Aurora Starchild
There once was a day when you could buy a Big Mac for 89 cents. I remember watching my parents pump gas in the 80s and comparing the price of one gallon to a meal at McDonald’s. Those days are long gone, and customers are saying Mickey D’s is no longer affordable. A viral post on TikTok shows how one man’s usual order cost him nearly $20!
Videos by Rare
When the Price of a Single McDonald’s Order Gives You Financial Anxiety
Topher, who goes by @topherolive on TikTok, shared his meal receipt with his 335k followers. He’d ordered from a McDonald’s restaurant in Post Falls, Idaho. The total for a Double Smokey BLT Quarter Pounder with Cheese, a large French fry, and a Sprite came out to $16.10.
“McDonald’s. So, I get there’s a labor shortage. I get there’s wage increases and a number of other things. But, $16 for a burger, a large fry, and a drink. It’s just crazy,” said Topher.
“Five guys prices at McDonald’s?!?” said the top comment.
Investigating Post Falls, Idaho’s McDonald’s Prices
Interested in whether this was true or not, I researched what Five Guys near Post Falls actually costs. The closest location I found was Boise, Idaho. The cost of a double bacon cheeseburger with lettuce and tomatoes came out to $12.49. However, when you slapped on a large fry and a large Sprite, the total came out to $22.27. To be fair, Five Guys is still more expensive, however, the burger itself is comparable.
Next, I plugged in the cost of the very large and fancy McDonald’s burger that Topher bought. In Boise, the sandwich itself came out to $12.29. If you made that a large meal with a Sprite, it was $13.09. Not quite as expensive as Topher’s meal in Post Falls, Idaho.
So, then I checked a city in California and saw that the same sandwich alone costs over $17.00. Indeed, Topher’s McDonald’s meal does not cost the same amount no matter where you go. It seems that McDonald’s prices differ depending on the city, even within the same state.
While some of Topher’s TikTok followers called him out for ordering a trending and thus very expensive menu item, others felt bad for the guy. One person said it was about half the price for the same sandwich in Michigan. And others recommended that he use the McDonald’s app, which offers deals that can substantially decrease the cost of a meal.
The Price of Topher’s Meal in Idaho Requires 2x More Minimum Wage Labor Than in California
What makes the price of Topher’s McDonald’s meal seem even more exorbitant is the fact that Idaho hasn’t increased its minimum wage since 2008. That year, the minimum wage rose from $6.55 to $7.25. It’s plateaued at the same spot ever since.
Conversely, the minimum wage in California is $15.00 in 2022 and is about to go up to $15.50. Granted, housing is exorbitant in Cali—but you’d only have to work for an hour plus some change to earn enough for Topher’s meal.
But for an Idahoan craving a McDonald’s meal and wanting to splurge on the newest Double Smokey BLT QP w/ cheese, a large fry, and a soda, they’re going to pay more than two hours of work time at minimum wage. That’s insane.
#IStandWithTopher. McDonald’s no longer seems affordable.
You start off complaining about the price of a Big Mac Meal but end up talking about one of the double quarter speciality meals as the comparison, of coarse will be more. Yes prices have gone up on everything, why wouldn’t McDonalds go up too? This article is ridiculous and so are people who don’t think McDonald’s prices won’t go up.
RC The whole point is that the cost of living is completely out of hand. There’s NO end in sight and there’s government involvement in the economy to blame! Democrats to be precise!
Since when have Republicans cared about working people, save in election campaign slogans and fund solitication appeals? Democrats at least try to make life better for middle class and working class people — what you call “government involvement in the economy.”
You do realize that the democrats have caused the economy to be the way it is today in 2022 .. sure minimum wage jobs have had major pay increases !! It you are actually making less money !! Everything that you buy has gone up 60 to 90 %
Interest rates just in 2 years have gone up from 2.75! % to almost 8% so you keep voting for the dems !! But you do not have the right to complain about this countries inflation and how much everything cost these days !!
You voted for it !! That’s what the dems do best !! Spend money and raise taxes and have high interest rates !! 😪
TRUMP GAVE YOU THE GREATEST ECONOMY IN HISTORY, ENERGY INDEPENDENCE WITH GAS AT $1.89, HIGHEST STOCK MARKET IN HISTORY, LOWEST BLACK AND HISPANIC UNEMPLOYMENT IN HISTORY, YOU WANT MORE? COMPARE THAT AT WHAT WE HAVE NOW PAL…
Democrats care about Democrats. Don’t expect people to get it on their own. They’ve proved over and over that they have no problem taking from others.
Keep drinking the kool-aid
trump the dump had cheap prices but u sold u soul to him so go for it fools lol
Your comment about Republicans is total cliche. Both parties do not really care about middle class people and yes the Democrats own everything in this article about the increased cost of fast food. Since 2021, the current administration has allowed oil to go up by limiting exploration, and appointed a treasury secretary who stated inflation is transitory. This is where the inflation has come from thus expensive Mcdonalds.
3 months later, your republican angst has been proven false, welcome to Bidens world.
Democrats care? That’s laughable at this point, open southern border, increased crime, fentanyl became the number one killer of Americans, under democratic leadership.
Finding a corrupt nazi sympathizing Ukrainian mafia controlled puppet President Zellenskyy’s personal war with Russia, out of control U.S. inflation, lies about his involvement with his drug addict son hunter, frieght disruption debacle, high fuel prices, high interest rates.
Increased homelessness, the desaterous dysfunctional Afghanistan withdraw, the defunding of our border patrols and ICE agents, while spending billions on shipping illegals across our nation, low military recruitment, he added 6 trillion to the national debt in 2 years. Lied about college tuition governmental reimbursement.
Biden lies about his life, his father, his experiences, his racism, and Scranton. Fact he was voted one of the worst Senators ever to serve by his constituents, now he’s the worst President to ever serve Thanks to 81 million democratic diciples that didnt do their research before voting for a known old white racists, disciples voted using their emotions instead of their intelligence, they decided to give up great foreign relations, give up energy independence, give up our national security, while spending more money then the federal government can print.
The Democrats dont care for or make life better for the middle class. That is an uneducated statement…look around you. With election season coming up, the leftest false indictment hoaxs and lies are starting up agian.
What’s even better is as the costs continue to rise for fast food the time it takes to receive your order is getter much longer. 20-30 minute wait times at the drive thru or at the counter is unbelievable.
The man ordered a sandwich that has a half pound of beef on it. Ya it’s gonna cost a lot. I also like that they didn’t mention the hiring wage at McDonald’s which is always more than minimum wage. My area minimum wage is 7.25 but McDonald’s starts at $12.
I have trouble pitying anyone who eats fast food. The food is disgusting and incredibly unhealthy, and it’s produced by a vile, dehumanizing corporation.
This is an article about fast food, why are you even reading it? You have such disdain for those people beneath you, you couldn’t help yourself but complain they exist.
We’re working people and elderly people trying to get by while someone is taking advantage of us we’re not getting raises to even break even they’re all to expensive I think there’s a lot of hungry people that’s not getting enough to eat daily who can afford 20.dollars for lunch and her wife another $20
Go to Dennys $5.99 value meal and you get to sit down the hell with m Mac D and any fast food place
There are like two or more 5 guys in Spokane
Yep, Democrats are cutting your wages with horrible inflation. If you work for a living or depend on a pension you need to change this horrible administration.
I get fast food prices are high but also remember it is what state you are in and also the cost of food they have to purchase also goes up so they can run their stores.
NAFTA and the loss of good union paying jobs of the 50s60s70s early 80s is one big reason for crazy minimum wage increase the fast food industry was never meant to be a replacement to support a family these jobs were meant for high school college and retired folks. Once again thank the Government America needs to wake the hell up
fast food places can all go to hell…restaurants can join them as well…cherry pick food on sale at the grocery stores and get off your lazy ass and cook…
McDonalds prices are insane their food also tastes like shit anymore.
don’t mind payin for what I get but they’ve gone overboard.
Their fries have sucked since they stopped frying with beef tallow.
when you pay 15.00 an hour for not quilified help all prices are going up
So here in Ca if they raise just their wages to $22 that is going to make them a better cook. Lol
McDonalds was always known as an affordable “burger joint”. I agree it is no more. My husband and I prefer to throw in a few dollars more and get a petite sirloin with all the fixings at a local steak house. This means salad, bread, a baked potato and service at the table. McD’s IS overpriced!
Stop eating out and make yourself a meal.
I worked 3 jobs to pay off credit card debt. I ate fast food a lot, was very sleep deprived, sick all of the time. Now I make enough to work 1 job, get more sleep, cook more and am sick only maybe once a year where I have to call in. The weird thing is my weight hasn’t changed but my cholesterol levels etc are now borderline. Go figure
I agree. Way too pricey. You can get 2 sausage egg McMuffins for under $6 but 1 with ham is about $6. How Dow a family afford these prices? Shame.
A family learns to like sausage.
Keep artificially raising the minimum wage and you will continue spiral inflation. The dems have no common sense.
You can cook at home much cheaper if you try, cut out all the soda and chips and snacks and booze and cigarettes, boycott all fast food and restaurants and sporting events and you can have steak 7 days a week from aldi’s.
LOL–Trump didn’t set prices, sweetheart, he let the market do that. Booming economy means more activity, more people working, and cheaper food. And when you insist in paying your burger flipper $15, that becomes the base price for unskilled labor and everything goes up. Democrats–failing Econ 101 since the founding.
Democrats knived.the working man in the back with President Dim’s lunatic energy policies. MacDonals in NOT a.necessity but driving to yoir.job is. Funny how the Dems cater to those who don’t or won’t work while turning their backs on Americans who bust their hump to support them!
McDonald’s had me sick for 3 days. I know it was McDonald’s because the patty tasted sour . I threw it away but evidently I had ate enough to make me sick. Never again will I eat there. Must not have been refrigerated properly. It was during the summer and heat extremely high. They should have refrigerated accordingly. Watch your burgers people!!
60+ years ago when I worked at a McDonalds, there were no seats, breakfast, or drive-thru. We had a jingle played on our local radio of “39 cents for a 3-course meal, sounds to me like that’s a steal! 15 cent hamburger, 15 cent milk shake, and 9 cent french fries. You could get a coke or orange drink for a nickel I remember when we raised our price of fries to 12 cents, customers told us that was going to drive us out of business. I was making $1.25 an hour so I could eat out more than 3 times for an hour of my wages. Bring back “The Good Ole Days”!
In 1961, a burger was$.15 and fries were $.10 = a quarter!
What would you pay in a bar or a restaurant way more than that they have to raise the wages of the employees and give them benefits. Because they’re not just teenagers working to get save up for a car. They are families people with families trying to make ends meet.
82 million voters wish they didn’t vote for Biden he’s a train wreck with dementia. Savings and IRA are sinking faster than the Titanic, interest rates are shooting up like green grass on a wet day.
TRUMP had things humming along just fine!
Republican all the way!
McDonalds charges two dollars more for individual items than for a meal also. Their food sucks!
Get the McDonald’s app on your iPhone and you can get a 30% discount once a day and there’s all kinds of deals and points add up for free food