As International Coffee Day approaches, new figures reveal that Southampton workers are feeling the pinch more than most when it comes to their daily caffeine fix. Research from Furniture at Work has found that a medium latte in Southampton sets workers back a hefty £4.55—making it one of the most expensive cities in the UK for coffee lovers.
The study, which compared prices from Starbucks, Costa, Caffè Nero, and local independent cafés, shows that Southampton ranks third in the UK’s “coffee crunch” league. Only Plymouth, where a latte costs £4.56 (amounting to 5.3% of the average weekly wage), and Derby at £4.50 (5.1%), hit workers harder in the pocket. In Southampton, locals are now shelling out 4.9% of their weekly wages just to keep caffeinated, a figure that’s turning the humble coffee break into an expensive habit.
It’s all part of a nationwide trend: Brits now drink an estimated 95 million cups of coffee every day, and with one in four adults relying on caffeine to get through the workday, the cost of coffee is proving difficult to ignore. What was once a simple pick-me-up has become a significant drain on pay packets—especially in the south of England.
The research analysed the cost of a medium latte in 21 UK cities, using prices taken from Just Eat, chain coffee shops, and independent cafés. The ten cities where workers spend the most on their daily brew, both in cash and as a proportion of their weekly wage, are Plymouth (£4.56, 5.3%), Derby (£4.50, 5.1%), Southampton (£4.55, 4.9%), Cardiff (£4.47, 4.9%), Leeds (£4.52, 4.7%), Manchester (£4.51, 4.6%), Edinburgh (£4.54, 4.5%), Brighton (£4.47, 4.4%), Bristol (£4.47, 4.3%), and London (£4.61, 4.2%).
While Plymouth and Derby top the table, Southampton isn’t far behind, with workers here sacrificing nearly a twentieth of their weekly wage for coffee. Even in cities like Brighton and Bristol—where lattes are “cheapest” among the top ten at £4.47—a daily caffeine habit still takes a noticeable bite out of earnings.
The study’s findings suggest that coffee is no longer just a lifestyle choice, but a costly daily ritual that’s embedded in UK work culture. And with remote and hybrid working now the norm, the coffee break continues to fuel productivity, whether enjoyed at home, in the office, or on the go. Furniture At Work Ltd has been operating since 2001, offering office furniture at competitive prices to clients nationwide. The company supplies everything from desks and chairs to storage solutions for businesses, the public sector, and home offices.
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