Canberrans are spending more for their daily caffeine fix, as rising costs of doing business combine with severe droughts in Brazil and Vietnam to push coffee roasters and cafes to hike their prices.
The average cost of a small flat white in the ACT was $3.97 in 2019, a survey by Square showed. In March 2024, it had gone up to $4.92, and it's only set to rise.
Daniel Moscaritolo owns Cosmorex, a family-run roastery and cafe based in Fyshwick.
Cosmorex serves over 20 cafes in Canberra and will increase the price of its coffee products from October 1.
Customers can expect to pay $4.80 for a small flat white at its Fyshwick cafe, up from $4.50.
"No one ever wants to see a price increase. It's obviously the worst thing that can happen," said Mr Moscaritolo.
In an email to customers, Cosmorex management wrote the price of coffee beans had gone up by 75 per cent in the last year alone.
"[It's] putting a massive impact on roasters, but mainly also putting a massive impact on the cafe operator, while we're already seeing many other challenges coming [our] way," he said.
Even after increasing its prices last week, Bearded Bean still sells one of the cheapest cups of coffee in Civic.
A small flat white now costs $4.70, up from $4.50.
"Our direct supplier has been pushing increases on us," said cafe owner Steve Wynn.
"Everything's going up ... the cup, the coffee, the milk, the alternative milk, the syrups, the chai," he said.
Bearded Bean gets its coffee from a roaster in Sydney, but the price hike is a global phenomenon.
The cost of Arabica beans, the variety most popular for specialty coffee, is at a 13-year high.
Brazil produces nearly 40 per cent of the world's coffee, most of which is Arabica beans.
This year the country has been hit by the worst drought it's ever recorded.
Some crops have also been ravaged by record-breaking bushfires, while others have been hit by frost.
Vietnam, the world's largest producer of Robusta beans - popular in instant coffee - is also suffering through a drought.
Cosmorex joins Canberra roaster Redbrick in raising its prices.
At Redbrick's cafes, a small cup of coffee is now $5.50, up from $5.
Renowned Canberra roaster ONA said it had not raised the price of coffee at its Fyshwick cafe, which remains $4.50 for a takeaway flat white.
Cafe owners also said business costs were soaring.
"The cost of electricity has gone up," said Mr Moscaritolo.
"The cost of packaging has gone up ... there's staff wages, there's payroll tax - all of those things have to be included in that one cup of coffee, and everything has blown up with the general inflation," he said.
Both Cosmorex's and Bearded Bean's customers have been supportive.
"We're trying to be fair, and we are really thankful to our customers," said Monica Pilo, Bearded Bean's manager.
"Our reputation is quite good [and our] customers [are] pretty loyal," she said.
Mr Wynn said: "In the past, no one ever really noticed when we put our prices up, but this time, there's been a bit more of a reaction to it. But it's not as though it's overwhelming."
For Mr Moscaritolo, fairness isn't just about Canberrans being able to afford their morning flat white.
"The farmers and the people in Latin America are suffering just as bad, if not worse, with the conditions that they're experiencing," he said.
"We're trying to support our direct partners."
