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3 McDonald’s Meals You Can Make Cheaper at Home by Shopping at Costco

May 17, 2025

4 min Read

Written by Nicholas Morine

Edited by Cory Dudak

McDonalds Fillet of Fish Meal stock photo

LauriPatterson / iStock.com

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McDonald’s is perhaps the most iconic fast-food restaurant in the United States, if not the entire world. While the Golden Arches may be serving up some delicious meals, they’ve also hiked their prices by a significant margin (having effectively doubled between 2014 and 2024, per FinanceBuzz).

That means cash-strapped consumers looking to satisfy their craving for a burger and fries may look elsewhere, and what better place than warehouse club Costco? Here are a few combos that could be a bit cheaper if you’re willing to make a McDonald’s-like meal at home with ingredients purchased from Costco — condiments and vegetable toppings not included. Given that the listed McDonald’s serving sizes for sandwiches include the bun and toppings — not just the meat or fish — we figure it’s a fair exchange.

Quarter-Pounder With Cheese Combo ($10.19)

A quarter-pounder with cheese combo from McDonald’s might set you back $10.19, but Costco has your wallet covered.

A 12-pack of Aunt Hattie’s hamburger buns (sesame seeds and all) is priced at just $3.59 delivered from Costco Business Center, or 30 cents per bun. Meanwhile, Pederson Farms (100% grass fed, and organic) ground beef will set you back $129.99 for 12 lbs. — which would make 48 quarter pounders, so your freezer may get a workout. That’s $2.70 for the beef, and 30 cents for the bun. We’re at $3 so far.

A whopping 160 slices of Schreiber American cheese will set you back just $14.79, or just 9 cents per slice. And a 5-lbs. bag of Kirkland Signature fries is costed in at $7.94 — enough for 20 servings equivalent to a medium McDonald’s fry order (at 40 cents per serving). A 35-pack of Coca-Cola comes in at $19, or 55 cents a can.

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All in all, not counting veggies or condiments, your combo comes in at just over $4. Plus, you’re making an upgrade on your beef selection.

10-Piece McNugget Combo ($9.89)

According to current menu pricing, a 10-piece Chicken McNugget combo from McDonald’s comes in at $9.89. Can Costco beat that?

A 5-lbs. bag of Tyson panko-breaded chicken nuggets comes in at 15.19, and since a 10-piece order of McNuggets comes in at 159 grams, that’s a little over 14 orders, at $1.09 per 10 nuggets.

Add on the aforementioned cost of a medium fries (40 cents) and a soda (55 cents), and this combo comes in at $2.04 — less than a quarter of the cost of the McDonald’s-equivalent menu price.

Filet-o-Fish: Can it Stack Up Against a Fish Stick Sandwich? ($9.69)

Rounding out the trifecta of protein options as the star of the meal, McDonald’s longstanding Filet-o-Fish combo will set you back a cool $9.69.

Costco sells a 4-lbs. bag of panko breaded pollock fish sticks from Trident Seafoods for $17.29, while the Filet-o-Fish comes in at 138 grams for the entire sandwich. That’s about 13 Filet-o-Fish equivalents made from a few Costco-bought fish sticks, meaning the sandwich is covered for $1.72, bun, cheese and all.

Add in the usual fries and soda (95 cents) and you’re set for just $2.67. Now, where to spend that extra few dollars?

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