TheCafeIndex.
April 2026 reading
The Soft Drink Index
April 2026 reading · Next: October 2026

TheSoft Drink Index

The canonical Soft Drink, read from 1,100 café menus across Australia.

National median
$5.00
Across 1,100 venues that listed Soft Drink in the April 2026 reading.
First readingApril 2026 reading
National price range — 10th to 90th percentile
$3.80 p10median $5.00$6.50 p90
What does the spread look like?
111
389
373
115
47
26
3–4
4–5
5–6
6–7
7–8
8–9
Median $5.00
Strong sample
n=1,100 venues · spread $3.80–$6.50 · April 2026
By State & Metro
April 2026 Reading
Geographic variation
Median price of Soft Drink by state
WA$5.00NT$7.00SA$5.00QLD$4.50NSW$4.75VIC$5.00TAS$5.00ACT$5.00
CheaperMore expensive
By metro median
Darwin
$7.00
Melbourne
$5.00
Adelaide
$5.00
Perth
$5.00
Canberra
$5.00
Hobart
$5.00
Brisbane
$4.50
Sydney
$4.50
Australia
$5.00
Local readings of the Soft Drink Index
April 2026 Reading
By cityMelbourne $5.00Adelaide $5.00Perth $5.00Canberra $5.00Hobart $5.00Newcastle $4.95Gold Coast $4.65Brisbane $4.50Sydney $4.50
By stateVictoria $5.00South Australia $5.00Western Australia $5.00Australian Capital Territory $5.00Tasmania $5.00New South Wales $4.75Queensland $4.50
Cheapest regions — Soft Drink
#RegionPricen
1Nathan$4.50136
2Armidale$4.6034
3Blue Mountains$4.75331
4Bunbury$4.758
5Townsville$4.9552
Most expensive regions — Soft Drink
#RegionPricen
1Adelaide Hills$5.2510
2Casey - South$5.00258
3Mildura$5.0072
4Marion$5.0058
5Cottesloe - Claremont$5.0060
The Spread
April 2026 Reading

At the median Australian café, a Soft Drink costs $5.00 this reading. The middle half of venues sit between $4.50 and $5.50 — but the regional spread is the story. In Adelaide Hills the median runs $5.25; in Nathan it's $4.50.

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.

The gap between the dearest and cheapest region for Soft Drink is $0.75 +15.0% of the national median.
Soft Drink prices — the short answers
April 2026 Reading

How much is a Soft Drink in Australia?

A Soft Drink costs $5.00 at the median Australian café, based on 1,100 priced menus in the April 2026 reading. The middle half of cafés charge between $4.50 and $5.50.

Which state has the cheapest Soft Drink?

Queensland is cheapest at $4.50; Northern Territory is dearest at $7.00.

Where is a Soft Drink most expensive?

Of the regions we read, Adelaide Hills has the dearest median at $5.25 and Nathan the cheapest at $4.50.

More from Cold Drinks
April 2026 Reading
Milkshake $8.00Iced Chocolate $7.50Fresh Juice $7.50Smoothie $10.00Still Water $4.50Sparkling Water $5.00Coke $4.50Orange Juice $7.50Lemonade $5.45Apple Juice $6.50Kombucha $6.50
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