Across the nation families looking for a quick option to feed the family have seen prices rise as inflation has taken a bite out of the fast-food experience.
The Bureau of Labor Statistics’ latest reading from the so-called fast-food index saw annual inflation for the sector come in at 4.8%.
The BLS also found that prices in “limited-service restaurants” increased by 47% since 2014.
Fast food has become a staple of the American diet meaning that price increases at the drive-thru can make a major impact.
Between 2013 and 2016 36.6% of adults consumed fast food on a given day, according to a 2018 CDC study. Market research company Drive Research reported in 2023 that 65% of respondents ate fast food once a week.
A team of USA TODAY reporters surveyed combo meal prices from across the country for five major hamburger chains.
Here’s what we found.
How have fast-food prices increased in the past decade?
Carls Jr. Hardees experienced a more than double price increase between 2014 and 2024. Wendy’s followed, with a nearly double price increase during that same time period.
How do burger prices compare across the country?
The USA TODAY team surveyed locations of McDonald’s, Burger King, Wendy’s, Carls Jr./Hardees and Five Guys in 18 markets across the country. The team asked for the price of the restaurants signature combo with cheese, in a medium size before tax.
A Big Mac combo was most affordable in Houston, Texas where a medium sized meal rounded out to $7.89. .
On the opposite side, Seattle residents will pay close to $15 for a Big Mac Combo.
Wendy’s is one of the more affordable fast-food options in the U.S. In downtown Columbus, Ohio a Wendy’s Dave’s cheeseburger meal is $9.29 – the cheapest of the 18 cities USA TODAY reporters surveyed.
Out of the 15 plus cities surveyed, the most expensive combo was a cheeseburger, regular fries and drink from Five Guys in Chicago.
What was the average cost of each fast food restaurant’s signature meal?
When looking at 2014 prices – which were obtained through menus found on the website fastfoodmenuprices.com in the Internet Archive’s Wayback machine – we found that Carls Jr./Hardees had the cheapest signature meal a decade ago, with the quarter pound thick burger combo priced at $5.29 (the closest listed equivalent to the Famous Star combo). The website uses a singular data point while USA TODAY’s comparison is an average.
