Starbucks matcha latte: price, what's in it and how to make it at home

When Starbucks added the matcha latte to its menu in Spain, the first thing I did was go and try it. Occupational hazard: this is what I do for a living. I paid, took the first sip and thought two things at once: “it's nice” and “this doesn't taste of matcha”. Both were true, and that contradiction holds almost everything you're about to read here.

If you've landed on this article, you're probably in one of two camps: either you've already tried it, liked it and are wondering whether it's worth paying that every time when you could make it at home, or you haven't ordered it yet and want to know what to expect before handing over six euros for a green cup. There's an answer for both. Let's take it step by step.

How much a Starbucks matcha latte costs in Spain

According to the official Starbucks Spain menu, the Matcha Tea Latte costs:

If you order it for delivery, the price goes up: on Glovo and Uber Eats the iced versions and the variants with extras (strawberry, protein) range from 5,71 to 6,70 euros. Prices as of August 2026; Starbucks reviews them from time to time, so take them as a guide, not gospel.

Is it expensive? It depends on what you compare it with. Next to a milky coffee from a local café, yes. Next to what the same cup costs made at home with a better-quality matcha, the difference is a little scary. We'll get to that now.

What's really in a Starbucks matcha latte

The base is simple: powdered matcha tea and milk (you can choose a plant-based one). The detail hardly anyone looks at is that the matcha most big chains use comes pre-mixed with sugar. It's not a secret or a scandal, it's in their product information: it's a flavour decision so that the result is sweet and consistent in any shop in the world, whoever makes it.

That explains the “it's nice but it doesn't taste of matcha” feeling I had. The sweetness covers up what makes a good matcha interesting: the green, vegetal note, the umami, that gentle bitterness at the finish that in my house we call “the moment you understand why this isn't green hot chocolate”.

If you like it sweet, there's nothing wrong with that. But it's worth knowing that when you order a matcha latte there, what you're mostly paying for is sugar, milk and a shop in a good location. The matcha itself is a small fraction of the cup.

The maths Starbucks would rather you didn't do

A matcha latte takes about 2 grams of matcha. A 100 gram bag makes about 50 cups.

Our Organic Ceremonial Matcha Tea, 100 g, costs 20,99 euros. That's 0,42 euros of matcha per latte. Add the milk, 300-500 ml, which costs you between 25 and 40 cents at home depending on whether it's cow's milk or plant-based, and the whole cup comes to about 0,70 to 0,85 euros.

You don't need to be a maths whizz: for the price of seven chain lattes you get ceremonial matcha for two months. And not just any matcha, but a first-harvest one from Jingshan, the Chinese region where powdered tea was born centuries before it travelled to other countries. Yes, you read that right: matcha was born in China. We tell that story in another article and it tends to surprise people.

How to make the same matcha latte (or a better one) at home

The recipe below has been tested with our ceremonial matcha and works just as well with cow's milk as with plant-based drinks. In fact, oat milk is probably matcha's best partner: creamy, with a natural sweetness that doesn't cover the flavour.

You'll need:

• 2 g of ceremonial matcha (one level teaspoon, or two chashaku if you have the traditional bamboo scoop)
• 60 ml of hot water at 75-80 °C (important: never boiling, water at 100 °C scorches the matcha and makes it bitter)
• 300-500 ml of milk or plant-based drink (oat, soya or coconut work very well; almond makes it lighter)
• Optional: syrup, honey or sugar to taste

Step by step:

1. Sift the matcha into a bowl or wide cup. This step feels like a chore and everyone wants to skip it. Don't: it's the difference between a silky latte and one with little green lumps floating like algae in a pond.
2. Add the 60 ml of water at 75-80 °C. If you don't have a thermometer, boil the water and wait two or three minutes with the kettle lid open.
3. Whisk with the chasen (the bamboo whisk) in W or M shaped movements, not in circles, for about 20-30 seconds, until a fine foam forms. If you don't have a chasen, an electric milk frother will do; a fork, honestly, won't.
4. Heat the milk without letting it boil and, if you can, froth it.
5. Pour the milk over the matcha (or the other way round if you want it Instagram-worthy, with the green falling onto the white).
6. Taste before sweetening. With a genuine ceremonial matcha, you often discover you don't need sugar. That's the acid test.

Cold version (iced matcha latte): same method, but dissolve the matcha in 60 ml of lukewarm water, fill a glass with ice, add the cold milk and pour the matcha on top. In summer, nothing beats it.

So, should I stop going to Starbucks?

That's not what we're saying. A Starbucks has sofas, plugs and a toilet, three things your kitchen probably has too, but without the fun of getting out of the house. What we're saying is something else: if you really like matcha latte and drink it several times a week, making it at home saves you a considerable amount of money and gives you access to a class of matcha that no chain can serve at that volume.

If you want to taste the difference, our Organic Ceremonial Matcha Tea, 100 g is first harvest, first grade, stone-ground and certified organic in both Europe and the USA. It makes about 50 lattes. Do the maths next to your Starbucks receipt and decide for yourself.

Frequently asked questions

How much does a matcha latte cost at Starbucks Spain? Between 5,20 € (Tall) and 6,20 € (Venti) in store, according to the official menu. For delivery, between 5,71 and 6,70 € depending on the variant and platform.

Does the Starbucks matcha latte contain sugar? Yes, the matcha pre-mix used by the big chains includes sugar as standard. If you make it at home, you control the sweetness.

Can I order it with a plant-based drink? Yes, Starbucks lets you swap the milk for plant-based drinks. At home, oat milk is the one that pairs best with matcha thanks to its creaminess and natural sweetness.

What matcha do I need to make a latte at home? A ceremonial one if you want the best flavour with less quantity, or a good-quality culinary one if you're going to sweeten it a lot or blend it into smoothies and baking. What matters: that it's pure matcha, with no added sugar, and with a stated origin.

Why does my homemade matcha latte taste bitter? Almost always for one of two reasons: water that's too hot (never above 80 °C) or a low-grade matcha. Sifting and whisking properly also changes the result more than you'd think.