Over 150 million posts on Instagram use the hashtag #coffee, making it one of the most popular beverage-related tags. A new study by Heepsy analyzed coffee affordability, café density, and Instagram engagement across up to 70 global cities to identify which destinations offer the best coffee experience.
The research evaluated each city using price analysis of 10 coffee varieties, total café counts, and Instagram hashtag volumes for location-specific coffee content. Cities were ranked using a weighted methodology prioritizing affordability (40%), social media engagement (30%), and café accessibility (30%) to identify locations offering great coffee experiences.
Here’s a look at the top 10 coffee capitals for Instagram lovers:
| Country | Median Price of Coffee | Number Of Cafes | Number of IG Hashtags | Coffee Culture Score |
| United Kingdom, London | $3.4 | 3,544 | 584,600 | 100 |
| Australia, Melbourne | $2.9 | 780 | 1,125,500 | 99 |
| Brazil, Sao Paulo | $1.4 | 1,288 | 342,000 | 97 |
| Italy, Rome | $1.4 | 1,135 | 469,200 | 96 |
| Turkey, Istanbul | $1.5 | 1,088 | 543,100 | 94 |
| Australia, Sydney | $2.8 | 966 | 455,000 | 93 |
| Hungary, Budapest | $1.5 | 708 | 333,200 | 91 |
| Brazil, Rio de Janeiro | $1.4 | 650 | 156,000 | 90 |
| Italy, Florence | $1.3 | 327 | 201,400 | 88 |
| Italy, Milan | $1.7 | 750 | 300,400 | 87 |
You can access the complete research findings here.
London claims the first place with a perfect 100/100 Coffee Culture Score. Coffee lovers have 3,544 cafés to choose from, more than any other city in the rankings. While coffee prices average $3.40 – the most expensive in the top 10 – London generates 584,600 Instagram posts, showing strong social media engagement around its coffee scene.
Melbourne takes second place, leading globally in Instagram engagement, with over 1.1 million coffee-related posts. The city offers moderately priced coffee at an average of $2.90. Although cappuccinos and frappuccinos cost nearly twice as much as in most other cities in the top 10.
São Paulo secures third place with coffee priced at just $1.40 – among the most affordable in the top rankings. Brazil’s largest city has 1,288 cafés, the third-highest count among all ranked cities, earning a total of 97.1 Coffee Culture Score.
Rome ranks fourth with a 94.1 score. The Italian capital has over 1,100 cafés, where all coffee types are moderately priced at $1.40 median. Rome also offers the lowest-priced espresso among the ranked cities.
Istanbul comes fifth, featuring around 1,100 cafés just like Rome. The Turkish city offers coffee types for $1.50 on average. Istanbul lands near the median in all three categories, achieving an overall 94.1 Coffee Culture Score.
Sydney ranks sixth. The city shows solid café infrastructure, but higher-priced coffee types than in most other cities. For example, a cappuccino costs $3.11 and a mocha $4.45. Generating 455,000 Instagram hashtags, Sydney achieves a 92.7 Coffee Culture Score.
Budapest, ranking seventh, offers the most coffee types at around $1.50, with a cappuccino costing $1.49 and a latte just $1.39. The Hungarian capital has 708 cafés and a high level of social activity.
Rio de Janeiro comes in eighth place as the second Brazilian city in the top 10. Rio has the lowest Instagram engagement with 156,000 total hashtags. Although it offers strong affordability, with an Americano at $0.73. The city has 650 cafés and a median coffee price of $1.40, matching Sao Paulo.
Florence holds ninth place with the lowest overall coffee prices in the top 10, especially for Americano, which costs only $0.68. The city also generates 201,400 Instagram posts, despite having only 327 cafés. Florence’s Coffee Culture Score equals 88.2.
Milan takes tenth place with a balanced profile: 750 cafés, 300,400 Instagram hashtags, and a median coffee price of $1.70. Its pricing sits in the middle range – more expensive than Rome but cheaper than Sydney. Milan earns an overall Coffee Culture Score of 86.8.
“Coffee has become part of how people map and document their travel,” says Tabi Vicuña, Founder at Heepsy. “Travelers increasingly plan visits not only around well-known attractions but also around those cafés that appear frequently on Instagram. The local cafés have also embraced that behavior, whether intentionally or not. Overall, café atmosphere has become part of the tourism economy in a way we couldn’t have imagined a decade ago.”
Photo by Pixabay: