Green coffee got cheaper this autumn. The International Coffee Organization's Coffee Market Report for September 2026, published in October, puts its composite price at 262.18 US cents per pound, 8.7% below August and 19.2% below September 2025. Store shelves in Canada tell another story: Statistics Canada's average retail price for a 340 g bag of roasted or ground coffee was $9.27 in September 2026, up from $9.14 a year earlier. For an office or a venue that runs a self-service coffee bar, here is what the two numbers mean and what to check before winter.
Coffee for your team at a fixed price per drink. $99 a month per station, $0.95 per drink for the first 300, and two weeks free before the first invoice.
Book the two-week trial +1 613-867-7767 · info@fastcoffee.ca
What the ICO reported for September 2026
The ICO links the fall to Brazil's harvest reaching the market. On September 24, Brazil's crop agency CONAB raised its estimate for the 2026/27 crop to a record 67.6 million bags. The ICO now expects a surplus of 3.0 million bags for coffee year 2025/26, the first after four years of deficits, and estimates world consumption in 2025/26 at 0.8% below the previous year. Every one of the four ICO group indicators fell in September, by between 7.3% and 9.9%.
| ICO price, US¢/lb | Sep 2025 | Sep 2026 | vs Aug 2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Composite price (I-CIP) | 324.62 | 262.18 | −8.7% |
| Colombian Milds (Arabica) | 403.77 | 356.15 | −8.1% |
| Other Milds (Arabica) | 400.21 | 329.44 | −8.8% |
| Brazilian Naturals (Arabica) | 374.91 | 290.19 | −9.9% |
| Robustas | 210.85 | 167.49 | −7.3% |
Sources: ICO Coffee Market Report, September 2026; ICO Coffee Market Report, September 2025. The 19.2% year-over-year drop is our calculation from the two reports.
Why the price on the shelf barely moved
Statistics Canada tracks the average price of a 340 g bag of roasted or ground coffee every month. It was $6.91 in September 2024 and $9.14 in September 2025. Over the past year it has stayed between $9.14 and $9.54, with the high in July 2026, and stood at $9.27 in September. In Ontario the September figure was $9.18. Groceries overall rose 1.7% year over year in September, the smallest increase since May 2024, according to the Consumer Price Index released on October 19.
The ICO also lists what still props up prices. Certified Arabica stocks on the ICE exchange fell to 217,646 bags on September 15, the lowest level since 1999. The US Climate Prediction Center put the chance of a very strong El Niño above 90%. And the 3.0-million-bag surplus is smaller than one week of world consumption.
Sources: Statistics Canada, Monthly average retail prices for selected products (table 18-10-0245-01); The Daily, Consumer Price Index, September 2026 (October 19, 2026).
What it means for an office or venue with a self-service coffee bar
At $9.27 for 340 g, store-bought ground coffee works out to about $27.26 a kilo (our calculation), close to where it stood a year ago. How much of it reaches your budget depends on who buys the beans.
- Offices: our office coffee service costs $99 a month per station plus $0.95 per drink for the first 300 drinks and $0.75 above that. Beans and milk powder are restocked on service visits and paid through the per-drink price, so the invoice counts the station and the drinks poured. Employees pay $0 at the machine.
- Venues: a self-service coffee bar for a gym, clinic, play centre or dealership lounge costs the venue $0. Visitors pay $2.75–$3.85 per drink by card, and the venue receives 15% of the station's net monthly profit or a flat $150 a month.
- Kitchen coffee you buy yourself: the shelf price above is what you pay, plus milk, cups and the staff time to brew and clean.
Five checks before winter
- Count your drinks. Take the last two or three months of coffee purchases and work out how many cups the team actually drinks.
- Put every cost on one line. Beans, milk, cups, filters, machine repairs and the minutes someone spends on the pot.
- Divide by the cups. That gives your real cost per drink to compare with a per-drink price.
- Read what the price includes. With a self-service coffee station, check that beans, milk powder, cleaning cycles, repairs and removal are in the agreement.
- Test it on your floor. Our two-week trial for offices runs before the first invoice; venues start with a 15-minute site check.
FAQ
Are coffee prices going down in Canada?
Green coffee prices are. The ICO composite price averaged 262.18 US cents per pound in September 2026, down 8.7% from August. The Statistics Canada shelf price for 340 g of roasted or ground coffee was $9.27 in September 2026, slightly above $9.14 a year earlier.
What does a self-service coffee bar cost an office in Ottawa?
With Fast Coffee, $99 CAD a month per station plus $0.95 per drink for the first 300 drinks each month and $0.75 above that. Cups are billed separately, and the first two weeks are free.
Does a venue pay for the coffee machine?
The venue pays $0 to host the station, visitors pay by card at the machine, and the venue receives 15% of net monthly profit or a flat $150 a month.
See your real cost per cup. Send the address and headcount; we check the spot, the outlet and the water, and put the per-drink price in writing.
