Metric Cups to Milliliters Converter - 1 Cup = 250 mL
Convert metric cups to milliliters using the kitchen standard 1 metric cup = 250 mL. This is the cup size used in many metric recipes, especially Australian and New Zealand style recipes.
Formula: mL = metric cups x 250. Need the reverse? Use milliliters to metric cups.
1 cup in milliliters
250 mL
Half cup
125 mL
1/3 cup
83.33 mL
3/4 cup
187.5 mL
Metric cups to milliliters for recipes
Most people looking for metric cup to milliliter conversions want a fast kitchen number: 1 metric cup is 250 milliliters. That makes metric cups simple to convert. Multiply the cup amount by 250 and you have the milliliter value.
The word metric matters. A metric cup is not the same as every cup used around the world. If a recipe is from Australia, New Zealand, or another source that clearly uses a 250 mL cup, this page is the right converter. If a recipe uses US cups, use the US cups to milliliters converter instead.
Common cup amounts in milliliters
| Metric cup amount | Milliliters | Kitchen wording |
|---|---|---|
| 1/8 cup | 31.25 mL | Small splash or flavoring amount |
| 1/4 cup | 62.5 mL | Quarter cup in milliliters |
| 1/3 cup | 83.33 mL | Often rounded to 83 mL |
| 1/2 cup | 125 mL | Half cup milliliters |
| 2/3 cup | 166.67 mL | Often rounded to 167 mL |
| 3/4 cup | 187.5 mL | Three-quarter cup |
| 1 cup | 250 mL | One metric cup |
| 2 cups | 500 mL | Half a liter |
| 3 cups | 750 mL | Three metric cups |
Metric cup or US cup: check before converting
A lot of confusion around converting cups to milliliters comes from cup size. A metric cup is clean: 250 mL. A US customary cup is smaller. A recipe that only says "cup" may need a quick source check before you convert.
| Cup type | Milliliters in one cup | Use when |
|---|---|---|
| Metric cup | 250 mL | The cup is labeled 250 mL or the recipe says metric cup |
| US customary cup | Approx. 236.588 mL | The recipe is from a US source using customary cups |
| US legal cup | 240 mL | Nutrition labeling or source material says 240 mL |
Scaling from cups to milliliters without losing the recipe
If a recipe says 2 cups of stock, a metric-cup conversion gives 500 mL. If it says 1 1/2 cups, the answer is 375 mL. For practical cooking, whole milliliters are usually enough. For baking formulas, keeping the exact decimal can be helpful before you decide how to round.
For reverse lookup, 1000 milliliters is 4 metric cups. That is a useful anchor when scaling batches from liters back into cup measures.
Related kitchen volume conversions
For nearby recipe work, use milliliters to metric cups, metric cups to liters, liters to metric cups, teaspoons to milliliters, tablespoons to milliliters, or the full volume converter hub.
Practical cup to milliliter questions
Is 1 cup 250 mL or 240 mL?
A metric cup is 250 mL. Some US recipes use a different cup size, commonly about 236.588 mL, and US nutrition labeling may use 240 mL. This page is for metric cups, so 1 cup equals 250 mL here.
How many milliliters are in half a metric cup?
Half a metric cup is 125 mL. That is one of the easiest kitchen anchors to remember because it is exactly half of 250 mL.
How many milliliters is 1/3 of a metric cup?
One third of a metric cup is about 83.33 mL. In everyday kitchen measuring, many people round it to 83 mL or use a marked 1/3 cup measure.
How many milliliters is 3/4 of a metric cup?
Three quarters of a metric cup is 187.5 mL. If your measuring jug does not show half-milliliter marks, round to 188 mL for casual cooking.
Can I use metric cup to mL conversion for dry ingredients?
Yes for volume, but not for weight. A metric cup is always 250 mL by volume, but grams depend on the ingredient density. One cup of flour and one cup of sugar do not weigh the same.