Fast food seems to be getting more expensive by the day. The now-infamous $18 Big Mac Meal is a prime example of this shift, and while this extreme pricing isn't the norm across McDonald's locations, rumors have been circulating that the chain's prices have gone wild -- even doubling since 2019. But do these rumblings have any merit, or are they merely sensational hearsay? Let's sink our teeth into the facts!
For starters, McDonald's prices vary depending on location. Since the company is a franchise, individual restaurants price their own menu items. As such, achieving a fair estimate of price increases means comparing nationwide averages -- not extremes. To squash rumors, Joe Erlinger, President of McDonald's USA, wrote an open letter, sharing the price of menu staples in 2019 versus 2024. According to the information, medium fries jumped from $2.29 to $3.29 (+44%), while both the Big Mac and 10-piece McNuggets increased from $4.39 to $5.29 (+21%). Meanwhile, the Big Mac meal rose from $7.29 to $9.29 (+27%). Thanks to the franchise model, these variations aren't uniform across the country, with today's Big Mac costing $4.36 in Austin, Texas, and a whopping $7.06 in Seattle, Washington.
McDonald's reports an across-the-board price increase of 40% since 2019 -- a figure the company claims directly correlates with increases in production costs. While this might sound steep, it's a far cry from the rumored price gouging that's been circulating. So while you are definitely paying more for that Big Mac, it's not quite as dramatic as you may have thought. But with that said, McDonald's prices continue to increase, with no signs of stopping anytime soon.
Read more: We Tasted 10 McDonald's Breakfast Menu Items And Ranked Them From Worst To Best
What Can We Expect From McDonald's Prices In The Coming Years?
Nobody can precisely predict future prices, because too many factors are at play. However, if we look at past and present data, we can safely assume McDonald's prices will inevitably increase -- it's simply the nature of inflation.
After all, McDonald's was originally super cheap, with 15-cent hamburgers in 1948. However, that was nearly 80 years ago, and the cost of business has skyrocketed since. Even in the past decade, prices have increased dramatically, and currently, McDonald's is one of many restaurants in danger of major price increases.
What can we expect in the immediate future? It all depends on which estimates you trust most. According to the USDA, the cost of restaurant food is predicted to increase 3.8% in 2025. If McDonald's follows this pattern, you can expect the Big Mac to go from the national average of $5.29 to $5.49 by year's end. However, if McDonald's continues to increase at the current reported rate of 40%, the Big Mac will set you back $7.40 by 2030. Finally, Finance Buzz estimates that McDonald's prices increased 100% in the past decade. If McDonald's sustains this pattern, the Big Mac will be roughly $10.58 by 2035.