Signs for Taco Bell, Grinder, McDonalds, Panda Express fast-food restaurant line the streets in the Figueroa Corridor area of South Los Angeles on July 24, 2008, Los Angeles, California. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
Fast food restaurants are famous for offering quick and easy eats without breaking the bank. While recent price hikes appear to be testing that recipe, a new report also finds a trip past the drive-thru in some cities can make a much bigger dent in the average customer’s wallet than in others.
By the numbers:
Researchers at WalletHub wanted to determine where fast food purchases would cost the most when taking into account how much an average person would make in each city. To figure that out, they compiled a list of the 100 largest cities in the U.S. and added up the cost of buying a hamburger, a pizza, and a chicken sandwich in that town.
That total was then weighed against the median monthly income in that city to determine how large a percentage of the customer’s wages would go toward buying those three foods.
Big picture view:
After running the numbers, the researchers found that the percentage of the monthly household income needed by someone in Detroit to buy a hamburger, pizza, and chicken sandwich would be nearly three times higher than it is for people who live in Austin, Texas.
Local perspective:
Looking more closely at the top three most expensive cities — Detroit; Cleveland, Ohio; and Buffalo, New York — the common theme among all of them is not high food prices as much as it is lower median incomes. Only one of the three cities had an item fall into the top ten most expensive for its category. So, anyone heading to Buffalo might want to consider picking up a pizza or grabbing that chicken sandwich, because the price for that burger is going to be the fifth highest in the country.
Dig deeper:
The percentages listed for each city may seem like low numbers, but context is key. That small pizza, burger, and chicken sandwich would only account for three of the dozens of meals a person is going to eat over a month.
That means someone in Detroit, where those three items cost 0.73% of the median household income, would spend over 7% of their income on fast food if they ate out once every day. And, that’s before having to also pay for other necessities, like rent, utilities, transportation, and any other snacks or meals they eat at home.
Regardless of where a fast food customer lives, though, their meal is likely costing a lot more than it used to. WalletHub found that prices at what are classified as limited-service restaurants went up by 3.2% between August 2025 and August 2026, which was more than the overall U.S. inflation rate.
What they're saying:
"Fast food has grown more and more expensive in recent years, outpacing inflation," WalletHub writer and analyst Chip Lupo said. "As a result, it’s worthwhile for consumers to think critically about whether the convenience of fast food really justifies the cost – and about how much room they have in their budgets for this luxury."
Saving money on fast food
With prices on the rise, WalletHub offered several tips for saving some money on a fast food run. Researchers suggested checking for any coupons, skipping delivery and picking up the food instead, taking advantage of rewards programs, and avoiding larger sizes and too many extra toppings.
People who want to eat out regularly should have a budget in mind and stick to it, researchers added. Similarly, eating out less often can save big bucks in the long run.
The Source: Information for this article was taken from WalletHub. This story was reported from Orlando.