Coffee Vending Machine for Bangalore Office — Buy or Rent?
Published 2026-04-19 by Barath A. R.
Short answer: rent, unless you're a 1,000+ person office with stable headcount. Longer answer below.
The buy math
A bean-to-cup commercial machine for a 200-cup office costs ₹1.8-3.5 lakh upfront. AMC is ₹18,000-₹36,000/year. Ingredients separately at ₹4-8 per cup. Depreciation on your books over 5 years. Total cost of ownership at 200 cups/day for 5 years: ~₹25 lakh.
The rent math
Same consumption on a rent-plus-consumption model (most Bangalore providers): ₹8-₹12 per cup all-inclusive. For 200 cups/day: ₹5,000-₹7,500/day = ₹15-₹22 lakh over 5 years. Cheaper, zero capex, and the machine stays current (you don't get stuck with 2020 tech in 2030).
When buying makes sense
- Very large offices (1,000+ cups/day) — economies of scale
- Companies with fast-depreciation tax treatment
- Locations with specific machine requirements (e.g. premium brand showpiece)
When renting wins
Everyone else. 95% of Bangalore offices. Zero capex, predictable monthly bill, machine refresh every 3-4 years, single vendor for machine + ingredients + service.
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