Nugget Watch
Chicken nuggets are the one thing nearly every chain sells, in packs with the count on the box. So here is the one fair fight in fast food: what a single nugget costs at each brand.
Pickup prices at 36,370 restaurants in the US, checked .
Key findings
- McDonald's has the cheapest nuggets in the US: its 40-piece pack is typically $14.19, 36¢ a nugget.
- Taco Bell has the priciest: 80¢ a nugget even in its best-value pack (10 pieces, typically $7.99).
- Ten nuggets typically cost $3.99 at Burger King, $5.39 at Wendy's, $5.59 at McDonald's, $5.99 at KFC, $7.99 at Taco Bell.
- At Burger King, buying 20 instead of 4 cuts the price per nugget by 25% (50¢ down to 38¢).
- At Taco Bell, buying 10 instead of 5 cuts the price per nugget by 15% (94¢ down to 80¢).
- At McDonald's, buying 40 instead of 4 cuts the price per nugget by 43% (62¢ down to 36¢).
Price per nugget, cheapest first
Each brand's best-value pack: the one with the lowest typical price per nugget.
| Rank | Brand | Best-value pack | Typical price | Per nugget |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | McDonald's | 40 pc. Chicken McNuggets | $14.19 | 36¢ |
| 2 | Burger King | 20 Pc. Chicken Nuggets | $7.49 | 38¢ |
| 3 | KFC | 24 pc. Nuggets | $10.00 | 42¢ |
| 4 | Wendy's | 10 Pc. Chicken Nuggets | $5.39 | 54¢ |
| 5 | Taco Bell | 10 Piece Crispy Chicken Nuggets | $7.99 | 80¢ |
Ten nuggets, brand by brand
| Brand | Typical | Range | Per nugget | Restaurants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Burger King | $3.99 | $3.29 to $7.50 | 40¢ | 5,994 |
| Wendy's | $5.39 | $3.09 to $8.99 | 54¢ | 5,642 |
| McDonald's | $5.59 | $3.59 to $10.99 | 56¢ | 13,662 |
| KFC | $5.99 | $5.99 to $11.99 | 60¢ | 3,101 |
| Taco Bell | $7.99 | $7.49 to $12.99 | 80¢ | 7,753 |
Every pack size
| Brand | Pack | Typical | Range | Per nugget |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KFC | 5 pc. Nuggets | $3.49 | $2.99 to $7.00 | 70¢ |
| KFC | 8 pc. Nuggets | $4.99 | $3.99 to $11.25 | 62¢ |
| KFC | 10 pc. Nuggets | $5.99 | $5.99 to $11.99 | 60¢ |
| KFC | 12 pc. Nuggets | $7.19 | $5.99 to $15.49 | 60¢ |
| KFC | 24 pc. Nuggets | $10.00 | $10.00 to $10.00 | 42¢ |
| KFC | 36 pc. Nuggets | $20.99 | $16.49 to $43.19 | 58¢ |
| KFC | 50 pc. Nuggets | $34.99 | $25.00 to $40.00 | 70¢ |
| Wendy's | 4 Pc. Chicken Nuggets | $2.49 | $1.59 to $3.99 | 62¢ |
| Wendy's | 6 Pc. Chicken Nuggets | $3.39 | $2.09 to $4.99 | 56¢ |
| Wendy's | 10 Pc. Chicken Nuggets | $5.39 | $3.09 to $8.99 | 54¢ |
| Burger King | 4 Pc. Chicken Nuggets | $1.99 | $1.59 to $3.99 | 50¢ |
| Burger King | 6 Pc. Chicken Nuggets | $3.59 | $1.50 to $6.99 | 60¢ |
| Burger King | 10 Pc. Chicken Nuggets | $3.99 | $3.29 to $7.50 | 40¢ |
| Burger King | 20 Pc. Chicken Nuggets | $7.49 | $6.89 to $12.00 | 38¢ |
| Taco Bell | 5 Piece Crispy Chicken Nuggets | $4.69 | $4.49 to $7.29 | 94¢ |
| Taco Bell | 10 Piece Crispy Chicken Nuggets | $7.99 | $7.49 to $12.99 | 80¢ |
| McDonald's | 4 pc. Chicken McNuggets | $2.49 | $1.00 to $5.79 | 62¢ |
| McDonald's | 6 pc. Chicken McNuggets | $3.49 | $1.59 to $7.99 | 58¢ |
| McDonald's | 10 pc. Chicken McNuggets | $5.59 | $3.59 to $10.99 | 56¢ |
| McDonald's | 20 pc. Chicken McNuggets | $8.09 | $5.00 to $16.99 | 40¢ |
| McDonald's | 40 pc. Chicken McNuggets | $14.19 | $10.19 to $27.89 | 36¢ |
Cheapest ten nuggets in each state
The brand whose 10-piece pack is typically cheapest in the state, among states with at least 3 of its restaurants.
| State | Cheapest brand | Typical 10 nuggets | Restaurants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Alabama | Burger King | $3.99 | 119 |
| Arkansas | Burger King | $3.99 | 72 |
| Arizona | Burger King | $3.99 | 161 |
| Colorado | Burger King | $3.99 | 93 |
| Connecticut | Burger King | $3.99 | 60 |
| Delaware | Burger King | $3.99 | 18 |
| Florida | Burger King | $3.99 | 437 |
| Georgia | Burger King | $3.99 | 214 |
| Iowa | Burger King | $3.99 | 61 |
| Idaho | Burger King | $3.99 | 37 |
| Illinois | Burger King | $3.99 | 246 |
| Indiana | Burger King | $3.99 | 159 |
| Kansas | Burger King | $3.99 | 58 |
| Kentucky | Burger King | $3.99 | 88 |
| Louisiana | Burger King | $3.99 | 138 |
| Massachusetts | Burger King | $3.99 | 112 |
| Maryland | Burger King | $3.99 | 104 |
| Maine | Burger King | $3.99 | 26 |
| Michigan | Burger King | $3.99 | 206 |
| Minnesota | Burger King | $3.99 | 90 |
| Missouri | Burger King | $3.99 | 96 |
| Mississippi | Burger King | $3.99 | 76 |
| Montana | Burger King | $3.99 | 16 |
| North Carolina | Burger King | $3.99 | 208 |
| North Dakota | Burger King | $3.99 | 15 |
| Nebraska | Burger King | $3.99 | 48 |
| New Hampshire | Burger King | $3.99 | 25 |
| New Jersey | Burger King | $3.99 | 150 |
| New Mexico | Burger King | $3.99 | 50 |
| Nevada | Burger King | $3.99 | 62 |
| New York | Burger King | $3.99 | 309 |
| Ohio | Burger King | $3.99 | 259 |
| Oklahoma | Burger King | $3.99 | 52 |
| Oregon | Burger King | $3.99 | 80 |
| Pennsylvania | Burger King | $3.99 | 254 |
| Rhode Island | Burger King | $3.99 | 25 |
| South Carolina | Burger King | $3.99 | 124 |
| South Dakota | Burger King | $3.99 | 24 |
| Tennessee | Burger King | $3.99 | 158 |
| Texas | Burger King | $3.99 | 502 |
| Utah | Burger King | $3.99 | 54 |
| Virginia | Burger King | $3.99 | 157 |
| Vermont | Burger King | $3.99 | 3 |
| Wisconsin | Burger King | $3.99 | 104 |
| West Virginia | Burger King | $3.99 | 60 |
| Wyoming | Burger King | $3.99 | 9 |
| Hawaii | Burger King | $4.49 | 16 |
| Alaska | Burger King | $4.99 | 4 |
| California | Burger King | $4.99 | 449 |
| Washington | Burger King | $4.99 | 106 |
| Washington DC | Wendy's | $5.79 | 3 |
The cheapest ten nuggets in America
| Brand | Restaurant | Where | 10 nuggets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wendy's | 402 W. Main Street | Morehead, KY | $3.09 |
| Burger King | 622 South Fair Oaks Avenue | Pasadena, CA | $3.29 |
| McDonald's | 130 Fairfield Square | Winnsboro, SC | $3.59 |
| McDonald's | 100 Clemson Rd | Columbia, SC | $3.59 |
| McDonald's | 2700 Emanuel Church Rd | West Columbia, SC | $3.59 |
| McDonald's | 1011 S Lake Dr | Lexington, SC | $3.59 |
| McDonald's | 10425 Ocean Hwy | Pawleys Island, SC | $3.59 |
| Burger King | 99 S Tallahassee St | Hazlehurst, GA | $3.69 |
| Burger King | 811 North Madison Avenue | Douglas, GA | $3.69 |
| Burger King | 1340 South Peterson Avenue | Douglas, GA | $3.69 |
| Burger King | 1170 Pulaski Highway | Bear, DE | $3.95 |
| Wendy's | 2025 Us 64 W | Plymouth, NC | $4.49 |
Questions people ask
- Who has the cheapest chicken nuggets?
- McDonald's, at 36¢ a nugget in its 40-piece pack (typical US price $14.19, Drive Thru Index, 2026-09-30).
- How much are 10 nuggets at KFC?
- Typically $5.99, from $5.99 to $11.99 across 3,101 restaurants (Drive Thru Index, 2026-09-30).
- How much are 10 nuggets at Wendy's?
- Typically $5.39, from $3.09 to $8.99 across 5,642 restaurants (Drive Thru Index, 2026-09-30).
- How much are 10 nuggets at Burger King?
- Typically $3.99, from $3.29 to $7.50 across 5,994 restaurants (Drive Thru Index, 2026-09-30).
- How much are 10 nuggets at Taco Bell?
- Typically $7.99, from $7.49 to $12.99 across 7,753 restaurants (Drive Thru Index, 2026-09-30).
- How much are 10 nuggets at McDonald's?
- Typically $5.59, from $3.59 to $10.99 across 13,662 restaurants (Drive Thru Index, 2026-09-30).
How Nugget Watch works
We read every restaurant's menu from its own ordering app each day and pick out each brand's plain nugget packs by the count in the name (not spicy, grilled or meal versions). The typical price is the median restaurant; price per nugget divides it by the count. Unlike our baskets, nuggets are close enough across brands to compare, though sizes and recipes differ.
Citing this data: Source: Drive Thru Index (https://drivethruindex.com/nuggets), prices checked 2026-09-30. You are welcome to quote any figure on this page.