For many, coffee is more than just a morning ritual — it’s an essential kickstart to the day or a welcome boost after long hours on the go or travelling. But in Australia and New Zealand, enjoying a cup of locally-grown coffee is a celebrated part of daily life, no excuses needed. In both countries, coffee culture is deeply ingrained thanks to thriving café scenes offering exclusively espresso-based brews—making these two countries the only places outside Italy to do so. Unlike in the United States, where filter coffee and drip brews dominate, Australians and New Zealanders expect their coffee to be rich, robust, and unapologetically espresso.
With this passion comes a friendly rivalry, as both countries proudly claim their coffee as the best. But where exactly in Oceania can coffee lovers find the ultimate caffeine culture? We’ve crunched the numbers to uncover the destination that truly earns the title of the coffee capital of Australia and New Zealand.
To discover the coffee capitals of the countries down under, we analysed multiple data points including over 2.37 million customer reviews on Google Maps and over 4,000 social media posts to create an index. We gathered 663 data points and scored them out of 100, with those scoring the closest to 100 overall being crowned the ultimate caffeine hotspots. The scores are calculated based on the following data points:
The number of coffee shops per person (based on city population numbers)
The average customer rating for coffee shops in each city
The number of customer reviews per coffee shop
The number of #Coffee posts on Instagram in each city compared to the population
Best Cities for Coffee in Australia and New Zealand
Queenstown in New Zealand is the city with the best coffee culture, scoring an impressive 97.8 out of 100 in our index.
Australia dominates the top 10 list, with eight Australian cities claiming a spot compared to just two New Zealand destinations.
Coffs Harbour in New South Wales is Australia’s coffee capital, scoring 66.4 out of 100, followed by the Gold Coast and Cairns.
In New Zealand, Queenstown tops the list as the country’s best destination for coffee lovers, followed by Taupo and Rotorua.
Despite being renowned for its coffee culture, Sydney, Australia narrowly misses out on the top 10 best cities for coffee, claiming 12th place in our list.
Oceania’s coffee capitals
1. Queenstown, New Zealand – 97.8 out of 100
Whether you’re planning a move to Queenstown or just visiting, you’ll soon discover that the locals take their coffee very seriously. Our research reveals that Queenstown ranks impressively high for coffee culture, earning an almost-perfect score of 98 out of 100. While this South Island gem may have a modest number of cafés (112 according to Google Maps), what it lacks in quantity, it makes up for in quality. Each café averages over 400 reviews with an impressive rating of 4.47 out of five — far surpassing other cities on the list. Among Queenstown’s top-rated spots is ‘Life’s a Grind’, a popular coffee van on Stanley Street that boasts glowing five-star reviews served out of a reupholstered van.
2. Coffs Harbour, Australia – 66.4 out of 100
Coffs Harbour café scene is vibrant and unique, just like the coastal city itself. There are also multiple roasteries where caffeine enthusiasts can enjoy local produce. One five-star review described the atmosphere perfectly: “The café culture in Coffs just hits different.” Like Queenstown, there aren’t hundreds of coffee shops to explore in Coffs Harbour, however, the 149 available come with an average of 287 reviews each and are rated 4.23 out of five. If you’re looking to move to Australia and spend some time in Coffs Harbour, be sure to stop at Artisti Espresso Bar & Roastery where you can sip freshly roasted, high-quality coffee conveniently located between Coffs Harbour and the coastal town of Sawtell.
3. Gold Coast, Australia – 60.7 out of 100
Boasting 379 shops to serve its 647,078 population, the Gold Coast is the third-best city for coffee lovers in Oceania. The Australian city scores 60.7 out of 100 and has a fantastic coffee scene – with gold-star flat whites from institutions such as Stairwell Coffee in central Gold Coast. Its plethora of cafes and the high number of reviews and ratings put the East Coast city on the coffee capital’s map.
Of the top 20 cities for coffee lovers, three-quarters (15 cities) are located in Australia and just five are New Zealand-based. Interestingly, apart from Queenstown, which dominates the top position with a score of 97.8, no other major New Zealand city is in the top 20. Taupō, a territorial authority district in New Zealand with a population of just 42,600 completes the top 10 with a score of 49; Rotorua, the country’s 13th largest city based on population size, ranks in 13th spot in our coffee index, while Nelson and Timaru occupy 19th and 20th positions.
Top 20 Best Destinations For Coffee Lovers In Australia & New Zealand
Rank
Destination
Country
No. of coffee shops
Customer reviews
Avg. coffee shop rating
Final score (/100)
1
Queenstown
New Zealand
112
44,762
4.47
97.8
2
Coffs Harbour
Australia
149
42,804
4.23
66.4
3
Gold Coast
Australia
379
117,894
4.42
60.7
4
Cairns
Australia
172
40,065
4.26
60.5
5
Sunshine Coast
Australia
271
49,283
4.40
57.2
6
Shepparton
Australia
106
17,296
4.23
57.0
7
Melbourne
Australia
1,127
325,105
4.37
55.0
8
Mildura
Australia
66
15,465
4.34
52.3
9
Brisbane
Australia
883
167,782
4.42
49.3
10
Taupō
New Zealand
70
30,644
4.36
49.0
11
Adelaide
Australia
574
114,003
4.37
47.4
12
Sydney
Australia
1,340
279,046
4.35
46.5
13
Rotorua
New Zealand
111
38,657
4.43
46.5
14
Ballarat
Australia
161
41,818
4.19
46.4
15
Hobart
Australia
228
47,222
4.37
46.3
16
Hervey Bay
Australia
117
28,469
4.29
46.1
17
Launceston
Australia
182
37,267
4.31
45.0
18
Newcastle
Australia
281
48,313
4.34
44.9
19
Nelson
New Zealand
143
24,582
4.46
44.7
20
Timaru
New Zealand
85
24,238
4.40
43.6
New Zealand’s coffee capitals
Queenstown takes the gold medal by a landslide, scoring 97.8 out of 100 in our index, all thanks to the incredible number of highly-rated reviews accredited to its 112 coffee shops. With over 44,000 reviews in total, each coffee spot on average garners around 400 reviews, indicating a strong coffee culture that customers love.
Following Queenstown, the lakeside city of Taupō ranks second, with a final score just shy of 49. With 70 coffee shops, Taupō’s coffee scene is impressively well-rated, averaging a score of 4.36 across its reviews. In third place is Rotorua, which combines a rich cultural heritage that attracts tourists all year round with a thriving coffee culture. Rotorua’s 111 coffee shops maintain an average rating of 4.43, which is a testament to the city’s dedication to serve high-quality coffee.
Wellington, another city known for its vibrant café culture, places seventh with a score of 39.67, despite having a substantial 247 coffee shops. The city receives considerable attention on social media, contributing to its score and its coffee shops average 238 reviews each, reflecting a love from visitors. Despite 2024 statistics reporting that the coffee and café culture in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, is shrinking, it ranks 17th on the list, boasting the highest number of coffee shops at 681.
Rank
Destination
Number of coffee shops
No. of customer reviews
Average coffee shop rating
Final score (/100)
1
Queenstown
112
44,762
4.47
97.8
2
Taupō
70
30,644
4.36
49.0
3
Rotorua
111
38,657
4.43
46.5
4
Nelson
143
24,582
4.46
44.7
5
Timaru
85
24,238
4.40
43.6
6
Whangārei
139
26,281
4.43
40.8
7
Wellington
247
58,834
4.45
39.7
8
Whanganui
81
22,769
4.36
38.2
9
Dunedin
175
40,858
4.41
37.9
10
Masterton
110
22,714
4.35
36.9
11
Blenheim
59
13,967
4.34
36.3
12
New Plymouth
157
31,070
4.40
36.0
13
Christchurch
275
73,554
4.35
35.9
14
Napier-Hastings
147
31,636
4.40
35.0
15
Hamilton
213
52,168
4.35
33.9
16
Tauranga
247
50,377
4.37
33.5
17
Auckland
681
140,614
4.32
32.7
18
Gisborne
49
5,682
4.43
32.0
19
Palmerston North
167
30,355
4.36
31.8
20
Invercargill
63
11,345
4.38
31.6
Australia’s coffee capitals
With 149 coffee shops and an impressive review count averaging 287 reviews per shop, Coffs Harbour earns a final score of 66.4. The city’s average rating of 4.23 shows that coffee quality is high, and paired with Coffs Harbour’s cosy coastal vibe, this is a must-visit destination for coffee aficionados.
The Gold Coast comes in second, boasting 379 coffee shops with an impressive average rating of 4.42, showing how consistent the flat whites and long blacks are in this Australian city. With a high final score of 60.7, the Gold Coast combines beachside relaxation with premium coffee, making it a caffeine hotspot for both residents and tourists. Just behind is Cairns, which ranks third with 172 coffee shops and a final score of 60.5. Known for its tropical appeal and exciting coffee culture, proven with an average rating of 4.26 across its coffee shops.
Melbourne, where locals often claim to be home to the best coffee in Australia, ranks sixth with an incredible selection of 1,127 coffee shops. Despite its lower ranking, Melbourne’s average coffee shop rating of 4.37 indicates a thriving and diverse coffee scene. With a final score just shy of 55, Melbourne maintains its reputation as a global coffee destination, offering everything from artisanal brews to local roasteries. Sydney and Brisbane, ranked 10th and eighth respectively, also showcase the culture that Australia harnesses so well. Sydney’s 1,340 coffee shops and Brisbane’s 883 locations each maintain high average ratings, proving there are many options for Australians to enjoy a premium brew.
Rank
Destination
Number of coffee shops
No. of customer reviews
Average coffee shop rating
Final Score /100
1
Coffs Harbour
149
42,804
4.23
66.4
2
Gold Coast
379
117,894
4.42
60.7
3
Cairns
172
40,065
4.26
60.5
4
Sunshine Coast
271
49,283
4.40
57.2
5
Shepparton
106
17,296
4.23
57.0
6
Melbourne
1,127
325,105
4.37
55.0
7
Mildura
66
15,465
4.34
52.3
8
Brisbane
883
167,782
4.42
49.3
9
Adelaide
574
114,003
4.37
47.4
10
Sydney
1,340
279,046
4.35
46.5
11
Ballarat
161
41,818
4.19
46.4
12
Hobart
228
47,222
4.37
46.3
13
Hervey Bay
117
28,469
4.29
46.1
14
Launceston
182
37,267
4.31
45.0
15
Newcastle
281
48,313
4.34
44.9
16
Darwin
168
27,338
4.22
43.0
17
Bunbury
131
30,915
4.21
42.0
18
Perth
694
136,759
4.36
40.7
19
Geelong
263
45,885
4.30
39.0
20
Townsville
174
34,896
4.22
38.0
If you’re now living in Australia or considering a move to New Zealand, consider using Remitly to send money home.
Methodology: How we discovered the coffee capitals of Australia and New Zealand
The number of coffee shops, reviews, and average review scores were analysed using Google Maps by searching for coffee shops and cafes in and around the given cities. We analysed over 2.37 million customer reviews on Google Maps.
To find out how many Instagram posts about coffee were present across the countries, we reviewed 110,414 posts from the #coffee hashtag, isolating 4,193 from Australia and New Zealand. This smaller dataset was then analysed to find which towns and cities were posting about coffee the most.
All data was pooled together and transposed into scores out of 100, where 100 is the highest value in the country. These scores are calculated as follows:
Coffee Shops Per Person Score:
Number of coffee shops per person (city population).
Coffee Shop Rating Score:
The average rating for a coffee shop in that city. The average rating of any establishment included in our study on Google Maps is 4.11, which is considered “zero” for this score. i.e. If the average score of coffee chops in a city is 4.11 or lower, it gets a 0 on this score.
Coffee Shop Reviews Score:
The average number of reviews per coffee shop in the city.
#Coffee Posts Per Person Score:
The number of Instagram posts to #coffee per person (city population).
