McDonald’s New Value Menu: How Does It Compare to Others (and Is It Worth Your Money)?
Written by
Dawn Allcot
Edited by
Angela Corry
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In the face of continued rising prices, fast food chain McDonald’s has introduced a new value menu, replacing the beloved Dollar Menu that could feed a whole family of four for under $12. The new menu will save you money compared to full-price meals, but does it offer the value McDonald’s claims?
In recent years, consumers criticized McDonald’s for rapidly rising prices. In mid-2024, McDonald’s USA president Joe Erlinger wrote, in an open letter on the company website, that the average price of a Big Mac rose by 21% between 2019 and 2024. McDonald’s burgers had been epitomized as a symbol of high fast food prices, CNN reported at the time.
The new McValue meal strives to give consumers less costly options but might leave some consumers wanting more choices. Let’s break it down and see how the new McValue menu compares to McDonald’s regular menu, as well as to Wendy’s and Burger King deals.
$5 Value Meals
McDonald’s has extended its $5 and $6 Value Meal promotions. The $5 deal includes a choice of McChicken or McDouble burger, four-piece Chicken McNuggets, small fries and a small soft drink. (The McDouble may cost $6 in some regions.)
A 4-piece Chicken McNuggets, by itself, costs $2.59, while the McChicken sandwich costs $3.29 and the McDouble costs $2.99. The $5 value meal already offers savings, even before you add the small fries and soft drink.
Buy One, Add One
If you’re feeding a hungry crowd, McDonalds’ Buy One, Add One for $1 deals can help you stretch your budget. Current choices on the BOGO menu include:
- Double Cheeseburger ($3.29)
- McChicken ($3.29)
- 6-piece Chicken McNuggets ($3.89, me for $8.19)
- French Fries ($2.39)
As with the McValue meals, choices are limited and do not include popular options like a Quarter Pounder with Cheese or Big Mac. The best deal on the menu is the 6-piece Chicken McNuggets meal, which includes two 6-piece McNuggets, two fries and two soft drinks for $9.19 or $4.59 per person.
Wendy’s Meal Deals
Wendy’s offers more options in its Meal Deals, with six choices. Each “Biggie” Bag deal comes with a sandwich (burger or chicken) and a four-piece chicken nuggets. You can even choose from nine different flavors of nuggets, ranging from plain to spicy ghost pepper.
Prices for Biggie Bags range from $5 to $7, making them comparable to the McDonalds’ offer. The $6 and $7 meals include sandwiches with double burgers and/or bacon. You can also get a Jr. Cheeseburger — 444 Meal for just $4. Wendy’s also lets you choose a small Frosty as your drink option without an upcharge.
Burger King Deals
Seeking to compete, Burger King offers $5 Duo meals and $7 Trio meals. You can choose two or three of the following menu items:
- Whopper Jr.
- Bacon Cheeseburger
- Original Chicken Sandwich
- Medium Fries
- 8-piece Chicken Fries
- Medium Soft Drink
Burger King put many of its popular menu items on its meal deal list. This deal offers the flexibility of putting together a meal, complete with a protein, fries and a drink — or grab three sandwiches to feed yourself and your friends for $7. A Whopper Jr. costs $3.29, so you’d save $2.87 with a Trio. You’d maximize savings by ordering three original chicken sandwiches, regularly $5.29 each.
Final Note
In general, Burger King offers slightly better savings than Wendy’s or McDonald’s, but it all comes down to your specific order. There are plenty of opportunities to save money on fast food right now if you’re willing to choose items off these value menus.
Note that prices at each restaurant may vary depending on your region and whether you order in-app or in-store.
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