How Much Does McDonald’s Cost?

Updated on July 30, 2026 | Written by Alec Pow
This article was researched using 8 sources. See our methodology and corrections policy.

McDonald’s menu prices generally range from about $2 to $9 for individual food items and $5 to $14+ for regular meals in the United States. Current advertised McValue offers include $4 breakfast meals, $5 lunch and dinner meal deals, and selected breakfast, burger, chicken, fries, coffee, and soft-drink items priced under $3 at participating restaurants.

There is no single nationwide McDonald’s price list. Most U.S. restaurants are independently operated franchises, so the exact price depends on the restaurant, city, taxes, ordering method, and promotion. A Big Mac that costs $5.79 at one restaurant may cost more than $7 at another, while delivery platforms may show an even higher item price before service and delivery fees.

The most reliable way to check current local prices is to select a restaurant in the McDonald’s app or official restaurant locator. The app also displays location-specific deals, reward offers, pickup options, and delivery pricing.

Article Highlights

• Individual McDonald’s items commonly cost $2 to $9.
• Regular meals generally cost $5 to $14+ (at $30 per hour, earning that amount would take about 10 to 28 minutes, before taxes).
• Current breakfast meal deals start at $4.
• McChicken and McDouble meal deals start at $5.
• Some McDouble meal deals cost $6 in certain areas.
• McValue includes selected items advertised under $3.
• Delivery menu prices may be higher than pickup prices.
• Breakfast often ends at 10:30 or 11:00 a.m., depending on the restaurant.

Current McDonald’s Price Ranges

The following are practical U.S. planning ranges rather than guaranteed national prices. Confirm the total in the app before ordering.

Menu category	Typical pickup price	Examples
Value burgers and chicken	$2 to $4	McChicken, McDouble, cheeseburger
Premium burgers	$5 to $9	Big Mac, Quarter Pounder, Double Quarter Pounder
Chicken and fish sandwiches	$5 to $9	McCrispy, Spicy McCrispy, Filet-O-Fish
Chicken McNuggets	$3 to $14+ (about 6 to 28 minutes at $30 per hour)	4-piece through 40-piece orders
Regular combo meals	$8 to $14+	Entrée, fries, and drink
McValue meal deals	$4 to $6+	Breakfast, McChicken, McDouble deals
Breakfast sandwiches	$2 to $7	McMuffins, biscuits, McGriddles, bagels
Breakfast platters	$5 to $10+	Hotcakes, Big Breakfast
French fries	$2 to $5	Small, medium, and large
Happy Meals	$5 to $8+	Hamburger or McNuggets meal
Soft drinks and coffee	$1.50 to $5	Fountain drinks, roast coffee, iced coffee
Shakes and McFlurries	$3 to $6+	Shakes, McFlurry desserts

These ranges can move outside the amounts shown in airports, downtown districts, tourist areas, delivery apps, and high-cost cities.

The 2026 McValue Menu

McDonald’s expanded its U.S. McValue program in April 2026 with a new Under $3 Menu and a $4 breakfast meal deal.

The current $4 breakfast deal includes either:

• Sausage McMuffin, Hash Browns, and a small Premium Roast Coffee
• Sausage Biscuit, Hash Browns, and a small Premium Roast Coffee

Current lunch and dinner deals include:

• McChicken, 4-piece McNuggets, small fries, and a small drink for $5
• McDouble, 4-piece McNuggets, small fries, and a small drink starting at $5

McDonald’s notes that the McDouble deal can cost $6 in certain areas. Prices and participation vary, and advertised McValue offers generally exclude McDelivery.

Items Advertised Under $3

The current Under $3 Menu includes selected items at participating restaurants. Breakfast choices include:

• Sausage McMuffin
• Sausage Biscuit
• Sausage Burrito
• Hash Browns
• Medium Premium Roast Coffee

Lunch and dinner choices include:

• McChicken
• McDouble
• 4-piece Chicken McNuggets
• Small fries
• Medium soft drink

“Under $3” is an advertised starting-price category rather than a promise that every item will cost less than $3 at every restaurant.

Popular Burger Prices

Value burgers such as the cheeseburger and McDouble commonly fall between $2 and $4. Larger burgers cost more:

• Hamburger or cheeseburger: approximately $2 to $4
• McDouble or double cheeseburger: approximately $3 to $5
• Big Mac: approximately $5 to $8
• Quarter Pounder with Cheese: approximately $5.50 to $8
• Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese: approximately $7 to $10+ (about 14 to 20 minutes at $30 per hour)

The old article’s $4.49 Big Mac and $1 cheeseburger should not be treated as current national prices.

Chicken, Fish, and Nugget Prices

McDonald’s current national menu includes McCrispy sandwiches, Spicy McCrispy sandwiches, Chicken McNuggets, Filet-O-Fish, and returned McCrispy Strip Snack Wraps. Obsolete products such as Premium McWraps, Artisan Grilled Chicken, and Buttermilk Crispy Chicken should no longer appear in a current menu table.

Typical planning ranges are:

• McChicken: $2 to $4
• McCrispy sandwich: $5 to $8
• Filet-O-Fish: $5 to $8
• 4-piece McNuggets: $2 to $4
• 10-piece McNuggets: $5 to $8
• 20-piece McNuggets: $8 to $13
• 40-piece McNuggets: $13 to $22+

Large nugget orders are often cheaper per piece, but local promotions can make a smaller meal deal the better total value.

Breakfast Menu Prices

The current McDonald’s breakfast menu includes Egg McMuffins, sausage sandwiches, biscuits, McGriddles, breakfast burritos, bagel sandwiches, Hotcakes, Hash Browns, and Big Breakfast platters.

Common price ranges include:

• Sausage Biscuit: $2 to $4
• Sausage McMuffin: $2 to $4
• Egg McMuffin: $4 to $7
• Sausage McMuffin with Egg: $4 to $7
• McGriddles sandwich: $4 to $7
• Breakfast bagel sandwich: $5 to $8
• Sausage Burrito: $2 to $4
• Hash Browns: $2 to $4
• Hotcakes: $4 to $7
• Big Breakfast with Hotcakes: $7 to $11+

Some items, including bagels, are regional rather than available at every U.S. restaurant.

When Does Breakfast End?

McDonald’s says local franchisees and restaurant cooperatives determine breakfast hours. Most restaurants serve breakfast from opening until 10:30 or 11:00 a.m. local time.

The broad U.S. All-Day Breakfast program ended in 2020. A restaurant may still offer selected breakfast products later in the day, but customers should not expect a nationwide all-day menu.

Opening, breakfast, lunch, and closing times vary by restaurant. Use the official McDonald’s restaurant locator for current hours and available services.

Happy Meal Prices

Happy Meals commonly cost approximately $5 to $8+. The national menu currently shows hamburger and Chicken McNuggets options, although the exact entrée, side, drink, toy, and price can vary.

The obsolete Mighty Kids Meal section should be removed. McDonald’s currently lists a 6-piece McNuggets Happy Meal rather than maintaining the old Mighty Kids branding as a national category.

Taxes, premium drink substitutions, delivery prices, and optional additions can increase the total.

French Fries and Side Prices

McDonald’s fries commonly cost:

• Small fries: $2 to $3.50
• Medium fries: $3 to $4.50
• Large fries: $4 to $5.50+

The old table’s identical $1.99 prices for medium and large fries are not representative of current menus. Readers comparing restaurant portions with homemade or other fast-food options can review ThePricer’s guide to French fry costs.

McCafé and Drink Prices

Basic fountain drinks and Premium Roast Coffee are generally the least expensive beverages. Espresso drinks, flavored iced coffees, smoothies, shakes, and frappés cost more.

• Soft drink: $1.50 to $3.50
• Premium Roast Coffee: $1.50 to $3.50
• Iced coffee: $2.50 to $5
• Latte, mocha, or cappuccino: $3 to $6
• Frappe or smoothie: $3.50 to $6
• Orange juice: $2.50 to $5

Drink sizes and promotional pricing vary by market.

Dessert Prices

Current dessert choices can include cones, sundaes, baked apple pies, cookies, shakes, and McFlurries.

• Vanilla cone: $1.50 to $3
• Baked apple pie: $1.50 to $3
• Cookies: $1 to $4, depending on quantity
• Sundae: $3 to $5
• Shake: $3 to $6
• McFlurry: $4 to $7+

Seasonal items such as the Shamrock Shake are available only during limited promotional periods.

Pickup Versus Delivery Prices

McDonald’s states that McDelivery prices may be higher than restaurant prices. Delivery orders can also include:

• Delivery fee
• Service fee
• Small-order fee
• Sales tax
• Optional driver tip

Suppose a pickup meal costs $10.49. The delivery menu lists it for $11.99, then adds a $2.99 delivery fee and a $2.10 service fee:

$11.99 + $2.99 + $2.10 = $17.08 before tax and tip.

The delivery order costs $6.59 more than pickup, an increase of approximately 62.8%.

How to Find the Exact Local Price

Use the McDonald’s app to select the exact restaurant, ordering method, and pickup time. Local menu prices normally appear after a participating location is selected.

The app can also provide:

• Location-specific menu availability
• Mobile Order and Pay
• Curbside, front-counter, table, and drive-through pickup
• App-exclusive deals
• MyMcDonald’s Rewards
• McDelivery ordering

A deal shown for one restaurant may disappear or change when another location is selected.

ThePricer’s Meal-Deal Calculation

Assume local individual prices of:

• McChicken: $3.49
• 4-piece McNuggets: $3.19
• Small fries: $2.69
• Small drink: $1.79

Buying the products separately would cost:

$3.49 + $3.19 + $2.69 + $1.79 = $11.16.

The advertised $5 McChicken Meal Deal saves:

$11.16 – $5 = $6.16.

That equals a saving of approximately 55.2% before tax. The calculation is illustrative because each restaurant sets its own individual item prices.

Nutrition and Allergen Information

McDonald’s provides item-level calories, macronutrients, ingredients, and allergen information through its official nutrition calculator.

The company identifies the nine major U.S. allergens in its ingredient information but warns that shared cooking areas, equipment, and utensils can create cross-contact.

McDonald’s does not certify its U.S. menu as vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, halal, or kosher. Customers with allergies should review the current ingredient page rather than relying on an old menu article.

A salad, burger, breakfast sandwich, or dessert should be compared using its actual calorie and nutrient totals. Claims that one food automatically “makes you fatter” than another are medically simplistic and should not appear in a menu-price guide.

A Short McDonald’s History

Richard and Maurice McDonald operated a restaurant in San Bernardino, California, where they developed the Speedee Service System around a limited menu of hamburgers, fries, and shakes.

According to the official McDonald’s history, Ray Kroc visited the restaurant in 1954 and became the brothers’ franchise agent. He opened his Des Plaines, Illinois restaurant on April 15, 1955.

The historical menu’s fries replaced the potato chips associated with earlier versions of the McDonald brothers’ operation. The changing side-dish economics are discussed in ThePricer’s article about potato chip costs.

McDonald’s now operates through a heavily franchised global system, which is one reason prices, promotions, hours, and menu availability differ between locations.

How to Save Money at McDonald’s

• Check the McValue section before ordering regular meals.
• Compare a meal deal with individual item prices.
• Use pickup instead of delivery when possible.
• Review app-exclusive offers before checkout.
• Earn and redeem MyMcDonald’s Rewards points.
• Switch restaurants in the app to compare nearby prices.
• Avoid substitutions that remove promotional eligibility.
• Check expiration dates and participation rules.

A household comparing fast-food takeout with grocery-store prepared meals can also review current Walmart fried chicken prices.

What We Verified

• Checked the 2026 McValue Under $3 Menu through McDonald’s.
• Confirmed the $4 breakfast and $5 lunch and dinner meal deals.
• Cross-referenced current breakfast items and service times.
• Verified that delivery prices and fees can exceed pickup prices.
• Confirmed that menu prices and participation vary by restaurant.
• Checked current app, rewards, restaurant-locator, and mobile-ordering guidance.
• Verified the Speedee Service System and Ray Kroc timeline through McDonald’s corporate history.
• Confirmed nutrition, ingredient, and allergen disclosures through the official calculator.

Answers to Common Questions

How much does a McDonald’s meal cost?

A regular meal commonly costs $8 to $14+. Current McValue meal deals start at $4 for breakfast and $5 for lunch or dinner at participating restaurants.

How much is a Big Mac?

A Big Mac commonly costs approximately $5 to $8 before tax. Exact prices vary by restaurant.

How much is a Happy Meal?

A Happy Meal usually costs about $5 to $8+, depending on the entrée, location, tax, and ordering method.

Does McDonald’s serve breakfast all day?

Not as a national U.S. program. Most restaurants stop serving breakfast at approximately 10:30 or 11:00 a.m., although local schedules vary.

Why are McDonald’s prices different by location?

Most restaurants are operated by franchisees who set prices based on local labor, rent, taxes, competition, food costs, and market conditions.

Where can I find exact McDonald’s prices?

Select a participating restaurant in the McDonald’s app or official restaurant locator. Check whether the displayed price is for pickup or delivery.