Which is cheaper, Olive Garden or Starbucks?

Starbucks is cheaper, averaging $4.13 per item versus $7.98 for Olive Garden — a 48% difference. Based on 123 menu items as of April 2026.

Which has more menu items, Olive Garden or Starbucks?

Starbucks has more menu items (74 vs 49). The total combined menu across both chains is 123 items.

Which has lower calories, Olive Garden or Starbucks?

Starbucks averages 308 calories per item, compared to 850 for Olive Garden. Both chains offer items under 500 calories.

Are Olive Garden and Starbucks similar?

Olive Garden (956 US locations) and Starbucks (13,502 US locations) compete on 0 similar menu categories. Cuisine overlap: 0%.

Olive Garden vs Starbucks (2026)

Side-by-side comparison of menu prices, calories, and value. 49 items at Olive Garden vs 74 items at Starbucks.

Quick answer: As of April 2026, Olive Garden averages $7.98 per item across 49 menu items, while Starbucks averages $4.13 across 74 items. Starbucks is $3.84 cheaper per item (48% difference). Starbucks has lower average calories (308 vs 850 per item).

Quick Comparison

Olive Garden vs Starbucks: Quick Price & Menu Comparison
Metric	Olive Garden	Starbucks	Winner
Avg Price	$7.98	$4.13	Starbucks
Menu Items	49	74	Starbucks
Avg Calories	850	308	Starbucks
US Locations	956	13,502	Starbucks
Secret Menu	0	15	Starbucks

Starbucks is 48% cheaper on average than Olive Garden ($3.84 less per item).

Cheapest Items

Olive Garden

Sundae $1.79

Italian Bottled Water $2.50

Iced Tea Fresh Brewed $2.69

Fountain Drinks $2.69

Fruit Juices $2.89

Starbucks

Chocolate Chip Cookie $1.95

Salted Caramel or Birthday Cake Pop $1.95

Freshly Brewed Coffee $2.10

Teavana® Shaken Iced Tea $2.25

Double Chocolate Chunk Brownie $2.35

Lowest Calorie Options

Olive Garden

Minestrone 110 cal

Famous House Salad To Go 150 cal

Pasta e fagioli 150 cal

Zuppa Toscana 220 cal

Chicken And Gnocchi 230 cal

Starbucks

Skinny Vanilla Latte 70 cal

Mango Dragonfruit Refresher (Grande) 90 cal

Strawberry Acai Refresher (Grande) 100 cal

Iced Coffee (with or without Milk) 120 cal

Pink Drink (Grande) 140 cal

Deep Comparison: Olive Garden vs Starbucks

Calorie Value (cents per calorie)

Olive Garden delivers 1.69¢/cal on average, while Starbucks delivers 5.04¢/cal. Olive Garden gives more calories per dollar — a key metric for value-per-meal seekers.

Menu Category Overlap

Olive Garden and Starbucks share 0 menu categories (0% Jaccard overlap). Low overlap — these chains serve mostly different food categories.

What Fits in Your Budget

$10 budget: Olive Garden fits 0 items, Starbucks fits 3 items (310 cal)
$15 budget: Olive Garden fits 1 item (1480 cal), Starbucks fits 3 items (1100 cal)
$20 budget: Olive Garden fits 0 items, Starbucks fits 3 items (1100 cal)

Where They Rank in Our 414-Chain Dataset

Olive Garden ranks #229 of 414 on price (pricier than 55% of tracked chains). Starbucks ranks #49 of 414 (cheaper than 88% of chains).

Calorie Distribution (items under 500 cal)

At Olive Garden, 21% of menu items with calorie data come in under 500 calories. At Starbucks, 92% are under 500 calories. Starbucks offers more lower-calorie options proportionally.

Bottom Line

Budget pick: Starbucks ($4.13 avg vs $7.98)
More variety: Starbucks (74 items)
More locations: Starbucks (13,502 US locations)
Best calorie value: Olive Garden (1.69¢/cal)

Full Menus

Olive Garden Menu Starbucks Menu Cheapest Fast Food Low Calorie Guide