What $15 Gets You At Burger King Vs McDonald's In 2026

Despite being old news at this point, food inflation is still painful to deal with, and fast food has been hit by it even harder than grocery stores. While the cost of groceries has surged 29% since 2020 on average, many fast food items have jumped 50% or more in that same period. But we all need a quick meal every now and then, and you'll probably be shopping around for a spot where a dollar still goes far. So if you're in the mood for a fast food burger or chicken nuggets, here's what you can get for under $15 at Burger King and McDonald's right now. These prices are based on Texas locations outside of Dallas, which have some of the most average fast food prices in the country, so locations near you may be slightly more expensive.

While the dollar menu may be a thing of the past pretty much everywhere, value meals and combos at both chains do still offer some good deals. Burger King is currently still offering its Duo and Trio Combos, which let you mix and match between a Whopper Jr., bacon cheeseburger, chicken sandwich, medium fries, medium chicken fries, or a drink. The Trio is currently only $7, so you could get six items for around $15.

McDonald's has a wider range of meal deals right now, but they are a little more cumbersome for mixing and matching. The two most consistent are on the McValue Menu: the meal deal and buy one get one for $1. The meal deals come with a 4-piece chicken nugget, small fry, and drink, along with a sandwich, and the McDouble combo is only $6 while the McChicken is $5. So you could get two or three of these meals and come in right at or under $15. The BOGO offer applies to the double cheeseburger, McChicken, six-piece nuggets, and a small fry. Each of those is between $3.50 and $4.19, and then the second of them is $1, so the deal will cost around $5 combined. With a fountain drink being $1.69, you could make two small meals with this deal for under $15 as well.

Right now, the classic combos featuring most of McDonald's burgers or chicken items are hovering between $8 and $11, with the Big Mac or Quarter Pounder meals being $8.29, the Double Quarter Pounder being $10.19, and 10 piece chicken nugget meal being $8.09. So you won't be able to score two of those and stay under $15, but you could get one along with one of the McValue Menu combos and land right under that. And at $4.69 a pop, a hamburger Happy Meal for the kids is also an option.

Staying under $15 is a little harder at Burger King if you're trying to feed two people, but it's still possible even if you don't use the Duo or Trio deals. The classic combo meals for the Burger King Whopper or Double Whopper (the same amount of meat as McDonald's Quarter Pounder or Double QP) are $10.29 and $12.89. Burger King's specialty or limited-time burger meals also come in around $13. At these levels, you are limited to a dessert like the apple pie ($1.99), or a single small side like fries, and the basic cheeseburger if you want to order more and stay under $15. 

However, Burger King's chicken is much more affordable and closer to McDonald's. The crispy chicken sandwich meal is $9.99, while the eight-piece nugget meal is only $6.49. Burger King's kids' meals are also cheaper, at only $4.19. So if you need to grab something for the kids and stay under $15, stick with chicken, or use the Duo or Trio combo offers.

If you are eating for one, it's still possible to get a good amount of food for under $15 at either McDonald's or Burger King, where you should have room for at least one additional side or small burger after ordering a combo. And if you stick with cheaper combos and different value menu meal deals, you should be able to feed two people as well.