5 McDonald's Menu Items That Are Actually Worth The Price

McDonald's wants its customers to declare, "I'm lovin' it!" with each bite. But these days, partaking in the Golden Arches' promise of food, folks, and fun can cost a pretty penny. In fact, budget-wise diners have tagged McDonald's as one of several overpriced fast food chains to avoid.

To a degree, that's certainly true, as prices have definitely gone up across the board in the past few years. But keep in mind that McDonald's not only has à la carte burgers and McNuggets, but also sides and McValue meals (and Extra Value Meals), most of which are customizable. In short, if you dig deep enough, there are plenty of items at Mickey D's that are well worth their price tags.

Since we're discussing dollars and cents, this list of the McDonald's menu items that are actually worth their cost is based on prices near my home in Glendale, California, sans coupons or digital promos. However, I should note that the McDonald's app offers deals and points on selected items based on your purchase history, which varies by user. Taste buds also vary, of course, and some readers will no doubt find certain items inedible no matter how small the dent they leave in the pocketbook. Still, no matter the quality and taste, the focus on dollar value can be applied to any menu item.

Prices are as of the date of publication and may vary based on region.

It can be daunting to compare the price of McDonald's burgers, so let's break the selection down to the basics. McDonald's original hamburger already sets you back around $2.50, so anything that builds on that will obviously cost more. The trick is to find the right add-ons that don't bump the final price too high. The McDouble fits the bill.

The McDouble gives you one slice of cheese, an extra patty, and a generous helping of onions and pickles for $2.69, only $0.10 more than the price of a cheeseburger. In other words, for a thin dime, you get an extra patty. Now, if you want to double the cheese alongside that second patty, you can order the Double Cheeseburger, but that'll cost you $3.59. That's almost an extra dollar just for another slice of American cheese, which is a big deal when you consider that the difference between a regular cheeseburger and the original hamburger is just $0.10.

If you want more veggies, there's the Daily Double. The difference between it and the McDouble is that the Daily Double has lettuce, slivered onions, and tomatoes. It costs $4.39, which seems like a big upcharge for a couple of veggies. If you do want extra veggies on your McDouble, simply ask a staff member to toss on a couple of extra pickles and onions.

Aside from burgers, the Golden Arches is also home to the famous Chicken McNuggets. These all-white meat chicken morsels come in a variety of package sizes and prices. In this case, the more you order, the more you save per piece.

Let's do the math. McDonald's has a so-called Value Meal option of four chicken nuggets for under $3. That's about $0.75 per nugget, which isn't much value — and not much meal, either. You can bump up the quantity to a 10-pack of McNuggets for $5.99. While that's a better deal, since the price breaks down to $0.60 per piece, these nuggets are actually still overpriced. 

Instead, go for the 20-piece box for only $10.99, which breaks down to roughly $0.55 per nugget. This is a significant per-nugget price improvement over the "Value Meal." And if that's too many McNuggets for one person, just divvy 'em up. If you're like me and have a finicky kid who enjoys the McNugget Happy Meal, you're stretching those savings across multiple people. McDonald's also offers a 40-pack McNugget deal, which might be even more of a deal, but my location doesn't have that size on its menu.

I usually don't go out for breakfast, and when I do, I prefer family-friendly diners like Denny's. That means I tend to miss McDonald's breakfast menu — and that's a shame because McDonald's breakfast meals rival Denny's Original Grand Slam.

The Big Breakfast Deluxe with Muffin breakfast combo meal features the same ingredients as a Sausage Biscuit with Egg, which already costs $4.49 by itself, alongside three pancakes (which normally cost $4.99), sausage, hash browns, and plenty of condiments. Plus, it adds a bacon slice for a grand total of only $7.49. In my experience, the egg portion that comes with the Big Breakfast Deluxe is also substantial, and you can construct your own loaded muffin-type sandwich with it if you prefer.

And of course, you can employ several tips to customize your breakfast if you want to add extras like a second bacon or an extra sausage patty, for an additional charge. But if you just want some extra condiments, stock up on butter, syrup and jam at no charge. The savings also come in when you usually don't have to factor in the hassle of going to a sit-down restaurant with the usual wait times and extra costs.

When it comes to desserts, McDonald's has quite a few selections, ranging from apple pies to seasonal McFlurries. With all the options, it's easy to overlook the humble Chocolate Chip Cookie. They're soft, warm and loaded with plenty of chocolate chips.

Now, Mickey D's cookies don't live up to my standards of a gourmet cookie. In fact, they usually place on the lower end of fast-food cookies. But like Chicken McNuggets, purchasing McDonald's cookies in bulk is a smart economic move, and you may be able to overlook some minor taste issues.

One cookie at my location is $1.59 and a three-pack is $3 — slightly better than a buy-two-get-one deal. But here's the clincher: a 13-Cookie Tote Box is only $7, which comes down to $0.54 per cookie. With your savings, you might even splurge on a carton of McDonald's milk for a little dunkin'. And as with the case of the 20-pack of Chicken McNuggets, you can split the multi-pack of cookies with friends and family, or, maybe even better, save the leftovers for a snack tomorrow.

At first glance, the best value drink option at McDonald's may be its potentially unlimited refillable sodas and water. But this option may soon be gone; McDonald's will be phasing out free refills by 2032. My location currently still offers refills at no cost, but with the new policy coming in, it's time to find a better deal for your dollar, like the Iced Mocha.

McDonald's coffee is featured on the breakfast and lunch-dinner menus. In fact, McDonald's McCafé options fill a screen all by themselves. Out of all of them, the Iced Mocha has the best value per ounce at $2.79 for a medium.

Now, it's true that the Iced Mocha doesn't have as much coffee as other offerings; the regular Iced Coffee, for instance, has 190 calories by comparison while the Iced Mocha's 320 calories are mostly due to milk, chocolate, and whipped cream. But those special components actually make the lower price point more attractive. And if you were to go for a different McCafé coffee, you'd be forking over $3 for a Cappuccino or even $4 for a Caramel Frappé. 

Of course, the best thing about McCafé coffees is that they're totally customizable and easy to elevate their flavor. I can make my own Iced Mocha, but the cost per ingredient would drive up the price. For example, I can add liquid sugar and creamers to any iced or black coffee for no additional charge, but it would set me back $0.30 for the whipped cream and $0.30 for each pump of chocolate or caramel syrup. It's better to just buy the Iced Mocha and save yourself the headache of customizing your drink.

I perused the entire menu at McDonald's to find five items that are worth your hard-earned cash. Then, I selected the options that have the greatest lowest price per unit across its breakfast, lunch, and dinner options, so there's something for everyone, no matter what time of day.

Keep in mind that McDonald's prices vary by location and that franchises often set their own pricing, so prices may vary. I used the prices at a McDonald's location in suburban Glendale, California, located about 20 miles from downtown Los Angeles. While the prices here might be higher than your local McDonald's, the underlying cost-per-unit approach can be applied to many other locations.