What this calculator does
Cup to mL depends on which country's cup measure is being used, since the US, metric (including Australian) and UK/Imperial cups are all slightly different sizes. How many ml in a cup is 236.6 mL for a US cup, 250 mL for a metric or Australian cup, and 284.1 mL for a UK/Imperial cup.
This calculator converts cup to mL or mL to cup for all three standards. It defaults to half a cup, a common recipe quantity, but any value can be entered, whether that is a whole cup, a quarter cup or several cups.
The formula
To convert cups to mL, multiply the number of cups by the cup size for the standard chosen: 236.588 mL for US, 250 mL for metric/Australian, or 284.131 mL for UK/Imperial. To convert mL to cups, divide by the same figure.
| Term | Meaning |
|---|---|
| US cup | 236.588 mL, the standard used in most US recipes and by US-made measuring cups. |
| Metric / Australian cup | 250 mL exactly, the standard used in Australia, New Zealand and most countries using metric measuring cups. |
| UK / Imperial cup | 284.131 mL (10 imperial fluid ounces), an older UK standard, less common today than the metric cup but still seen in some UK sources. |
The inputs explained
| Field | What to enter |
|---|---|
| Value | The value to convert, either a number of cups or a volume in mL, depending on the direction chosen below. Defaults to 0.5, half a cup. |
| Convert | Choose whether to convert cups to mL, or mL to cups. |
| Cup standard | Which cup standard to use: US, metric/Australian or UK/Imperial. |
When to use it
Checking how many ml in a cup for a recipe
A recipe that calls for cups of a liquid or dry ingredient converts to mL for anyone measuring with a jug or a scale-based liquid measure instead.
Working out how many ml in half a cup, or another fraction
A half, quarter or other fractional cup measure converts directly to mL by entering that decimal value, useful when a measuring jug only shows mL markings.
Converting a US recipe for use with metric or Australian cups
Because a US cup (236.6 mL) is noticeably smaller than a metric or Australian cup (250 mL), using the wrong standard under- or over-measures an ingredient by about 6%.
Worked examples
Every figure in the tables below is produced by this page’s own calculator at build time, so the numbers and the tool always agree. Select any row to load that scenario.
How many ml in a cup, across all three standards?
One full cup, converted to mL under each of the three cup standards.
| Cup standard | Millilitres | In US fluid ounces |
|---|---|---|
| US | 236.6 mL | 8.00 fl oz |
| Metric / Australian | 250.0 mL | 8.45 fl oz |
| UK / Imperial | 284.1 mL | 9.61 fl oz |
Cup to mL, for common fractional cup measures (US)
A range of cup quantities, from a quarter cup to four cups, converted to mL using the US standard.
| Cups | Millilitres | In US fluid ounces |
|---|---|---|
| 0.25 | 59.1 mL | 2.00 fl oz |
| 0.5 | 118.3 mL | 4.00 fl oz |
| 0.75 | 177.4 mL | 6.00 fl oz |
| 1 | 236.6 mL | 8.00 fl oz |
| 2 | 473.2 mL | 16.00 fl oz |
| 4 | 946.4 mL | 32.00 fl oz |
Questions
How many ml in a cup?
It depends on the standard: 236.6 mL for a US cup, 250 mL for a metric or Australian cup, and 284.1 mL for a UK/Imperial cup.
How many ml in half a cup?
About 118.3 mL using a US cup, or exactly 125 mL using a metric/Australian cup.
Is an Australian cup the same as a US cup?
No. An Australian cup follows the metric standard at 250 mL, while a US cup is 236.588 mL, about 6% smaller.
How many ml is 3/4 cup?
About 177.4 mL using a US cup, or 187.5 mL using a metric/Australian cup.
For tablespoon and teaspoon-sized liquid measures instead, see the tablespoon to mL calculator. For converting a weight of a baking ingredient to cups, see the grams to cups calculator.