We’ve reached the point where buying one coffee feels like applying for a small loan, and yet we still do it because caffeine is cheaper than therapy.

A closer look

That morning latte might look small, but the price tag hits like a heavyweight punch. Coffee shops have somehow transformed from friendly pit stops into luxury lounges where one cappuccino costs as much as a proper meal once did. And yet, we keep lining up, wallets trembling, because caffeine is still the most socially acceptable addiction around. Inflation may have made coffee feel like a guilty extravagance, but in a world full of deadlines and stress, that steaming cup still feels like both a survival tool and a small act of defiance.