The most expensive US cities for fast food ranked

A study conducted by GOBankingRates researched the price of a ‘basic fast food meal’ consisting of a burger, fries, and a drink, and ranked the 15 most expensive cities for fast food in the US.

Although the US doesn’t have an official national food, the good ol’ hamburger, fries, and of course a soda, is a pretty close bet.

MoneyGeek deduced that from 2022 to 2024, fast food meals from 189 major and local chains averaged out at having a 24% rise in their dishes, and with some McDonald’s charging up to $18 for a single Big Mac earlier in the year, these stats likely come as no surprise.

Without further ado, let’s see how the most expensive cities stack up, and whether your hometown is putting you out of pocket with hamburgers priced as if they’re coated in gold.

The 15 most expensive cities in the US for “a basic fast food meal”

Because a lot of fast food chains in the US are franchised, this means that menu prices can vary greatly depending on which branch you visit. For this study, researchers analyzed GrubHub data to determine the cost of menu items from major chains in the largest cities of each American state. They then determined the average national price, as well as the price premium, above or below the national average, accordingly. Here goes:

15. Long Beach, California: $15.31

14. Virginia Beach, California: $15.41

13. Jacksonville, Florida: $15.49

12. Mesa, Arizona: $15.90

11. Las Vegas, Arizona: $16.16

10. Baltimore, Maryland: $16.16

9. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania: $16.48

8. Phoenix, Arizona: $16.53

7. New York City, New York: $16.61

6. Los Angeles, California: $17.50

5. Boston, Massachusetts: $17.63

4. Seattle, Washington: $17.83

3. San Francisco, California: $17.96

2. Washington D.C.: $18.17

So, the most expensive city in the whole of the US for a fast food meal is San Diego, California, with a whopping average price of $20.76, officially surpassing the “change from a 20” bracket that all the other expensive cities were able to stay in.

If you haven’t noticed already, there is a clear trend here, with a third of the most expensive cities for fast food being in California. This isn’t all bad news though, because the reason a lot of restaurants in this state have raised their prices is due to fast food workers in California now getting paid a minimum wage of $20 per hour, not so good if you just want a quick meal though.

If you’re not quite ready to give up on your burger and fries, but you don’t want to give up on your wallet either, check out our definitive ranking of the nation’s best value meals at major chains.