profitability» of coffee in establishments and to-go — is very tenacious, but reality is more complicated. The cost of coffee in a cup from a cafe — is about 20 rubles (less than $1 at current rates), the rest — milk, the cup itself, payroll for staff, rent, taxes. After deductions, net profit is at best 15–45 rubles (about $0.17–0.50 at current rates) per cup.
«On average in retail and catering during 2025, coffee increased in price by about 15–30% year on year, and in individual formats and positions (especially 100% Arabica and specialty) growth could reach 35–45%,» explained to MSK1.RU Anastasia Mikhailova. «On the shelf, this is most visible in the bean/ground »medium+« segment, and in cafes — in espresso-based drinks (cappuccino/latte), where growth often does not come in one jump, but through several increases of 10–20 rubles over a year.»
What Will Happen to Coffee Prices in 2026
Forecasting coffee prices — is always a complex equation with many variables: from weather in Brazil to the exchange rate of the ruble. However, there is a possibility that from 2026, the cost of coffee may rise due to an increase in VAT to 22%.
«Further growth will be, but more »step-by-step« and cautious. Expected +8–15% per year on the average market, if there are no new sharp jumps in currency and logistics. If the exchange rate/logistics worsens and world prices for raw materials increase, growth of +15–25% and above, especially in Arabica, capsules, and specialty,» added Anastasia Mikhailova.
Despite the price increases, demand for coffee in Russia remains high — many are not ready to give it up. This allows companies to pass on costs to the buyer.
«In Russia, the market for coffee prepared outside the home is experiencing fierce competition. The arrival of the largest federal retail chains on this market (for example, cafes »Pyaterochka«, »Perekrestok« inside stores) radically changes the market landscape, setting a trend to reduce the price of a cup of coffee in the »to-go« format,» told Dmitry Gushchin. «Compared to the expenses of the average European or American ($3.5–5 per cup), a Russian today receives the minimum cost of quality coffee, born in the struggle of formats and producers.»
In addition, experts expect that in 2026–2027, the harvest of robusta will be 10% higher than the previous season, and exports may increase by 7% — to 1.6 million tons.
«The period of shock spikes is probably behind us. But the era of cheap coffee is over. We are entering a »plateau« phase with moderate volatility, where the price will be determined by currency, competition, and consumer habits. The main restraining factor now — is consumers» unwillingness to pay more,« believes Anna Belikova. »Retail prices in stores should not rise sharply, but no significant reduction should be expected. A correction of 5–10% down by the end of 2026 — beginning of 2027 is possible if exchange prices remain at current levels, and the ruble is stable.«
Earlier experts said that the increase in price of the invigorating drink could become a record since the beginning of the Special Military Operation. The most expensive coffee in Russia turned out to be in Moscow, but in this list of anti-leaders, other cities unexpectedly appeared. There is also a possibility that due to a coffee shortage, we may return to barley drink and chicory.
