11 Fast Food Burger Chains, Ranked By Affordability

When you visit your favorite fast food burger chain, you expect food to be prepared quickly and sold at an affordable price. And while that remains true for the most part, the landscape has changed considerably since White Castle paved the way for fast food burgers. We now have chains like Shake Shack and Five Guys that identify as "fast-casual," use premium ingredients, and charge way more than traditional chains like McDonald's and Burger King. Or at least, did before fast food prices in general started skyrocketing. At their current rate, the terms fast-casual and fast-food might as well be interchangeable.

There may be several reasons for the rising costs, from COVID-19 and inflation to an increase in rental prices and minimum wage. Whatever the cause, it's customers who must bear the brunt of paying more and more for items that, by definition, should be affordable. To help save you a few bucks, I ranked fast food burger chains from least to most affordable. I focused primarily on prices in Los Angeles, with the exception of one regional Midwestern chain. To determine the correct rankings, I compared popular menu items and standard go-tos from each chain against the available savings. Consider this a guide to getting more fast food bang for your buck.

Shake Shack is the bane of affordable fast food lovers. Unlike traditional fast food chains, which often use frozen patties, the burgers are made from a custom blend of 100% Angus, are free of hormones and antibiotics, and are cooked-to-order on a griddle. You'll find no microwaves or convection boosters on the premises, just a classic burger joint experience for a premium. 

It'll cost you around $8 for a taste of the most basic burger on Shake Shack's menu, the aptly-named Hamburger. It's the cheapest burger on the menu, and doesn't include cheese, but it comes with the option of one, two, or three smash patties. To jazz it up with an extra patty is almost $3, and for bacon, a couple of bucks more. By then, however, you've already spent almost $15, and that's before adding fries to the order, which adds about $5 more. If you have a sweet tooth, a shake can cost anywhere from $7 to $10.

Even if you skip the fries, you've already spent more than you would for most fast food chain burgers, with Five Guys being the biggest exception on this list. That said, Shake Shack now offers promo code deals, so it appears to be softening to the idea of reducing prices. One such deal earns you a free ShackBurger with the purchase of a Smoky BBQ Sandwich and can save you almost $9.

The patties at Five Guys are made from 80/20 lean ground chuck, contain no additives or fillers, and are free of gluten, breadcrumbs, flour, soy sauce, and spices. Each patty is freshly hand-formed in-store, which sets Five Guys apart from most nationwide fast food burger chains, and may somewhat justify its exorbitant prices. While it is certainly one of the most overpriced fast food chains, in truth, Shake Shack is a tad pricier, and I'll explain why.

Costing around $9, a single-patty Little Hamburger is the cheapest handheld on the menu, and slightly more than the basic Hamburger at Shake Shack. However, Shake Shack only lets you select from 5 free toppings, while Five Guys lets you customize hamburgers with up to 17 toppings for free, so technically, you're getting more for less. Also, in general, Shake Shack burgers on average cost around 1 to 2 dollars more than Five Guys burgers. 

Now, the priciest burgers at both chains — the Bacon Cheeseburger at Five Guys and the Avocado Bacon Burger at Shake Shack — are around the same price, so a visit to either is going to hit your pockets. But Five Guys also has combo deals that can save you around $5, whereas Shake Shack only has deals on a select few items at a time. Additionally, though it charges over a dollar more for shakes than Shake Shack, Five Guys offers more value by letting you select unlimited flavor mix-ins.

The signature Butterburgers at Culver's offer a singular experience. But, if we're comparing prices, the chain is definitely more expensive than a lot of others on this list. Culver's charges 5 to 6 dollars for the single patty option, which is around the average cost of a Wendy's burger. It's $2 for each additional patty, and around $3 each for a medium fry and fountain drink, so you're spending almost $15 on average.

All Butterburgers include the option of ketchup, lettuce, mustard, pickles, raw onion, and mayo, but you have to pay extra for tomatoes, mushrooms, grilled onions, jalapeños, and bacon. All in all, you're spending less than you would at Five Guys or Shake Shack, but definitely more than the average Wendy's order. The priciest combos at Wendy's, like for the Baconator and 4-pc Tenders, would be the only exceptions. 

The most expensive burger at Culver's is the Bacon Deluxe triple patty option, which will run you around $13, and with a side and drink, that shoots up to almost $20. Add to that, Culver's Value Baskets save you less than $1 when you do the math. Culver's definitely has perks that make it stand out from other chains, though, like seafood, salads, and a wide range of sides.

Prices at Wendy's have skyrocketed in recent years, which might explain why the chain has been struggling. Whereas competing chains like McDonald's and Burger King use frozen patties, Wendy's famously uses fresh, never-frozen patties, which might explain the higher average cost of menu items. But, having to pay over $10 for the fan-favorite Baconator is still a lot for a single Wendy's burger, even if it's one of the pricier items. Other popular go-tos like Dave's Single and the Spicy Chicken Sandwich cost under $8, which is a bit better, but still a hit to the wallet. And the combo savings are almost too minimal to qualify as savings.

You'd think that Wendy's junior fry size would offer some relief, but a small fry at Culver's, which includes slightly more fries, is actually cheaper. Thankfully, Wendy's makes up for its rising costs with an excellent Super Value Menu of affordable items under $4, like its iconic Junior Bacon Cheeseburger, chicken nuggets, and Frosty flavors. The value menu covers a good range of chain staples, so you don't feel as if you're missing out on the full Wendy's experience, and I think it helps give Wendy's the edge over McDonald's in affordability.

Something's afoot at McDonald's. Both the Big Mac and Quarter Pounder cost over $7, and once you start doubling up on the patties, the price inches eerily close to $10, or flies right past it if we're talking about the Double Bacon Quarter Pounder with Cheese. At that point, you're brushing up against Wendy's prices. Expect to pay more than you would at the average fast food chain for those World Famous Fries, too. A large, for example, is almost $6, a couple of dollars more than what Carl's Jr. and Sonic Drive-In charge. If you consider the fact that Sonic and Carl's Jr. both offer a wider range of potato sides, the limited selection makes McDonald's an even more expensive option.

The chain has recently leaned heavily into beverage innovation, adding Refreshers and dirty sodas to its lineup. Interestingly, Sonic Drive-In, which is perhaps known for beverages more than any fast food burger chain, and has an even wider selection of Refreshers that it sells for less. A large fruit-flavored Refresher from McDonald's, for example, costs more than $5, while one from Sonic is less than $4. The chain does earn some points with its Extra Value Meals, which, impressively, can save you almost $5. But beyond that, you're paying full price.

At a glance, it's easy to mistake McDonald's as being more affordable than Carl's Jr., especially with half its burgers costing over $8. But, a closer look at Carl's reveals a menu filled with pocket-friendly burgers, excellent breakfast combo deals, even better charbroiled burger combos, and an amazing value menu. For example, McDonald's only sells one burger for less than $4. Comparatively, Carl's has five burgers under $4 via its Star Deals menu. Some of the burgers include additional patties and extra toppings, too.

There are even lower-priced burgers tucked among its main charbroiled lineup, like the double-pattied Cali XL burger, Single Sourdough Star, and Big Cheeseburger, which actually delivers more calories than a Double Cheeseburger from McDonald's, so you technically get more food for your buck. On top of those savings, Carl's has a build-your-own-bag deal for $5.99 that lets you select one sandwich from its Star Deals menu, your choice of side, and a 4-piece chicken stars. You can pair a Single Jalapeno Cheeseburger (normally $3.79) with a small fry (normally $3.29) and Chicken Stars (normally less than $5).

So yes, if you plan on getting one of Carl's flagship burgers, expect to pay a lot. But there are more than enough savings to be had if you go about it smart. The exorbitant price of the charbroiled burgers is the main reason I ranked it as more expensive than Sonic Drive-In, which also sells wallet-draining handhelds, but compensates with even better deals.

With the average cost for a burger at Sonic Drive-In landing around $6, it's understandable why customers consider it overpriced. That said, while one of the flagship SONIC Smashers can indeed strain your budget, the chain offers numerous ways to save money, from impressive deals to an exceptional value menu. It's because of these deals, and because the burgers are generally cheaper, that I ranked Sonic as more affordable than Carl's Jr.

Over half of the burgers at Carl's Jr. cost more than the most expensive burger at Sonic, the Tropical Heat Triple SONIC Smasher. Outside of the SONIC Smashers, though, the prices aren't too bad. A medium fry is less than $3, as is a large drink, and Sonic generally offers a wider selection of menu items and beverages. The savings further increase when you factor in combo deals and the value menu. 

While most fast food chain combos only save you a buck and some change, Sonic's $7 Big Meal, which comes with a SONIC Cheeseburger, small Premium Chicken Bites, a medium drink, and your choice of medium tots or fries, can save you almost $7. The chain even has a value menu of items under $2. Sonic burgers are still pretty pricey compared to other chains, including the slightly more affordable Burger King, but with its wide selection and deals, there are many ways to ease the load on your wallet.

I'm as surprised as you probably are to learn how much more affordable Burger King is than McDonald's and many other fast food chains. While it certainly has some costly menu items — a Whopper costs around $8, for example — it has just as many reasonably priced options, and offers some of the best savings of any chain, period. Unlike the earlier entries on this list, some of which charge double digits for just the burgers, you can eat pretty well at Burger King for $15. 

A Whopper meal costs around $13, or around $3 less than purchasing the menu items individually. And while that's less than what you save on a McDonald's Value Meal, it's still considerably more than the savings you get from a combo deal at Sonic Drive-In. Where Burger King edges out both competitors in savings, however, is in its digital exclusives.

Its Ultimate Wrap Party deal, which includes four Royal Crispy Wraps, two Whoppers, and two medium fries, saves you almost $14. The King of Wrap deal that comes with one Royal Crispy Wrap, your choice of Whopper, 8-piece Chicken Fries, or an Original Chicken Sandwich, along with a small fry and small drink, saves you a little over $8. And those are just two of several amazing digital exclusives.

The burgers at Checkers & Rally's are priced reasonably for the most part. There are some exceptions, like the fan favorites Baconzilla and Smoky Bacon Big Buford, the two priciest handhelds, but in general, the average burger or chicken sandwich is cheaper than at Burger King. The Baconzilla costs around $8, while BK has 9 burgers that cost more or close to the same. BK's Original Chicken Sandwich goes for $7 and is more expensive than all the chicken sandwiches at Checkers & Rally's. Similar menu items at BK for the most part cost almost a dollar to two dollars more, and the same goes for breakfast items.

A bacon, egg, and cheese sandwich at Checkers costs around $3, while at BK, a sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit goes for more than $5. The deals at BK nearly make up for the price, but not enough to make it more affordable than Checkers. For a Big Buford Combo, which is a two-patty burger, you save almost as much as you would for a regular Whopper Meal, on top of paying almost two dollars less, so you save money and get more food. While both chains sell fries for pretty much the same price, there's a reason why Checkers fries taste so good, which may give them an edge over the fries at BK. I ranked it as less affordable than Jack in the Box due to the chain's unmatched deals.

If you're looking for awesome deals, look no further than Jack in the Box. The chain, without a doubt, has some of the best money-saving offers around, which come in handy when you don't have the funds to pay over 7 dollars for a burger. If I were ranking fast food burger chains based on standard menu prices alone, then Jack in the Box would definitely land higher on the list, as it sells burgers that nudge past $9, and chicken sandwiches pricier than all the ones at Checkers & Rally's. However, the chain is actually more affordable than you may think.

There are three main ways to save money at Jack in the Box: Deals and Digital Exclusives, Combos, and its Munchies under $4 menu. A Jumbo Jack Meal For Two, for example, can save you around $12, while the Build Your Own Munchie Meal that includes an entree, two sides, and a drink, can keep over $4 in your pocket. The combos aren't too shabby either, saving you between $2 for a burger combo and more than $5 for the Breakfast Jack Combo. Jack in the Box offers all-day breakfast, too.

What's more, the Munchies Under $4 menu could give any fast food chain's value menu a run for its money. It features a wide selection that touches on the full range of Jack in the Box offerings, from the Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger and Spicy Crispy Jack Wrap to Seasoned Curly Fries, Jack's signature tacos, and more.

I was certainly surprised to learn that In-N-Out is the most pocket-friendly fast food chain. It all boils down to menu size. In-N-Out sticks firmly to a handful of menu items: the iconic Double-Double, a single-patty Cheeseburger, a basic hamburger, French fries, a few shake flavors, beverages, coffee, tea, and milk. The chain lets you customize burgers with extra patties and toppings, and of course, there's the legendary Not So Secret menu, but beyond that, it runs a pretty tight ship.

According to a Business Insider article from 2018, the limited menu lowers the cost of ingredients, which lets In-N-Out keep prices affordable. When the article was published, the Double-Double was $3.85, and while the price has risen to around $6 since then, that's still super affordable compared to other flagship chain burgers. It's especially true when you consider that the cheeseburger is almost $2 less, and if you're a basic burger person, it costs less than $4.

The savings don't end there, either. French fries are less than $3, and two shakes almost cost the price of one from Shake Shack, the most expensive burger chain on this list. While In-N-Out's quality-over-quantity approach keeps prices low, it's possible that the company could lower them even further if the combos were priced differently. Currently, they're priced basically the same as the individual menu items combined.

To determine where fast food burger chains ranked by affordability, I sourced "most popular" lists, "top selling" item references, and customer reviews to make a list of the most popular menu items. I also took into consideration the cost of standard menu items such as a basic hamburger, chicken sandwich, fries, soft drinks, shakes, etc. I decided to focus on chain locations in Los Angeles, which is where I reside, and where each chain has a presence, with the exception of Culver's, for which I used Chicago as the price guide. I chose Los Angeles and Chicago because, as major cities, they generally have higher fast food prices.

I then looked at the available deals, digital exclusives, and value menus at each chain, and calculated them against standard menu items to determine the potential overall savings for customers. Lasty, I ranked each chain according to its respective potential savings. Some chains that cost more on average compensate with amazing deals that, when you dig deeper, reveal them to be more affordable.