The canonical Short Black, read from 2,365 café menus across Australia.
| # | Region | Price | n |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nathan | $4.00 | 331 |
| 2 | Gosford | $4.00 | 753 |
| 3 | Orange | $4.00 | 72 |
| 4 | Whitsunday | $4.00 | 5 |
| 5 | Augusta - Margaret River - Busselton | $4.06 | 16 |
| # | Region | Price | n |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Casey - South | $4.50 | 449 |
| 2 | South East Coast | $4.50 | 14 |
| 3 | North Canberra | $4.50 | 60 |
| 4 | Hobart Inner | $4.50 | 34 |
| 5 | Adelaide Hills | $4.50 | 32 |
At the median Australian café, a Short Black costs $4.20 this reading. The middle half of venues sit between $4.00 and $4.70 — but the regional spread is the story. In Casey - South the median runs $4.50; in Nathan it's $4.00.
Sample sizes vary by region — every number on this page ships with its n, and regions below our confidence bar are marked indicative or thin. Medians, not means: one $40 outlier doesn't move the number.
A Short Black costs $4.20 at the median Australian café, based on 2,365 priced menus in the April 2026 reading. The middle half of cafés charge between $4.00 and $4.70.
New South Wales is cheapest at $4.00; Northern Territory is dearest at $4.70.
Of the regions we read, Casey - South has the dearest median at $4.50 and Nathan the cheapest at $4.00.
For the dedicated Flat White Index — with deeper coffee analysis, roaster intel and suburb rankings — see SmallFlatWhite. TheCafeIndex covers the breadth; SmallFlatWhite covers the coffee depth.