Coca-Cola Classic vs Red Bull vs Monster: which has more caffeine?

Monster has the most caffeine of the three: 160mg per 16 oz can, against 80mg per 8.4 oz can for Red Bull and 34mg per 12 oz can for Coca-Cola Classic. It also leads per ounce, at roughly 10mg to 2.8mg, so the order holds whichever way you count.

Coca-Cola Classic vs Red Bull vs Monster: the numbers

Sources: Coca-Cola Classic is 34mg per 12 oz can per Caffeine Informer (source), and the figure is carried in our Coca-Cola Classic guide; Red Bull is 80mg per 8.4 oz can per Caffeine Informer (source), and the figure is carried in our Red Bull guide; Monster is 160mg per 16 oz can per Caffeine Informer (source), and the figure is carried in our Monster guide.

Why the three numbers are not measured the same way

Canned drinks list an exact figure because caffeine is a measured ingredient, so the number on the label is the number in the can. Brewed drinks are averages: grind, dose, water temperature and steep time move a cup of coffee or tea by tens of milligrams either way. When you compare across those categories, treat the canned figures as fixed and the brewed ones as a center point with real spread around it.

The three head-to-head pages

Each pairing has its own page with the full math:

• Coca-Cola Classic vs Red Bull, head to head
• Coca-Cola Classic vs Monster, head to head
• Red Bull vs Monster, head to head

Which one should you pick?

Take Coca-Cola Classic when you want the smallest dose of the three, Red Bull when you want a middle number without thinking about it, and Monster when you actually want the 160mg and know how you handle it. If you drink more than one caffeinated thing a day, the useful move is adding the day up against the 400mg reference rather than judging each drink alone.

For context, the FDA cites 400mg of caffeine a day as an amount generally not associated with negative effects in healthy adults. Tolerance and health vary, so treat these numbers as information, not advice.

Related reading

• The verified caffeine database
• Every drink compared: the comparisons index
• Compare any two of 120+ drinks

FAQ

Which has the most caffeine, Coca-Cola Classic, Red Bull or Monster? Monster, at 160mg per 16 oz can. Red Bull has 80mg per 8.4 oz can and Coca-Cola Classic has 34mg per 12 oz can.

Which of the three is strongest per ounce? Monster, at about 10mg per fluid ounce, ahead of Red Bull at 9.5mg and Coca-Cola Classic at 2.8mg.

How many Monster servings reach the FDA 400mg reference? About 2.5 of them, at 16 oz can each. The FDA cites 400mg a day as an amount generally not associated with negative effects in healthy adults. This is information, not advice.