Coca-Cola vs Pepsi: caffeine compared
Coca-Cola has 32 mg of caffeine per 11.2 oz can. Pepsi has 36 mg per 11.2 oz can.
Per serving Pepsi is ahead: 36 mg against 32 mg, slightly more. Per 100 ml Pepsi is ahead: 11 mg against 9.7 mg, slightly more.
| Coca-Cola | Pepsi | |
|---|---|---|
| Serving | 11.2 oz can (330 ml) | 11.2 oz can (330 ml) |
| Caffeine per serving | 32 mg | 36 mg |
| Caffeine per 100 ml | 9.7 mg | 11 mg |
| Caffeine per fl oz | 2.9 mg | 3.3 mg |
| In the same 12 oz (355 ml) | 34 mg | 39 mg |
| Share of the 400 mg daily limit | 8% | 9% |
| Peak level, 45 minutes in | 29 mg | 33 mg |
| Time to fall below 40 mg | already below | already below |
| Latest for an 11 pm bedtime | any time | any time |
| Servings to reach 400 mg | 12.5 | 11.1 |
What the numbers mean
Pepsi has slightly more caffeine than Coca-Cola, and the difference is too small to feel: a few milligrams per can.
Both are mild. A can of either is about a third of a mug of filter coffee and stays under the 40 mg sleep threshold on its own. Cola becomes a sleep problem through volume, not strength: a large bottle through the evening adds up to a coffee.
The full page for each
Common questions
Which has more caffeine, Coca-Cola or Pepsi?
Pepsi. One 11.2 oz can holds 36 mg, against 32 mg in one 11.2 oz can of Coca-Cola: slightly more.
Which is the better choice late in the day?
Either. One serving of each stays under 40 mg, the line Cira uses as low enough to sleep on, so neither is likely to keep you awake on its own.
How many can I have in a day?
Going by the 400 mg daily limit for healthy adults: about 12 servings of Coca-Cola or 11 of Pepsi, if that is the only caffeine you have. Anything else with caffeine in it counts toward the same limit.
More comparisons
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Where these numbers come from
Every figure is calculated with the model the Cira app uses: caffeine peaks 45 minutes after you take it and halves every 5.7 hours, a typical value for healthy adults. The 40 mg sleep line is a working threshold of the model, and the 400 mg daily limit is the figure used by the European Food Safety Authority and the US FDA. These are averages. Smoking, pregnancy, the contraceptive pill and some medicines change how fast you clear caffeine. How the numbers are worked out.
