Even though Americans have become more health-conscious in their food choices, fast food – notorious for its nutritional deficiencies and potentially harmful effects – is still a staple in the American diet. Some 37% of Americans eat fast food daily, at one of more of the nearly 198,000 fast-food restaurants across the nation.
Fast food appeals to consumers because, by definition, it’s served quickly; because it tends to satisfy our cravings for salt, sugar, and fat; and because it’s cheap. Over the past year, however, the price of some of the most popular fast-food menu items has fluctuated wildly. (These are the most iconic items at America’s biggest fast food chains.)
Food and energy are the two most volatile indicators on the U.S. Consumer Price Index. The food section of the CPI increased 10.6% for the 12 months ending in November, a smaller gain than the similar period ending in October. The index for fast food specifically rose 5.8% from 2020 to 2021. The pandemic has been a big factor in the increase. Not all individual fast-food prices went up, though.
To compile a list of popular fat food items showing the biggest price differential between September 2021 and October 2022, 24/7 Tempo reviewed a report by price-monitoring site Pricelisto.com. The site analyzed data from that time period showing average prices of popular menu items from five popular fast-food chains. (These are the favorite fast food chains in 30 U.S. cities.)
Of the 26 items on our list, 14 posted a price drop. All five of the Taco Bell items offerings recorded decreases, and three items – chicken quesadilla, Nachos BellGrande, and Crunchwrap Supreme – declined by more than $1.
Click here to see how fast food prices rose and fell in 2022
The biggest price change was recorded by Wendy’s Baconator, advertised as a half-pound of British beef, American cheese, six pieces of applewood-smoked bacon, ketchup, and mayonnaise. The price slid $2.51, from $12.13 to $9.62, between September 2021 and October 2022.
Chick-Fil-A recorded only one price drop, while three items – chicken sandwich, grilled chicken sandwich, and chicken fries – represented the biggest price gains on the list.
26. Double Cheeseburger (McDonald’s)
> Price difference: -1.0% (-$0.03)
> Price in Sept 2021: $2.91
> Price in Oct 2022: $2.88
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Source: RiverNorthPhotography / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
25. Spicy Chicken Sandwich (Wendy’s)
> Price difference: -1.9% (-$0.12)
> Price in Sept 2021: $6.45
> Price in Oct 2022: $6.33
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24. McChicken (McDonald’s)
> Price difference: 2.0% (+$0.04)
> Price in Sept 2021: $1.97
> Price in Oct 2022: $2.01
Source: jfmdesign / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
23. Quarter Pounder (McDonald’s)
> Price difference: 2.6% (+$0.14)
> Price in Sept 2021: $5.44
> Price in Oct 2022: $5.58
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Source: spflaum1 / iStock Editorial via Getty Images
22. Big Mac (McDonald’s)
> Price difference: 3.2% (+$0.17)
> Price in Sept 2021: $5.30
> Price in Oct 2022: $5.47
Source: David McNew / Getty Images News via Getty Images
21. French Fries (McDonald’s)
> Price difference: -3.8% (-$0.09)
> Price in Sept 2021: $2.34
> Price in Oct 2022: $2.25
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Source: Courtesy of Wendy's via Facebook
20. Double Stack (Wendy’s)
> Price difference: -3.9% (-$0.13)
> Price in Sept 2021: $3.35
> Price in Oct 2022: $3.22
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Source: Public Domain / Wikimedia Commons
19. Whopper (Burger King)
> Price difference: -4.4% (-$0.27)
> Price in Sept 2021: $6.07
> Price in Oct 2022: $5.80
18. Dave’s Double (Wendy’s)
> Price difference: 4.9% (+$0.36)
> Price in Sept 2021: $7.33
> Price in Oct 2022: $7.69
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17. Egg McMuffin (McDonald’s)
> Price difference: 5.2% (+$0.22)
> Price in Sept 2021: $4.21
> Price in Oct 2022: $4.43
Source: Courtesy of Burger King
16. Double Whopper (Burger King)
> Price difference: -5.3% (-$0.39)
> Price in Sept 2021: $7.42
> Price in Oct 2022: $7.03
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Source: Courtesy of Wendy's via Facebook
15. Dave’s Single (Wendy’s)
> Price difference: 5.3% (+$0.32)
> Price in Sept 2021: $5.99
> Price in Oct 2022: $6.31
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14. Whopper Jr (Burger King)
> Price difference: -5.4% (-$0.16)
> Price in Sept 2021: $2.97
> Price in Oct 2022: $2.81
Source: Courtesy of Burger King
13. Original Chicken Sandwich (Burger King)
> Price difference: -8.3% (-$0.49)
> Price in Sept 2021: $5.89
> Price in Oct 2022: $5.40
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Source: Courtesy of Chick-fil-A via Facebook
12. Grilled Chicken Sandwich (Chick-Fil-A)
> Price difference: 10.0% (+$0.66)
> Price in Sept 2021: $6.57
> Price in Oct 2022: $7.23
Source: Wolterk / iStock EditWorial via Getty Images
11. Chicken Sandwich (Chick-Fil-A)
> Price difference: 10.3% (+$0.51)
> Price in Sept 2021: $4.96
> Price in Oct 2022: $5.47
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Source: Courtesy of Chick-fil-A Greengate Centre via Facebook
10. Hash Browns (Chick-Fil-A)
> Price difference: 11.0% (+$0.18)
> Price in Sept 2021: $1.63
> Price in Oct 2022: $1.81
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9. Egg White Grill (Chick-Fil-A)
> Price difference: 12.3% (+$0.45)
> Price in Sept 2021: $3.65
> Price in Oct 2022: $4.10
Source: Courtesy of Chick-fil-A via Yelp
8. Chick-N-Minis (Chick-Fil-A)
> Price difference: -12.8% (-$0.68)
> Price in Sept 2021: $5.31
> Price in Oct 2022: $4.63
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7. Chicken Fries (Burger King)
> Price difference: 16.9% (+$0.67)
> Price in Sept 2021: $3.97
> Price in Oct 2022: $4.64
Source: Courtesy of Wendy's
6. Baconator (Wendy’s)
> Price difference: -20.7% (-$2.51)
> Price in Sept 2021: $12.13
> Price in Oct 2022: $9.62
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5. Crunchwrap Supreme (Taco Bell)
> Price difference: -21.6% (-$1.22)
> Price in Sept 2021: $5.64
> Price in Oct 2022: $4.42
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Source: RiverNorthPhotography / iStock Unreleased via Getty Images
4. Chicken Quesadilla (Taco Bell)
> Price difference: -21.6% (-$1.26)
> Price in Sept 2021: $5.82
> Price in Oct 2022: $4.56
3. Nachos BellGrande (Taco Bell)
> Price difference: -22.4% (-$1.35)
> Price in Sept 2021: $6.04
> Price in Oct 2022: $4.69
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Source: Courtesy of Taco Bell
2. Crunchy Taco (Taco Bell)
> Price difference: -23.3% (-$0.48)
> Price in Sept 2021: $2.06
> Price in Oct 2022: $1.58
Source: Courtesy of Taco Bell
1. Soft Taco (Taco Bell)
> Price difference: -23.6% (-$0.49)
> Price in Sept 2021: $2.08
> Price in Oct 2022: $1.59
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