In brief
- A Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha from Panama sold for a record $30,204 per kg at the 2025 Best of Panama auction.
- Black Ivory Coffee from Thailand, processed through elephants, costs about $2,500 per kg.
- Kopi Luwak sells for $100 to $600 per pound, depending on source.
- A Dubai café sold cups of the record Geisha for Dh3,600 each from November 2025.
As of October 2026, the most expensive coffee ever sold is a washed Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda in Panama, which fetched $30,204 per kg at the Best of Panama auction in August 2025. The 20 kg lot sold for $604,080. Among coffees sold regularly, Thailand’s Black Ivory costs about $2,500 per kg.
Coffee prices at the top end are driven by auction bidding for tiny lots, unusual processing such as beans passed through animals, and very small harvests from remote farms.
This updated list replaces several entries from our older version, such as a novelty Starbucks drink and some farm coffees whose prices we could not confirm. It adds newer auction records and rare coffees that are now traded at high prices.
Also readMost Expensive Chocolates in the World 2026: Top 9 RankedThe most expensive coffees in the world: summary
| Rank | Coffee | Origin | Reported price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha | Panama | $30,204 per kg (auction, 2025) |
| 2 | Black Ivory Coffee | Thailand | About $2,500 per kg |
| 3 | Kopi Luwak | Indonesia | $100 to $600 per pound |
| 4 | Finca El Injerto | Guatemala | $500+ per pound (auction) |
| 5 | Yemeni Coffee | Yemen | Over $1,000 per kg (top microlots) |
| 6 | Misha Coffee | Peru | $600 to $700 per kg |
| 7 | Jacu Bird Coffee | Brazil | Over $600 per kg |
| 8 | Saint Helena Coffee | St Helena (UK territory) | $80 to $150 per pound |
| 9 | Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee | Jamaica | $50 to $100 per pound |
1. Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha: $30,204 per kg
Hacienda La Esmeralda, run by the Peterson family in Boquete, Panama, made the Geisha variety famous in the early 2000s. Its coffees are known for jasmine, bergamot and stone fruit notes.
At the Best of Panama auction in August 2025, a 20 kg lot of its washed Geisha scored 98 points, the highest in the competition’s history, and sold for $30,204 per kg, a total of $604,080. Dubai café Julith bought the lot and served it from November 2025 at Dh3,600 a cup, according to Gulf News.
The farm’s own private auction on 18 August 2026 set a record average of $5,745 per kg. Its top lot, a natural Geisha, sold for $10,253 per kg to The Espresso Lab in the UAE.
2. Black Ivory Coffee: $2,500 per kg
Black Ivory Coffee is made in northern Thailand. Arabica cherries are fed to elephants, and the beans are collected from the dung, cleaned and roasted. The company says digestion reduces bitterness and adds chocolate and spice notes.
Only a few hundred pounds are made each year. Mental Floss puts the price at about $2,500 per kg, while other sources quote $500 to $1,500 per pound. Animal welfare groups have criticised the process.
3. Kopi Luwak: $600 per pound
Kopi Luwak comes from Indonesia, mainly Sumatra, Java and Bali. The beans are eaten and passed by the Asian palm civet, then cleaned and roasted.
Prices range from about $100 to $600 per pound. Wild-sourced beans cost the most. Many farms keep civets in cages, which has led to strong criticism, so buyers are advised to check that the beans come from wild animals.
4. Finca El Injerto: $500 per pound
Finca El Injerto is a family farm in Huehuetenango, Guatemala, run by the same family for several generations. It is known for strict cherry selection and for its Peaberry and Pacamara lots.
Its best lots have sold for more than $500 per pound at auction, according to Food & Hotel Asia. The farm also runs reforestation projects and uses its own hydroelectric power.
5. Yemeni Coffee: $1,000 per kg
Yemen is one of the oldest coffee-growing countries. Coffee is grown on steep mountain terraces, often above 2,000 metres, and usually dried in the sun.
Most Yemeni coffee is moderately priced, but certain microlots sell for several hundred dollars to more than $1,000 per kg. Flavours include cocoa, dried fruit and spice.
6. Misha Coffee: $700 per kg
Misha Coffee comes from Peru and is one of a small group of rare South American coffees sold at specialist prices. It is produced in very small amounts each year.
It sells for about $600 to $700 per kg, according to Croatian roaster Franck, which tracks luxury coffee prices.
7. Jacu Bird Coffee: $600 per kg
Jacu Bird Coffee comes from Brazil. The jacu, a wild native bird, eats ripe coffee cherries, and farmers collect the beans from its droppings.
The coffee has chocolate and nut notes. It can sell for more than $600 per kg.
8. Saint Helena Coffee: $150 per pound
Saint Helena is a remote British territory in the South Atlantic, best known as the island where Napoleon was exiled. Its coffee descends from Green-Tipped Bourbon plants brought by the British in the 1700s.
The harvest is very small and shipping is difficult, so it sells for about $80 to $150 per pound.
9. Jamaican Blue Mountain Coffee: $100 per pound
Jamaican Blue Mountain is grown above 3,000 feet in the Blue Mountains of eastern Jamaica under strict certification rules. It is known for a mild, balanced cup with little bitterness.
It costs about $50 to $100 per pound. Japan buys most of the crop, and fake versions have appeared in other markets, so buyers should look for the official certification mark.
Record cups of coffee
Some cafés now sell single cups at record prices. In September 2025, Roasters in Dubai served a Panama Geisha cup for Dh2,500 (about $680), which Guinness World Records recognised as the most expensive commercially served cup of coffee. Julith’s Dh3,600 cup of the Esmeralda record lot followed weeks later.
For other luxury food and drink, see our lists of the most expensive chocolates and most expensive alcoholic drinks.
How we ranked these
We ranked coffees by the highest price reported by a named source, converting prices to a per-kg basis for comparison. Auction records are ranked alongside retail prices, but auction prices apply only to small winning lots.
Prices vary by year, roaster and harvest. Treat ranges as a guide rather than a fixed retail price.
Sources: Coffee Magazine, August 2025; Gulf News, October 2025; Casa Solution, August 2026; Mental Floss; Food & Hotel Asia, 2025.
Frequently asked questions
What is the most expensive coffee in the world?
The most expensive coffee ever sold is a washed Geisha from Hacienda La Esmeralda in Boquete, Panama. A 20 kg lot sold for $30,204 per kg, or $604,080 in total, at the Best of Panama auction in August 2025. Dubai café Julith bought it and sold cups at Dh3,600.
How much does Black Ivory Coffee cost?
Black Ivory Coffee from northern Thailand costs about $2,500 per kg, according to Mental Floss. The beans are passed through elephants before roasting, and only a few hundred pounds are made each year. Animal welfare groups have criticised the process.
What is the most expensive cup of coffee?
In November 2025, Dubai café Julith began selling cups of the record Hacienda La Esmeralda Geisha for Dh3,600 each. Earlier, in September 2025, Roasters in Dubai served a Panama Geisha cup for Dh2,500, which Guinness World Records recognised as the most expensive commercially served cup.
Why is Panama Geisha coffee so expensive?
Geisha plants give low yields, grow best at high altitude and produce a floral, tea-like cup that scores very highly with judges. Top lots are tiny, often 10 to 20 kg, and sold at online auctions where roasters from Asia, the Middle East and Australia bid against each other.
Is Kopi Luwak worth the price?
Kopi Luwak costs $100 to $600 per pound, mainly because of its unusual processing through civets. Many farms keep civets caged, which has drawn strong criticism from animal welfare groups. Buyers who want it are advised to check that the beans come from wild civets.
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