Which is cheaper, Papa John's or Starbucks?

Starbucks is cheaper, averaging $4.13 per item versus $11.72 for Papa John's — a 65% difference. Based on 153 menu items as of April 2026.

Which has more menu items, Papa John's or Starbucks?

Papa John's has more menu items (79 vs 74). The total combined menu across both chains is 153 items.

Which has lower calories, Papa John's or Starbucks?

Starbucks averages 308 calories per item, compared to 369 for Papa John's. Both chains offer items under 500 calories.

Are Papa John's and Starbucks similar?

Papa John's (3,200 US locations) and Starbucks (13,502 US locations) compete on 0 similar menu categories. Cuisine overlap: 0%.

Papa John's vs Starbucks (2026)

Side-by-side comparison of menu prices, calories, and value. 79 items at Papa John's vs 74 items at Starbucks.

Quick answer: As of April 2026, Papa John's averages $11.72 per item across 79 menu items, while Starbucks averages $4.13 across 74 items. Starbucks is $7.58 cheaper per item (65% difference). Starbucks has lower average calories (308 vs 369 per item).

Quick Comparison

Papa John's vs Starbucks: Quick Price & Menu Comparison
Metric	Papa John's	Starbucks	Winner
Avg Price	$11.72	$4.13	Starbucks
Menu Items	79	74	Papa John's
Avg Calories	369	308	Starbucks
US Locations	3,200	13,502	Starbucks
Secret Menu	1	15	Starbucks

Starbucks is 65% cheaper on average than Papa John's ($7.58 less per item).

Cheapest Items

Papa John's

Cheese (Large) $0.50

Special Garlic $0.50

Barbeque $0.50

Blue Cheese $0.50

Buffalo $0.50

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

Papa John's

Jalapeño Peppers 60 cal

Ranch 100 cal

Special Garlic 150 cal

Honey Mustard 150 cal

Blue Cheese 160 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: Papa John's vs Starbucks

Calorie Value (cents per calorie)

Papa John's delivers 3.50¢/cal on average, while Starbucks delivers 5.04¢/cal. Papa John's gives more calories per dollar — a key metric for value-per-meal seekers.

Menu Category Overlap

Papa John's 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: Papa John's fits 0 items, Starbucks fits 3 items (310 cal)
$15 budget: Papa John's fits 1 item (270 cal), Starbucks fits 3 items (1100 cal)
$20 budget: Papa John's fits 3 items, Starbucks fits 3 items (1100 cal)

Where They Rank in Our 414-Chain Dataset

Papa John's ranks #344 of 414 on price (pricier than 83% of tracked chains). Starbucks ranks #49 of 414 (cheaper than 88% of chains).

Calorie Distribution (items under 500 cal)

At Papa John's, 93% of menu items with calorie data come in under 500 calories. At Starbucks, 92% are under 500 calories. Papa John's offers more lower-calorie options proportionally.

Bottom Line

Budget pick: Starbucks ($4.13 avg vs $11.72)
More variety: Papa John's (79 items)
More locations: Starbucks (13,502 US locations)
Best calorie value: Papa John's (3.50¢/cal)

Full Menus

Papa John's Menu Starbucks Menu Cheapest Fast Food Low Calorie Guide