If you need a cup of joe to get you going every day, the cost can add up.
And if you patronize a drive-thru, the amount of caffeine in your to-go cup can vary, depending on where you stopped.
Website Caffeine Informer has compiled caffeine content on more than 600 beverages using lab tests and information from the companies that make them. We used the data to compare a medium cup of joe at Dunkin' Donuts, McDonald's and Starbucks.
A medium cup of Dunkin' Donuts brewed coffee contains 210 milligrams of caffeine and costs $1.99. A medium cup of McDonald's coffee is just $1, but you'll get only 145 milligrams of caffeine. A grande (medium) cup of Starbucks Pike Place brew packs the biggest punch, with 330 milligrams of caffeine for $2.10. You would have to drink two and one-third cups of McDonald's coffee to get the same boost. To do that, you'd end up paying more at McDonald's ($2.27) than at Starbucks.
The caffeine content is closer in medium-sized lattes from the same three businesses.
A latte from Starbucks packs 150 milligrams of caffeine for $3.65. McDonald's has 142 milligrams for $2.99, and Dunkin' Donuts has 151 milligrams for $3.29.
