Cheapest Fast Food Meals in the United States

On this page

• What counts as a cheap meal?
• How to compare prices fairly
• Where to check prices by restaurant
• Ways to spend less
• Using nutrition to judge value
• Sources

What counts as a cheap meal in the United States?

A cheap meal is one that fills you up for the least money at the restaurant where you are standing. That sounds obvious, but it means there is no single national price list to rely on. Restaurants in the same chain can charge different prices, delivery apps often add their own markup, and a promotion that applies in one place may not apply in another. For that reason Menu Chains only shows a price when we can point to a reliable source and a date, and otherwise says “Not listed”.

What we can verify is what is in the food. On each brand page we publish official calories and nutrition data checked against the brand’s own website, so you can see how much food, protein or energy a menu item delivers before you look at its price in the brand’s app.

How to compare prices fairly

Start by comparing like with like. A burger alone and a burger meal are different purchases, and so are a regular and a large drink. When you check prices, write down what is included and what size it is.

• Compare the same type of item, such as a single burger against a single burger, or a meal against a meal.
• Check whether the price is for eating in, taking away or delivery, because they can differ.
• Look at the price in the brand’s own app or ordering page for your restaurant, not a price list from another website.
• Note the date. Prices change, and old lists are often wrong.
• Check what a meal deal actually includes before assuming it is cheaper than buying items separately.

Menu Chains does not publish unverified price lists. If you find a price that differs from what a brand shows in its own app, trust the app.

Where to check prices by restaurant

This table shows where each brand we have verified shows its prices, and links to the verified nutrition on its Menu Chains page.

Restaurant	Where prices are shown	Verified nutrition
Starbucks	After you choose a café on the official site or app	View Starbucks menu
McDonald’s	In the McDonald’s app; prices vary by restaurant	View McDonald’s menu
Chick-fil-A	Prices vary by restaurant; check the app or your restaurant	View Chick-fil-A menu
Taco Bell	Taco Bell says prices vary by restaurant; check the app	View Taco Bell menu
Subway	Prices vary by store; check the app or your store	View Subway menu

Ways to spend less

• Use the brand’s app or loyalty scheme if it has one, because offers often appear there first.
• Look for meal deals and value menus, then check whether you actually want everything in the bundle.
• Choose a standard size unless you will finish a larger one.
• Order for collection where it is offered, since delivery usually costs more.
• Share larger items or sides when eating with others.
• Compare two or three nearby restaurants for the same type of meal.

None of these tips depends on a specific price, so they stay useful when prices change.

Using nutrition to judge value

Price is only part of value. A cheaper item that leaves you hungry an hour later may cost more over a day than a slightly dearer one that keeps you full. Use the nutrition tables on our brand pages to compare how much energy and protein you get, and to spot lower-calorie options if that matters to you. Our pages show the lowest-calories and highest-calories items in every section so you can see the range at a glance.

Browse the verified menus: Starbucks, McDonald’s, Chick-fil-A, Taco Bell, Subway. Or return to the United States hub.