A study of how much boba costs in the US

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The average cost for a boba milk tea in the United States is $5.84.

That’s based on a study of 100 random boba shops in the 10 largest US cities using DoorDash data. When looking at a classic boba milk tea on each menu, I made sure that the item was as similar as possible, such as “house milk tea” or “signature milk tea”. When tapioca pearls weren’t included as a default, there was an additional fee to add them in. Many shops will also include a small surcharge on delivery apps, so the in-person boba prices might be a bit lower.

You may also like: I analyzed the best selling boba flavors

So how much does a milk tea with boba cost in each of largest US cities?

I was surprised to see that prices don’t always line up with general cost of living!

“How much does boba cost"?” study by steepeddreams.com. 2022.

Here are boba milk tea prices in each city, from most to least expensive:

1. San Jose - $6.40

2. Dallas - $6.17

3. San Diego - $6.15

4. New York City - $6.08

5. Chicago - $6.02

6. San Antonio - $5.84

7. Philadelphia - $5.73

8. Los Angeles - $5.59

9. Houston - $5.53

10. Phoenix - $5.08

Some other interesting trends in boba prices:

• The most expensive boba milk tea I found out of the 100 total shops on DoorDash was Pekoe in San Jose, California for $8.25. Their fancy milk tea is described as an “award winning Assam milk tea fused with organic demerara, turbinado and golden brown sugar” and “topped with honey black pearls.”

• The least expensive boba milk tea costs $4.25, and can be found at two Phoenix boba shops, Mango Rabbit and Boba Tree.

• For the most part, I also noticed that restaurants or boba shops with food sell the cheapest boba drinks.

• Lastly, boba prices at franchises like Sharetea and Kung Fu Tea vary widely, even in the same cities. That’s because prices are left up to each location’s owner. For example, a “Classic Pearl Milk Tea” in Dallas costs $5.99, while the exact same drink is just $4.75 at a Phoenix location.

How much does it cost to make your own boba milk tea?

Using the same top-grade quality ingredients as the priciest boba shops, you can make your own boba milk tea for $1.53. That’s over $4 less than the average boba shop!

That means 10 boba milk teas made at home is still cheaper than 3 drinks from boba shops. Just think of the bobabilities in a year.

And if you go with more generic ingredients or substitute real honey with syrup, that cost drops even more.

Here’s how the boba milk tea pricing break down…

• One pack of tapioca balls from Yami with 30 servings costs $4.99, making each serving of boba balls less than $0.17. I use this brand myself from a local store and it’s the perfect texture! You can also opt for any other popular boba topping.

• A 2 oz. pack of Boba Guys’ signature black tea blend at Tea People is $6. If a pack makes an estimated 15 strong cups (double up on tea when adding milk), each serving of tea is $0.40.

• The Boba Guys also use Straus’ Organic Whole Milk, which costs $5.49 for a half gallon (64 oz), making each serving of milk $0.34 if you use a half cup.

• Finally, add 2 Tbsp of honey to the boba for a hint of sweetness. From a small $4.99 12 oz. bottle of organic Sprouts’ honey, each serving is $0.62.

All in all, boba isn’t actually that expensive at all when made at home! When getting your milk tea fix elsewhere, you have to consider the tax, rent, labor, business upkeep, and profits that get rolled up into the drink you pay for.

Another option to get started on making your own boba milk tea at home is with a DIY boba kit gift.

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hand-made boba planters

On Etsy

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