The quick answer
A latte and a cappuccino start from the same shot of espresso. The difference is the milk: a latte is mostly steamed milk with a thin layer of foam, so it tastes smooth and mild. A cappuccino is equal parts espresso, steamed milk, and thick airy foam, so it tastes stronger and lighter in the cup.
In one line: latte = more milk, milder; cappuccino = more foam, bolder. Same espresso, very different drink.
The ratios, side by side
Baristas build both drinks by ratio. A traditional serving looks like this:
• Cappuccino: 1/3 espresso, 1/3 steamed milk, 1/3 milk foam — usually a small 5–6 oz cup. Roughly equal thirds.
• Latte: 1/6 espresso, most of the cup steamed milk, and just ~1 cm of foam on top — usually a larger 8–12 oz cup.
Because the cappuccino is smaller and foamier, the espresso comes through much more clearly. The latte dilutes that same shot into far more milk, which is why it tastes creamy and mild. A flat white sits between the two: latte-like milk volume but a higher coffee-to-milk ratio and silkier microfoam.
Caffeine and calories: are they different?
Caffeine is basically the same. Both drinks are built on one or two shots of espresso (about 63 mg per shot), so a single-shot latte and a single-shot cappuccino have nearly identical caffeine. Size does not add caffeine — a bigger latte just has more milk. Want to check your day’s total? Use the Caffeine Calculator.
Calories differ, because of milk volume. A cappuccino uses less milk, so it is lighter — around 60–80 calories with whole milk. A 12 oz whole-milk latte can run 180–220 calories. Switching to skim or a low-fat oat milk narrows the gap.
Which should you order?
Choose a cappuccino if you want to taste the espresso, like a lighter drink, or prefer foam. Choose a latte if you want something smooth, creamy, and mild, or plan to add flavor syrup (a latte is the base for most flavored drinks, including the pumpkin spice latte).
If you are learning to make them at home, the cappuccino is the better teacher: getting equal thirds forces you to steam proper foam. Master that and a latte is easy. Explore the rest of the menu in our milk drinks guide.