This Is How Much Fast Food Prices Have Changed Since The End Of 2019 — & How Much The Companies Have Profited
Most price increases at fast food restaurants are largely outpacing the actual rate of inflation.
Lena Ogurtsova | Shutterstock Fast food was once a cheap and easy option for a meal on the go. Unfortunately, the days of value menus and combo deals have largely passed us by. Now, fast food prices have risen so high that the phenomenon has its own name — fastflation. Financial news website The Street defined this as “outsized inflation at fast food establishments — businesses that have historically aimed to maintain low prices relative to other eateries to better serve working folks on a limited dining budget.”
For those who relied on fast food as an affordable food option, fastflation has made these restaurants unaffordable. While we’re all aware of the fact that prices have increased everywhere, taking a look at just how different prices are for certain menu items is nothing short of shocking.
Researchers tracked increases in prices across a number of fast food chains.
The Instagram account for DC Economics shared a screenshot of price differences for several key menu items at three of the biggest fast food restaurants in the world, McDonald’s, Taco Bell, and Chick-fil-A. The prices for the menu items in late 2019, right before the economy fell apart due to the COVID-19 pandemic, were significantly lower than they were in mid-2024.
For example, a McChicken at McDonald’s increased from $1.29 to $3.89, or a 201.6% difference. Taco Bell’s Beefy Five-Layer Burrito has increased 118.3% from $1.69 to $3.69. Meanwhile, eight nuggets from Chick-fil-A have undergone a 96.4% increase from $3.05 to $5.09.
Finance Buzz took an even wider look at the effects of fastflation, examining prices over a 10-year period from 2014 to 2024. They noted that the actual inflation rate over those 10 years was around 31%, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Obviously, some of these items well exceeded that rate of inflation.
“The restaurants we evaluated raised prices by 60% on average between 2014 and 2024. That means they’ve raised prices at a rate nearly double the national rate of inflation," they noted. “Five different restaurants — McDonald’s, Popeyes, Taco Bell, Chipotle, and Jimmy John’s — raised their prices at more than double the actual inflation rate. McDonald’s raised prices so much that their average menu prices increased more than three times the national rate of inflation.”
McDonald’s and Taco Bell had particularly egregious reputations for increasing prices.
According to Finance Buzz, McDonald’s recently introduced a new Big Mac that costs $18, which seems to undermine everything it is as a company. They confirmed, “According to our data, prices at McDonald’s have doubled since 2014, with an average price increase of 100%.”
Taco Bell has undergone a similar evolution. After becoming a fast food staple with prices that were on par with competitors like McDonald’s, the chain has increased prices noticeably over the years.
Tim Samuel | Pexels
Per Finance Buzz, “Some of Taco Bell’s most iconic menu items show how much costs have risen. A Doritos Locos Taco has gone from an average price of $1.39 in 2014 to $2.59 in 2024 (+86%), while a Cheesy Gordita Crunch has doubled in price from $2.49 in 2014 to $4.99 today.”
Of course, these restaurants’ profits are higher than ever.
If the goal of chains like McDonald’s and Taco Bell is to make as much money as possible by increasing their prices (and it probably is), then they’re doing a pretty great job. According to MacroTrends, McDonald’s grossed $14.71 billion in 2024, while Taco Bell's parent company brought in $5.429 billion. Both are already announcing impressive numbers just for the first quarter of 2025 as well.
As prices continue to increase at fast food restaurants, that money will go exactly where it’s intended to — right back into their own pockets.
Mary-Faith Martinez is a writer with a bachelor’s degree in English and Journalism who covers news, psychology, lifestyle, and human interest topics.
