Costco's First 'New' Hot Dog Combo In 40 Years Is Honestly A Waste Of Money

Costco's hot dog combo is almost mythical at this point. The $1.50 hot dog plus a soda meal has not changed since 1985. The hot dog remains affordable all these years later because it's a loss leader designed to draw in customers. That's a big part of the reason why all Costco food court keeps its food prices so low. But just because the combo is iconic doesn't mean it can't change. Costco recently rolled out a new version of the combo — sort of, anyway. Customers think it's a bit of a waste of money.

Beginning in late 2025, some Costcos offered bottled water as a drink option with the hot dog combo. It caused some online buzz, and understandably so, since the hot dog combo has been unchanged for so long. While the new option may seem appealing for those who don't want soda, it's less of a value since Costco charges just 25¢ for a 16.9-ounce bottle of Kirkland water from vending machines directly within the food court.

You could make the argument that the soda in the original combo is also only worth 25¢, making these deals equal in value. However, Costco offers free refills on the 20-ounce fountain soda. Given that, there are those online who feel the combo with water should be cheaper since you get more soda to start, and potentially a lot more with a refill.

While some shoppers were happy with the news, as they prefer water to soda, several comments on Reddit point out that you could just get water from the fountain instead. You could also make a case that bottled water and fountain water taste different, so it could be a point in favor of getting a bottle instead of a fountain drink. In addition, the portability of a plastic bottle with a lid that can be sealed has an advantage over a fountain drink. "Being able to carry a water bottle home would be infinitely easier than a soda container that risks spilling," said one Reddit user.

On the other hand, the bottled water that comes in the new combo means more waste than the standard cardboard fountain drink cup. However, one Redditor had a cynical response to those concerns, saying, "The regular offering comes with a plastic straw and plastic lid and an absolutely not going to be recycled cup as well." There is no way to know how many — or if any — of the Costco food court cups and plastic bottles get recycled properly, but you can make a reasonable assumption that this person isn't entirely wrong.

People have also made the solid case that, strictly by the numbers, Costco's hot dog and water combo doesn't present as good a value as the hot dog and soda combo. However, it comes down to haggling over pennies for a meal that, by all accounts, should cost nearly $5 by now thanks to inflation. The Costco food court started as a single hot dog cart. Considering how far it's come, you're getting a good deal either way — but if you want the best deal for your money, stick with the soda and snag a free refill.