McDonald's iced coffee vs Monster: which has more caffeine?

Monster carries more total caffeine per serving (160mg per 16 oz can vs 133mg per 11.5 oz medium), but ounce for ounce McDonald's iced coffee is actually the stronger drink at about 12mg per fluid ounce against 10. Which one "has more caffeine" depends on whether you measure the container or the concentration.

These are different categories of drink, which changes how the caffeine arrives. Energy drinks and sodas list an exact number because caffeine is a measured additive; brewed drinks vary with the beans and the brew, so their figures are compiled averages. The numbers here are the standard published values for each.

McDonald's iced coffee vs Monster: the numbers

Sources: McDonald's iced coffee's figure is verified in our McDonald's iced coffee caffeine guide against Caffeine Informer (source); Monster's figure is verified in our Monster guide against Caffeine Informer (source).

Which one should you pick?

Pick McDonald's iced coffee when you want the lighter dose or a slower ramp, and Monster when you actually need the bigger hit and know your tolerance. If you are stacking either with other caffeinated drinks through the day, run the math against the 400mg reference rather than guessing.

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

• McDonald's iced coffee: the full caffeine guide
• Monster: the full caffeine guide
• The verified caffeine database
• Every drink compared: the comparisons index
• Compare any two of 120+ drinks

FAQ

Does McDonald's iced coffee or Monster have more caffeine? Monster: 160mg per 16 oz can versus 133mg per 11.5 oz medium for McDonald's iced coffee.

Which is stronger per ounce? McDonald's iced coffee, at about 11.6mg per fluid ounce versus 10.0mg for Monster.