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The short answer: 80 to 200 mg of caffeine per can. A 250 ml (8.5 fl oz) Red Bull has 80 mg, a 355 ml (12 fl oz) Red Bull 114 mg, a 500 ml Monster 160 mg. The US versions of Celsius and Prime Energy reach 200 mg in a 12 fl oz can. Most of the market sits at 30 to 32 mg per 100 ml, so the size of the can decides your dose far more than the brand.
Energy drink caffeine chart
Caffeine per can, per 100 ml and per US fluid ounce, with the espresso equivalent. EFSA puts an espresso (60 ml) at about 80 mg of caffeine, and that is the value used in the last column. Fluid ounces are converted from millilitres and rounded to one decimal.
| Drink | Can size | Caffeine per can | mg per 100 ml | mg per fl oz | ≈ espressos |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Red Bull (classic) | 250 ml / 8.5 fl oz | 80 mg | 32 | 9.5 | 1 |
| Red Bull Sugarfree | 250 ml / 8.5 fl oz | 80 mg | 32 | 9.5 | 1 |
| Dark Dog Original | 250 ml / 8.5 fl oz | 80 mg | 32 | 9.5 | 1 |
| Prime Energy (European can) | 330 ml / 11.2 fl oz | 140 mg | 42.4 | 12.5 | 1.8 |
| Red Bull (classic) | 355 ml / 12 fl oz | 114 mg | 32 | 9.5 | 1.4 |
| Celsius (version sold in Europe) | 355 ml / 12 fl oz | 114 mg | 32.1 | 9.5 | 1.4 |
| Celsius (US formula) | 355 ml / 12 fl oz | 200 mg | 56.3 | 16.7 | 2.5 |
| Prime Energy (US can) | 355 ml / 12 fl oz | 200 mg | 56.3 | 16.7 | 2.5 |
| Red Bull (classic) | 473 ml / 16 fl oz | 151 mg | 32 | 9.5 | 1.9 |
| Monster, original green | 500 ml / 16.9 fl oz | 160 mg | 32 | 9.5 | 2 |
| Monster Ultra (sugar-free) | 500 ml / 16.9 fl oz | 150 mg | 30 | 8.9 | 1.9 |
| Burn Energy Drink | 500 ml / 16.9 fl oz | 160 mg | 32 | 9.5 | 2 |
| C4 Performance Energy | 500 ml / 16.9 fl oz | 160 mg | 32 | 9.5 | 2 |
| Prime Hydration | 500 ml / 16.9 fl oz | 0 mg | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Where each figure comes from: Red Bull publishes 80 mg for 250 ml, 114 mg for 355 ml and 151 mg for 473 ml on its official caffeine page (our 355 ml Red Bull page has the full label). Monster gives 160 mg for its 500 ml can on its official French page, which states that its figures are based on 500 ml. Celsius claims 200 mg per can in its Essential Facts: that is the US recipe. The 355 ml can distributed in Europe has 114 mg, according to the Delidrinks product sheet linked from our Celsius Peach Vibe page. Prime prints “200mg Caffeine” on the front of its 12 fl oz US can (Prime, official Energy page, also listed by Caffeine Informer), while the 330 ml European can has 140 mg (our Prime Energy 330 ml page, cross-checked on Open Food Facts). The other rows come from our catalogue pages, each value linked there to its source: Burn 500 ml, Monster Ultra, C4 Performance and Dark Dog (Open Food Facts or the brand), and Prime Hydration, which has no caffeine.
Why “32 mg per 100 ml” is printed on so many cans
In the EU, any drink with more than 150 mg of caffeine per litre must carry the line “High caffeine content. Not recommended for children or pregnant or breast-feeding women”, followed by the caffeine content in mg per 100 ml in brackets (Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex III, point 4.1). Coffee and tea drinks named as such are exempt. That bracket is where the “32 mg/100 ml” on a European can comes from.
32 mg per 100 ml is 320 mg per litre, the concentration of the market leader. EFSA used exactly that figure, “320mg per litre”, for the most popular brand when it estimated caffeine intakes (EFSA, caffeine topic page). In our chart, Red Bull, Monster, Burn, C4, Dark Dog and the European Celsius all sit at that level. Per 100 ml, they are the same drink as far as caffeine goes.
Per can, 32 mg per 100 ml gives 80 mg in 250 ml, 114 mg in 355 ml, 151 mg in 473 ml and 160 mg in 500 ml. In US units, about 9.5 mg per fluid ounce.
Can size decides the dose
A 500 ml Monster does not hit harder than a 250 ml Red Bull per sip. Same concentration, twice the volume, so twice the caffeine: 160 mg against 80 mg. The same Red Bull recipe goes from 80 mg in the small can to 151 mg in the 16 fl oz can. If you compare two drinks, compare the can you will actually finish. The full Monster and Red Bull comparison, sugar included, is in Monster or Red Bull: which one to pick.
The real outliers are the US recipes of Celsius and Prime Energy: 56.3 mg per 100 ml, 200 mg in a 12 fl oz can. The European versions of both are lower (114 mg and 140 mg). Check which can you are holding before you count.
How many cans before 400 mg a day?
EFSA and the US FDA land on the same daily figure. EFSA: intakes up to 400 mg per day, spread over the day, do not raise safety concerns for healthy adults, pregnant women excepted. The FDA: “400 milligrams a day”, about two to three 12 fl oz cups of coffee, is an amount not generally associated with negative effects for most adults (FDA, Spilling the Beans).
EFSA adds a second limit that few people quote: single doses up to 200 mg, about 3 mg per kg of body weight, do not raise safety concerns for healthy adults. And a single dose of 100 mg may already affect sleep in some adults when taken close to bedtime.
| Can | Cans before 400 mg | Single 200 mg dose reached? |
|---|---|---|
| Red Bull 250 ml (80 mg) | 5 | No |
| Red Bull or European Celsius 355 ml (114 mg) | 3.5 | No |
| Prime Energy 330 ml (140 mg) | 2.9 | No |
| Monster Ultra 500 ml (150 mg) | 2.7 | No |
| Red Bull 473 ml (151 mg) | 2.6 | No |
| Monster or Burn 500 ml (160 mg) | 2.5 | No |
| US Celsius or US Prime Energy 355 ml (200 mg) | 2 | Yes, with the first can |
Celsius itself recommends no more than two 12 oz cans a day, and notes that the FDA’s 400 mg equals two of its cans (Celsius, Essential Facts). Coffee counts in the same total: one espresso is another 80 mg.
Prime Energy and Prime Hydration are not the same drink
Same brand, same logo, often the same shelf. Prime Energy has 140 mg (330 ml) or 200 mg (355 ml) of caffeine. Prime Hydration has none. The mix-up matters most when the bottle ends up in a teenager’s bag.
Who should skip energy drinks
The FDA notes that medical experts advise against energy drinks for children and teens, because of their sugar and caffeine levels. For pregnant and breastfeeding women, EFSA sets the limit at 200 mg a day from all sources, half the adult figure: one US Celsius or US Prime Energy uses all of it. The FDA tells pregnant women and anyone on medication to ask their health care provider. The EU warning line quoted above says the same thing on every can above 150 mg per litre.
If sugar is your concern rather than caffeine, a sugar-free can keeps the same caffeine as the original. We explain why in Are sugar-free energy drinks bad for you?, and Which energy drink is best for you? sorts the cans by constraint.
Where to find these cans
Search links rather than specific listings: prices and stock change, the search stays valid.
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Frequently asked questions
How much caffeine is in an energy drink?
Between 80 and 200 mg per can in our chart. A 250 ml Red Bull has 80 mg, a 355 ml Red Bull 114 mg, a 500 ml Monster 160 mg, and the US versions of Celsius and Prime Energy 200 mg in 12 fl oz. Most cans sit at 30 to 32 mg per 100 ml.
What does 32 mg of caffeine per 100 ml mean?
It is the concentration printed in brackets on European cans above 150 mg per litre. At 32 mg per 100 ml, a 250 ml can holds 80 mg, a 355 ml can 114 mg and a 500 ml can 160 mg. That is about 9.5 mg per US fluid ounce.
How much caffeine is in a Celsius?
200 mg in the US 12 fl oz can, according to Celsius. The 355 ml can distributed in Europe has 114 mg, or 32.1 mg per 100 ml.
Which energy drink in this chart has the most caffeine?
The US versions of Celsius and Prime Energy, with 200 mg per 12 fl oz can (56.3 mg per 100 ml). Among European cans, a 500 ml Monster, Burn or C4 has 160 mg.
How many energy drinks a day is safe?
EFSA and the FDA both cite 400 mg of caffeine a day for healthy adults, coffee included. That is five 250 ml Red Bulls, two and a half 500 ml Monsters or two US Celsius cans. EFSA also sets 200 mg as a single dose: one US Celsius or US Prime Energy reaches it.
Is a Monster 150 or 160 mg of caffeine?
160 mg for the 500 ml can sold in Europe: that is the figure Monster publishes on its official French page, which states its values are based on 500 ml. At 32 mg per 100 ml, that is exactly twice a 250 ml Red Bull.
Sources
- Caffeine limits, espresso value and the 320 mg per litre concentration: EFSA, caffeine.
- 400 mg a day, children and teens, pregnancy: FDA, Spilling the Beans: How Much Caffeine is Too Much?
- Label rule above 150 mg per litre: Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex III.
- Red Bull 250, 355 and 473 ml: Red Bull official caffeine page.
- Monster 500 ml: Monster official French page.
- Celsius US recipe and daily recommendation: Celsius, Essential Facts. European Celsius: Delidrinks product sheet.
- Prime Energy: Prime, official Energy page (US can) and Open Food Facts (330 ml can).
Figures are for the cans named in the chart, European versions unless marked US. Caffeine values checked on 7 October 2026.
