FOOD NEWS
Here’s How Much A Big Mac Cost In 1974 Vs 2025
BY Autumn Swiers
If you get a Big Mac at a New York McDonald's today, you can expect to pay $8.69 — or $12.49 to make it a meal with medium fries and a medium drink.
While a Big Mac might cost less in other states with lower fast-food prices, it’s nowhere near what it used to be. In 1974, a Big Mac in New York McDonald's was $0.85.
A photo of a 1970s McDonald's menu board posted to Reddit shows the price of the various items, such as a Quarter Pounder costing $0.60 or $0.70 with cheese.
Per the photo, the Big Mac costs $0.65, a tad less than the $0.85 figure reported by the New York Times for a New York McDonald's. Unfortunately, the photo doesn’t list the state.
Adjusted for inflation, that $0.65-$0.85 Big Mac would come out to $4.44-$5.80 today. The actual $8+ price tag charged today seems difficult to justify.