In-N-Out Vs McDonald's: Which Is Actually Cheaper In 2026?

They may both be big names in fast food, but in 2026 In-N-Out Burger and McDonald's are held up as rivals with the opposite ideas. In-N-Out is the slowly-expanding family-owned regional chain with a focus on using high-quality fresh ingredients, while McDonald's is the international corporate behemoth supposedly cutting corners. This contrast has resulted in some holding up In-N-Out as an example of a chain that has stayed focused on value as McDonald's is criticized for rising prices and gouging. While which fast food burger chain is better is always going to come down to personal taste, determining which is more affordable can actually be measured.

In truth, which fast food joint is least expensive depends, but McDonald's is usually (a little) cheaper. To check on this price rivalry we looked at McDonald's and In-N-Out prices at neighboring locations in both California and Arizona, where the two have a lot of overlap. Since In-N-Out only offers four basic menu items, the Double-Double, burger, cheeseburger, and fries, we limited the comparison to the closest McDonald's equivalent. Those being the Big Mac and the three basics of burgers, cheeseburgers, and fries. We also assessed drinks and combo meals.

Although In-N-Out was more affordable in a few spots — the Double-Double is a little less than the Big Mac — McDonald's usually had the slight edge. In particular the Extra Value Meals, which McDonald's brought back in 2025, make a difference, as In-N-Out does not actually discount combos compared to buying the items individually.

Breaking it down by individual item, the average price of the Big Mac's we checked was about $6.99 a la carte, while the Double-Doubles are priced just over $6.12. However, combo meals, with a medium fry and drink, were around $10.50 on average at McDonald's and $10.85 at In-N-Out. For the hamburger, McDonald's charges around $2.65 against In-N-Out's average of $3.72, while cheeseburgers go for about $2.75 at the former compared to the latter's $4.25. Interestingly, this was the one case where In-N-Out's combo was actually cheaper, as the McDonald's cheeseburger combo was about $10.25 (almost as much as the Big Mac combo) to In-N-Out's $9.

Of course, this duality extended to the sides. In-N-Out's fries are clearly cheaper, at $2.32 on average against McDonald's comparable medium size at $4.45. But McD's wins again in the drink department, which might have to do with the changes McDonald's is making to focus more on beverages. A medium fountain drink costs $1.70 there, while In-N-Out charges around $2.40 on average.

The comparison isn't perfect. The burger sizes at both chains are among the smallest in fast food, but In-N-Out's is slightly, slightly larger. Its hamburgers and cheeseburgers also come with lettuce and tomato while McDonald's doesn't. Adding lettuce and tomato raises the price 80 cents. McDonald's franchising model also means there was a lot more variance in prices between the stores. The truth is the two are almost identical in pricing for like items, so it ultimately comes down to personal preference for most.