The Price To Feed a Family at 8 Popular Fast-Food Restaurants Across the US

The amount of money it takes to feed a family at a fast-food restaurant depends on the family. If you have a large brood of growing teens you could end up spending a small fortune to feed them, but if it’s just you, your spouse and your 4-year-old kid, you’ll come out a lot cheaper.

One thing all consumers have seen lately is a spike in the prices at fast-food joints. According to data from Stacker, prices at global fast-food leader McDonald’s have doubled since 2014, with an average price increase of 100% across various items.

Here are some other notable fast-food and fast-casual chains that have seen a spike in prices over the past decade, according to Stacker:

• Taco Bell: 81% average price increase. Among the biggest price jumps include the Doritos Locos Taco, which went from an average price of $1.39 in 2014 to $2.59 in 2024 (+86%); and the Cheesy Gordita Crunch, which has doubled in price from $2.49 in 2014 to $4.99 today.
• Chipotle: 75% average price increase. In 2014, the chain’s burrito, bowl, or tacos sold for less than $6.75 on average. Those same meals today cost an average of $10.50 or more
• Starbucks: 31% average price increase. Price hikes include 30%-plus increases in the average prices of the Chai Tea Latte  and Mocha Frappuccino.

If you need to feed a family instead of just yourself, you’ll be hard pressed to spend less than $20 no matter where you go. An analysis conducted by U.S. News & World Report looked at the average 2023 prices for popular items at fast-food chains.

The signature Big Mac carries an average price of $3.79, or $15.16 for four. When you toss in fries and beverages your bill will likely pass $30.

The signature burger is the Double-Double, which has an average price of $5.30, or $21.20 for four. Again, expect to pay more than $30 if you want to add sides and drinks.

The signature Whopper carries an average price of $5.89, or $23.56 for four without sides or drinks.

The eight-piece chicken family meal that includes a large signature side and four buttermilk biscuits sells for about $25, with no drinks included.

Average prices for a chicken meal that includes eight pieces of chicken with two large sides and four biscuits is about $27 — again, with no drinks included.

You can expect to pay an average of $6.49 for a kids’ Chick-fil-A nuggets, $9.29 for a chicken sandwich and $2.29 for a small fries. If you get two kids’ meals and two adult meals, plus fries for everyone, the final price is $40.72 without including drinks.

The average cost of a burrito supreme is $4.29, so four would total $17.16. Drinks and sides would likely push the total above $30.

You can expect to pay $7.99 for a foot-long oven-roasted turkey and ham sub, and $5.69 for a 6-inch. For two large and two small sandwiches, the total would be $27.36, not including drinks and sides.