500 mL to Cups
2.11 US cups, 2 metric cups
500 ml is 2.11 US cups, or 2 metric cups.
Millilitres and cups both measure volume, so this conversion does not depend on the ingredient — 500 ml of oil and 500 ml of water are the same amount of liquid. What it does depend on is whose cup the recipe means.
500 ml in every cup size
A cup is not one measurement. The US customary cup is 236.6 ml; the metric cup used across the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada is 250 ml; older British books use a 284 ml imperial cup; Japanese recipes use 200 ml.
| Cup | Size | Where it is used | 500 ml is |
|---|---|---|---|
| US customary cup | 236.6 ml | United States | 2.11 cups |
| US legal cup | 240 ml | US nutrition labels | 2.08 cups |
| Metric cup | 250 ml | UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada | 2 cups |
| Imperial cup | 284.130625 ml | Older British recipes | 1.76 cups |
| Japanese cup | 200 ml | Japanese recipes | 2.5 cups |
500 ml in other volume units
| Unit | Amount |
|---|---|
| Millilitres | 500 ml |
| Litres | 0.5 L |
| US cups | 2.11 cups |
| Metric cups | 2 cups |
| Tablespoons (US) | 33.81 tbsp |
| Teaspoons (US) | 101.4 tsp |
| Fluid ounces (US) | 16.91 fl oz |
| Fluid ounces (imperial) | 17.60 imp fl oz |
| Pints (US) | 1.06 pt |
What 500 ml weighs
Millilitres measure space and grams measure weight, so there is no single answer — except for water, which is close enough to 1 gram per millilitre that 500 ml weighs 500 g. Oil is 5–9% lighter depending on the oil, milk a few percent heavier, honey nearly half as heavy again.
| Liquid | Grams per ml | 500 ml weighs |
|---|---|---|
| Water | 1.00 | 500 g |
| Milk (whole) | 1.03 | 515 g |
| Heavy Cream | 1.01 | 505 g |
| Vegetable Oil | 0.95 | 475 g |
| Olive Oil | 0.91 | 455 g |
| Honey | 1.44 | 720 g |
| Maple Syrup | 1.36 | 680 g |
| Buttermilk | 1.04 | 520 g |
| Coconut Milk | 1.01 | 505 g |
| Almond Milk | 1.01 | 505 g |
Frequently asked questions
How many cups is 500 ml?
500 ml is 2.11 US customary cups. If your recipe uses a 250 ml metric cup — the standard in the UK, Australia, New Zealand and Canada — it is 2 metric cups.
Is 500 ml the same in US and metric cups?
No. A US cup is 236.6 ml and a metric cup is 250 ml, about 5.7% larger, so the same 500 ml fills 2.11 US cups but only 2 metric cups.
How many tablespoons is 500 ml?
500 ml is 33.81 US tablespoons, or 101.4 teaspoons. A US tablespoon is 14.79 ml and a teaspoon is 4.93 ml.
How much does 500 ml weigh?
It depends on the liquid. 500 ml of water weighs almost exactly 500 g. Oil is lighter and honey is much heavier.