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 135 restaurants in New Zealand, checked . Prices are in New Zealand dollars.
Key findings
- Popeyes has the cheapest nuggets in New Zealand: its 3-piece pack is typically $0.50, 17¢ a nugget.
- KFC has the priciest: $1.22 a nugget even in its best-value pack (6 pieces, typically $7.29).
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 | Popeyes | 3pc Nuggets | $0.50 | 17¢ |
| 2 | KFC | 6 Chicken Nuggets | $7.29 | $1.22 |
Ten nuggets, brand by brand
| Brand | Typical | Range | Per nugget | Restaurants |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Popeyes | $10.50 | $10.50 to $10.50 | $1.05 | 11 |
Every pack size
| Brand | Pack | Typical | Range | Per nugget |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KFC | 6 Chicken Nuggets | $7.29 | $7.29 to $7.79 | $1.22 |
| Popeyes | 3pc Nuggets | $0.50 | $0.50 to $0.50 | 17¢ |
| Popeyes | 6pc Chicken Nuggets | $7.00 | $7.00 to $7.00 | $1.17 |
| Popeyes | 10pc Chicken Nuggets | $10.50 | $10.50 to $10.50 | $1.05 |
| Popeyes | 20pc Chicken Nuggets | $19.90 | $19.90 to $19.90 | 100¢ |
Cheapest ten nuggets in each region
The brand whose 10-piece pack is typically cheapest in the region, among regions with at least 3 of its restaurants.
| Region | Cheapest brand | Typical 10 nuggets | Restaurants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Auckland | Popeyes | $10.50 | 5 |
The cheapest ten nuggets in New Zealand
| Brand | Restaurant | Where | 10 nuggets |
|---|---|---|---|
| Popeyes | 106 Great South Road, Takanini | Auckland, AUK | $10.50 |
| Popeyes | 189 Napier Road, Maunganamu | Taupō, WKO | $10.50 |
| Popeyes | 66 East Tamaki Road, Papatoetoe | Auckland, AUK | $10.50 |
| Popeyes | 708 Heretaunga Street West, St Leonards | Hastings, HKB | $10.50 |
| Popeyes | 369 High Street, Hutt Central | Lower Hutt, WGN | $10.50 |
Questions people ask
- Who has the cheapest chicken nuggets?
- Popeyes, at 17¢ a nugget in its 3-piece pack (typical price $0.50, Drive Thru Index, 2026-10-05).
- How much are 10 nuggets at Popeyes?
- Typically $10.50, from $10.50 to $10.50 across 11 restaurants (Drive Thru Index, 2026-10-05).
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/nz/nuggets), prices checked 2026-10-05. You are welcome to quote any figure on this page.