Free tool
The Tea Value Calculator
Tea pricing hides behind formats: sachet tins, 20-count boxes, 240-bag family packs, loose leaf by the ounce. One number cuts through all of it, the cost per cup. Type in any listing and see what you are really paying, then compare it with what every major brand charges.
Enter the two numbers from any tea listing and we compute what you are actually paying per cup, the one number that makes a 20-count sachet tin and a 240-bag family box directly comparable. Every ranking on this site runs on it.
Formula: price ÷ cups × 100. Runs in your browser; nothing is stored.
The verified table
What major teas really cost per cup
Every row is computed from the live Amazon price and the bag or serving count stated in the exact listing our review links to. The spread is real: the cheapest honest cup we track costs about 6.9 cents and the premium sachets run past 45 cents, a 6x difference for a mug of tea.
| Tea | Package | Price | Cost / cup | Our review | Where to buy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Yorkshire Tea Red | 160 bags | $10.99 | ≈ 6.9¢ | Read the review | Check price |
| Prince of Peace Organic Oolong | 200 bags | $14.99 | ≈ 7.5¢ | Read the review | Check price |
| Twinings English Breakfast | 100 bags | $12.38 | ≈ 12.4¢ | Read the review | Check price |
| Vahdam English Breakfast (loose leaf) | 170+ cups stated | $21.99 | ≈ 12.9¢ | Read the review | Check price |
| Tetley Decaf | 80 bags | $11.52 | ≈ 14.4¢ | Read the review | Check price |
| Stash Chai Spice | 20 bags | $3.47 | ≈ 17.4¢ | Read the review | Check price |
| Bigelow English Teatime (6-box case) | 120 bags | $21.12 | ≈ 17.6¢ | Read the review | Check price |
| Yogi Bedtime (4-pack) | 64 bags | $17.84 | ≈ 27.9¢ | Read the review | Check price |
| Vahdam Cardamom Masala Chai | 100 bags | $27.99 | ≈ 28.0¢ | Read the review | Check price |
| Harney & Sons English Breakfast | 50 sachets | $19.99 | ≈ 40.0¢ | Read the review | Check price |
| Harney & Sons Egyptian Chamomile | 20 sachets | $9.00 | ≈ 45.0¢ | Read the review | Check price |
Prices reflect our most recent Amazon data pull and move week to week; the linked listings always show the current price. Counts come from each listing's own label. As an Amazon Associate we may earn from qualifying purchases, at no cost to you.
How the metric works
A cup of tea uses one bag, or about 2 grams of loose leaf. So the honest price of a tea is its package price divided by the cups the package makes, a number most listings bury behind pack sizes and multipacks. We compute it from the label count printed on each listing, never from estimates. Read the full methodology.
Citing this data
Writers, researchers, and tea communities are welcome to cite this table and calculator with a link to this page as the source. The dataset is maintained by the Best Tea Bags desk and refreshed as prices move and brands repackage. Questions or a correction? Contact the desk.
Value questions, answered straight
What is a good cost per cup of tea?
Across every listing we track, bulk British staples set the floor at roughly 7 cents per cup (Yorkshire Tea Red works out to about 6.9 cents at 160 bags for $10.99). Standard 100-count boxes from Twinings, Ahmad, and PG Tips run 10 to 15 cents. Premium bags and wellness blends run 15 to 30 cents, and whole-leaf sachets from brands like Harney and Sons run 35 to 45 cents and up.
Why rank tea by cost per cup instead of package price?
Because package formats hide the real price. A $3.47 box of 20 bags costs more per cup than a $10.99 box of 160 bags, about 17 cents versus 7 cents. Dividing price by the number of cups is the only way to compare a sachet tin, a family box, and loose leaf on equal footing.
How do you count cups for loose leaf tea?
We use the brand's own stated serving count from the listing, for example Vahdam's 170+ cups from a 12 ounce bag, which assumes roughly 2 grams per cup. If a loose leaf listing states no serving count, we do not put it in the table, because there is no honest number to compute.
Where do the numbers in the reference table come from?
Every row uses the live Amazon price and the bag or serving count printed in that exact listing's title, and links to our published review of the brand. Prices move; we refresh the table when our price data refreshes, and the linked reviews carry the current button price. Spreads of a few cents are normal week to week.