Yahoo Finance Which Chain Has the Best Deal on These 5 Fast-Food Favorites?
Just like the majority of consumer goods, fast food is not immune to inflation. In fact, at fast-food restaurants with counter service, overall menu prices were up 7.2% in 2022, according to QSR Magazine.
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If you're counting every dime, the difference in price between fast food places can matter. To help you get the best deal for your hard-earned money, here's a breakdown of average prices from pricelisto for five fast-food favorites -- hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, chicken nuggets, fries and shakes. Read on to find out which chain has the best deal for each one.
Flagship Hamburger
Burger King's Whopper: $5.59
McDonald's Quarter Pounder: $5.65
Jack in the Box's Ultimate Cheeseburger: $6.91
Wendy's Dave's Single: $6.47
Best Deal: Burger King
If you're craving a hamburger, Burger King's Whopper has the best deal at $5.59 for just the sandwich. McDonald's Quarter Pounder follows closely behind at $5.65.
At Wendy's, you'll pay $1.12 more for its single-patty hamburger than you'll pay at Burger King, and at Jack in the Box you'll pay $1.32 more.
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Chicken Sandwich
Burger King's Crispy Chicken Sandwich: $5.26
McDonald's Crispy Chicken Sandwich: $4.98
Jack in the Box's Spicy Chicken Sandwich: $6.65
Wendy's Crispy Chicken Sandwich: $6.48
Best Deal: McDonald's
McDonald's has Burger King, Jack in the Box and Wendy's beat when it comes to the best value. The traditional chicken sandwich at the Golden Arches is right under $5, while Wendy's offering is $1.50 more and Jack in the Box's spicy option is $1.67 more. Burger King's Crispy Chicken Sandwich is the closest in price to McDonald's at $5.26.
Chicken Nuggets
Burger King's 4-piece chicken nuggets: $1.95
McDonald's 4-piece McNuggets: $2.64
Jack in the Box's 5-piece chicken nuggets: $1.75
Wendy's 4-piece chicken nuggets: $1.57
Best Deal: Jack in the Box
Surprisingly, McDonald's is the most expensive when it comes to nuggets. Its McNuggets are 66 cents each, while Burger King's are about 48 cents each.
And while Jack in the Box's chicken nuggets aren't the lowest in price overall at $1.75, they are the best value. Instead of four nuggets you get five, which means that Jack in the Box's nuggets are only 35 cents each. Wendy's is close in value at about 39 cents per nugget.
Medium Fries
Burger King: $2.91
McDonald's: $2.77
Jack in the Box: $2.85
Wendy's: $2.89
Best Deal: McDonald's
McDonald's has the best deal on fries at $2.77. And fun fact: If you've ever wondered why its fries seem a bit tastier, it's because the chain adds natural beef flavor to its vegetable oil.
Jack in the Box has the next best price on fries at $2.85, while Wendy's has the most expensive fries at $2.89 and Jack in the Box isn't far behind at $2.85.
Milkshake
Burger King: $3.84
McDonald's: $3.14
Jack in the Box: $4.82
Wendy's: $2.79
Best Deal: Wendy's
Wendy's has the best deal on shakes, but the caveat is that the chain doesn't serve a traditional milkshake. Instead it serves its proprietary Frosty, which it describes as "thick enough to use a spoon, smooth enough to use a straw."
If you're looking for something that more closely resembles a traditional shake, however, McDonald's can help you save some change. Its shake is $3.14, while Burger King's offering is 70 cents more. Even more expensive are Jack in the Box's shakes at $4.82.
Where Are the Best Deals Overall on Fast Food Faves?
Winner: McDonald's
McDonald's has the best deal on fries and chicken sandwiches, so it wins overall. And while Burger King has the best deal on hamburgers, Wendy's has the best deal on shakes and Jack in the Box has the best deal on chicken nuggets.
However, you should be able to score a great deal from the value menus of all these fast-food restaurants. And, admittedly, this study was limited to a select few popular chains, and we left off fast-food taco spots. Stay tuned for that one in the future.
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This article originally appeared on GOBankingRates.com: Which Chain Has the Best Deal on These 5 Fast-Food Favorites?
