What Does It Cost To Feed a Family of 4 at McDonald’s vs. Wendy’s
Written by
Jennifer Taylor
Edited by
Angela Corry
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Sometimes cooking is out of the question. Whether you’re tired from a long day or rushing from one place to another, you might opt for a quick and easy dinner from McDonald’s or Wendy’s.
Read More: Here’s How Much a Meal at McDonald’s Costs in the US Compared to Europe
Like many Americans, you may often find yourself in close proximity to both restaurants. If you don’t have a heavy preference for one of these fast food chains over the other, price might be your main deciding factor.
To help you out, GOBankingRates priced comparable meals for a family of four from both McDonald’s and Wendy’s. Keep reading to find out which restaurant has lower prices.
McDonald’s
- Spicy McCrispy Meal (medium-sized) with fries and a soft drink: $11.29
- Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese Meal (medium-sized) with fries and a soft drink: $13.29
- Hamburger Happy Meal with fries, apple slices, milk and toy: $6.59
- Four-Piece Chicken McNugget Happy Meal with fries, apple slices, milk and toy: $6.79
Total = $37.96
Wendy’s
- Spicy Chicken Sandwich Combo (medium-sized) with fries and a soft drink: $12.39
- Big Bacon Classic Combo (medium-sized) with fries and a soft drink: $13.19
- Kids’ Hamburger Meal with fries, milk and toy: $5.49
- Kids’ Four-Piece Nuggets Meal with fries, milk and toy: $6.09
Total = $37.16
The Bottom Line
Overall, the total price of a sample meal for a family of four was almost identical at McDonald’s and Wendy’s. The biggest price differences were the Spicy Chicken Sandwich Combo versus the Spicy McCrispy Meal and the Kids’ Hamburger Meal versus the Hamburger Happy Meal — each was $1.10 cheaper than the competition.
It is worth nothing that McDonald’s Happy Meals come with both fries and apple slices or extra fries. If you’re intent on getting your child a serving of fruit, you might consider opting for McDonald’s over Wendy’s.
However, if cost is your main concern, you can relax in knowing the two restaurants have very similar prices. Of course, the menu items below are only examples, so if your family members tend to place the same order every time you dine at either of these chains, it could be worth pricing out your unique order at each restaurant.
Ultimately, ordering fast food should make feeding your family easier — and similar prices at McDonald’s and Wendy’s does just that. Instead of feeling like you need to drive out of your way to find the restaurant with the cheapest food, you can simply stop by the most convenient location.
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