Kona Coffee has a reputation for quality and for being expensive. Unroasted Kona Coffee sells for up to $50 a pound because of the labor involved in its harvesting.

Kona coffee is selectively hand-picked by workers who make a fair living wage. The minimum wage in Hawaii is $14 per hour and is expected to rise to $18 in the next four years.

Selective picking indicates that the beans weren't merely picked by hand but at the peak of ripeness, which requires workers to return on multiple occasions.

Using selective picking techniques, Kona growers ensure the highest level of specialty coffee, typically with a more complex flavor profile than the alternatives.

This process is expensive, and so is the land on which the beans are located. Transportation costs to ship the coffee to the mainland also contribute to its expensive price tag.