U.S. Airports With the Biggest Starbucks Price Markups [2026 Data Study]

Early flight, long layover, delayed departure — there are plenty of reasons travelers end up in line for Starbucks at the airport. And while airport food and drinks have a reputation for being more expensive, the size of that markup can vary quite a bit depending on where you’re flying.

To see how much more travelers are paying for a familiar Starbucks order, we compared the prices of 5 common menu items at locations in more than 50 major U.S. airports with the same items at Starbucks stores in the city that airport serves. We then calculated the dollar and percentage differences for each airport and menu item.

The results show where travelers face the largest Starbucks markups, where airport prices stay closer to city levels, and which drinks and food items see the biggest increases. Some airports stand out for premiums above 50%, while a few come surprisingly close to — or even below — their city counterparts.

Which Airports Have the Biggest Starbucks Markups?

Buying Starbucks after clearing security usually comes with a higher price tag, but the size of that airport premium varies considerably depending on which airport you’re in.

Across the airports analyzed, the combined cost of the 5 Starbucks menu items increased by an average of $6.15, making an airport order 26.5% more expensive than the same order at a Starbucks elsewhere in the city. At some airports, however, that premium climbed to more than 50%.

The Airports With the Largest Starbucks Markups

Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT) and Harry Reid International Airport (LAS) share the top spot. At both airports, the 5-item order costs $34.95, compared with $22.35 at their respective city locations. That’s a $12.60 increase or 56.4%.

The rest of the top 5 aren’t far behind:

• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX): +$12.40 (55%)
• Denver International Airport (DEN): +$11.20 (51%)
• William P. Hobby Airport (HOU): +$11.20 (51%)

Every airport in the top 5 charges at least 51% more for the full order than its city counterpart. CLT, LAS, and PHX also share nearly identical airport totals, with all 3 reaching $34.95 despite slightly different city prices.

Some airports, including DEN and HOU, have policies intended to limit concession markups. DEN’s policy generally says nationally or locally branded products can’t cost more than 15% above the same products at the closest off-airport location of the same brand, but Starbucks is different. A 2026 9NEWS investigation found that DEN had approved Starbucks to use a corporate airport pricing list rather than follow prices at nearby Starbucks stores. The investigation found Starbucks items at DEN costing 31% to 54% more than their local counterparts.

HOU has a similar wrinkle. Houston Airport System uses a “Street + 15%” policy that generally caps concession prices at 15% above approved comparable off-airport locations. However, it told KHOU 11 in 2026 that its contracts allow the airport to approve certain corporate pricing structures, including the type of market-based pricing used by companies such as Starbucks.

Where Starbucks Prices Stay Closer to City Levels

At the other end of the ranking, several airports keep their Starbucks prices much closer to what travelers would pay outside the terminal — and in 1 case, even lower. Pittsburgh International Airport (PIT) is the only airport in the study where average costs were lower at the airport than in the city. The total came to $21.85 at PIT compared to $22.35 at a Starbucks in Pittsburgh. That’s a $0.50 decrease or 2.2% less.

PIT is another airport with concession contracts that include street-pricing requirements. The Allegheny County Airport Authority told WPXI in 2026 that it conducts spot checks against agreed-upon comparison locations as part of its pricing oversight.

The remaining airports with the smallest increases also stay well below the overall average:

• Portland International Airport (PDX): +$1.00 (4.3%)
• Boise Airport (BOI): +$1.40 (6.0%)
• Salt Lake City International Airport (SLC): +$1.40 (6.3%)
• Cleveland Hopkins International Airport (CLE): +$1.60 (7.0%)

PDX and SLC also have street-pricing policies, helping explain their positions near the bottom of the ranking. Under PDX’s street-pricing policy, travelers should pay the same prices as they would outside the airport. SLC similarly requires street pricing for its concessions, with the airport stating that food prices should reflect what customers would pay outside the airport.

The difference between the 2 ends of the ranking is sizable. While travelers at CLT and LAS pay more than 56% more for the same 5 Starbucks items, the increase is 7% or less at PDX, BOI, SLC, and CLE. PIT goes a step further by reversing the usual airport pricing pattern altogether.

The next section breaks that difference down further to show which of our surveyed Starbucks menu items see the largest price increases after travelers pass through security.

Which Airports Have the Biggest Starbucks Price Changes by Item? 

The overall airport totals show where Starbucks costs rise the most, but the size of the markup also depends on what travelers order. Some menu items see relatively modest increases, while others jump by more than 50% at certain airports.

Brewed Coffee

Brewed coffee shows some of the widest price swings in the study. Across all airports analyzed, the average city price was $3.28, compared with $4.17 at the airport — a 27.2% increase.

The largest increases appear at:

• Harry Reid International Airport (LAS): +74.6%
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX): +74.6%
• Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT): +74.6%

At all 3 airports, a brewed coffee rises from $2.95 in the city to $5.15 at the airport. That makes brewed coffee one of the clearest examples of how a relatively small purchase can see a large increase after travelers reach the terminal.

At the other end, Anchorage International Airport (ANC) has an increase of just 2.7%, while PIT shows no increase at all. SLC is the lone airport where brewed coffee actually costs less, dropping from $3.25 in the city to $3 at the airport.

Caffé Latte

Lattes follow a similar pattern, though the increase is slightly lower. The average price rises from $5.29 in the city to $6.56 at the airport, a 24.1% increase.

The largest jumps include:

• Harry Reid International Airport (LAS): +56.6%
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX): +56.6%
• Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD): +52.5%

At LAS and PHX, the price climbs from $4.95 to $7.75. ORD also stands out, with the price increasing from $4.95 to $7.55.

Louis Armstrong New Orleans International Airport (MSY) and Orlando International Airport (MCO) had increases below 4%, while PIT again bucks the broader trend. A latte costs 5.7% less at the airport than in the city.

Bacon, Gouda, and Egg Sandwich

Food items bring another layer to the airport premium. The bacon, Gouda, and egg sandwich has the largest average increase of the 5 items studied, with prices rising from $5.59 in the city to $7.25 at the airport, a 29.5% increase.

The biggest markups are tied across 3 airports:

• Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD): +55.2%
• Denver International Airport (DEN): +55.2%
• William P. Hobby Airport (HOU): +55.2%

At all 3 places, the sandwich costs $8.15 at the airport compared with $5.25 in the city.

The smallest increases come at BOI and CLE, where prices rise just 3.5%. PIT shows no airport premium at all, with the sandwich priced at $5.45 in the city and at the airport.

Strawberry Açaí Refresher

Refreshers also see notable airport increases, with the average price climbing from $5.63 to $6.99, or 24.3% higher.

The largest increases include:

• Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT): +55.0%
• Harry Reid International Airport (LAS): +52.3%
• Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX): +47.0%

All 3 airports charge $8.45 for the drink, even though city prices range from $5.45 to $5.75.

Meanwhile, PDX and BOI show no change, with the drink costing $5.95 both inside and outside the airport. Once again, PIT has a lower price, costing 3.7% less than in the city. 

Birthday Cake Pop

Cake pops may be one of the cheapest items on the menu, but the airport markup can still be sizable. Across the airports analyzed, the average price increases from $3.40 to $4.37, a 28.4% increase.

The largest jumps appear at:

• Charlotte Douglas International Airport (CLT): +58.5%
• Daniel K. Inouye International Airport (HNL): +58.5%
• Kahului Airport (OGG): +58.5%

At all 3 airports, the price rises from $3.25 in the city to $5.15 at the airport. The Hawaii airports are especially notable here, with both HNL and OGG appearing among the locations with the highest markups for cake pops, despite not ranking among the largest overall Starbucks increases.

At the low end, PDX sees a 6.2% increase, and John Wayne Airport (SNA) rises 5.3%. PIT again posts no increase.

The item-level results reinforce the same broader pattern seen in the overall rankings: Airport Starbucks prices can vary widely depending on both the airport and the order. The bacon, Gouda, and egg sandwich posts the largest average increase of the 5 items, while brewed coffee shows the sharpest individual location markup at 74.6%.

Methodology

To compare Starbucks prices at U.S. airports with prices elsewhere in the same city, we collected the pretax prices of 5 common menu items from Starbucks locations at 53 major U.S. airports and compared them with the same items at a nonairport Starbucks in the corresponding city.

For each airport, we sampled 1 airport Starbucks location (postsecurity whenever available) and 1 nonairport comparison store. For the city comparison, we selected the first qualifying, company-operated Starbucks returned when searching the city in the Starbucks app, which generally represented the nearest eligible location to downtown. 

All prices were collected through the Starbucks mobile app in July 2026 using a nonmember account and no modifications were made to the items. Prices were recorded before checkout, so taxes, promotions, rewards, and other discounts were not applied. Data was collected during a single sampling period.

The menu items we considered for the study were:

• Grande brewed coffee
• Grande caffé latte
• Bacon, Gouda, and egg sandwich
• Strawberry Açaí Refresher
• Birthday cake pop

For each airport, we calculated the dollar and percentage difference between the airport and nonairport price for each item. We also compared the combined cost of all 5 items to show the overall difference between the 2 sampled locations.

Airports that did not have a qualifying Starbucks location or could not be consistently compared were excluded from the analysis. Excluded airports were Albuquerque (ABQ), Chicago Midway (MDW), Cincinnati (CVG), Kansas City (MCI), Oakland (OAK), Omaha (OMA), and Ontario (ONT).

Final Thoughts

Airport Starbucks prices can vary significantly from what travelers pay elsewhere in the same city. Across the airports analyzed, the 5-item order cost an average of 26.5% more, with some locations charging more than 50% extra and others showing little to no markup.

Those differences are a reminder that travel costs can add up well beyond airfare and hotels. Knowing where prices tend to rise can help travelers plan ahead and make more informed spending decisions along the way. They can also underscore the value of airport lounge access, where coffee, snacks, and other refreshments are often included with entry.

Upgraded Points helps travelers do the same across every part of a trip, from maximizing points and credit card rewards to finding ways to get more value from travel spending.