Publicerat 2026-10-03

The same Classic Roast Beef costs $5.39 at one California Arby's and $9.24 at another

As fast food pricing becomes more data-driven, Drive Thru Index compared the pickup prices of the same items at 2,158 restaurants of five chains in California. Within each chain, prices for the same item differ by up to 71% from one restaurant to the next.

Data per 2026-10-03.

Viktiga fakta

Arby's Classic Roast Beef: $5.39 to $9.24 (+71%)Cheapest in Mission Hills, CA, most expensive in Baker, CA; median $6.69, 31% above Arby's US median.
El Pollo Loco Original Pollo Bowl Combo: $5.99 to $10.00 (+67%)Cheapest in Los Angeles, CA, most expensive in San Jose, CA; median $6.79, the same as El Pollo Loco's US median.
McDonald's Big Mac: $5.39 to $8.99 (+67%)Cheapest in Twentynine Palms, CA, most expensive in Blythe, CA; median $6.89, 15% above McDonald's US median.
Del Taco The Del Taco: $2.29 to $3.79 (+66%)Cheapest in Riverside, CA, most expensive in Pittsburg, CA; median $2.49, 9% above Del Taco's US median.
Dunkin' Medium Original Blend: $2.89 to $4.69 (+62%)Cheapest in Eastvale, CA, most expensive in Tejon Ranch, CA; median $3.39, 10% above Dunkin' US median.

Fast food chains are collecting more and more data about their customers through mobile apps and loyalty programs: accounts with their details, and what they order and when. They are also experimenting with AI and data-driven pricing. Meanwhile the same item can cost very different amounts from one restaurant to the next, and customers cannot see why. Drive Thru Index publishes every restaurant's real price, every day, so anyone can check.

Arby's: a Classic Roast Beef costs $5.39 at the Arby's in Mission Hills, CA and $9.24 at the Arby's in Baker, CA, $3.85 (71%) more. Across its 59 restaurants in California, the median is $6.69, 31% above Arby's US median of $5.09.

El Pollo Loco: a Original Pollo Bowl Combo costs $5.99 at 11 El Pollo Loco restaurants in Los Angeles, Sacramento, Brea, Castaic, Fullerton, San Pedro, South Gate, Torrance and Whittier, CA and $10.00 at the El Pollo Loco in San Jose, CA, $4.01 (67%) more. Across its 393 restaurants in California, the median is $6.79, the same as El Pollo Loco's US median of $6.79.

McDonald's: a Big Mac costs $5.39 at the McDonald's in Twentynine Palms, CA and $8.99 at two McDonald's restaurants in Blythe and Needles, CA, $3.60 (67%) more. Across its 1,238 restaurants in California, the median is $6.89, 15% above McDonald's US median of $5.99.

Del Taco: a The Del Taco costs $2.29 at 113 Del Taco restaurants in Riverside, San Bernardino, Bakersfield, Fontana, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Victorville, Lancaster, Moreno Valley, Apple Valley, Chino, Hesperia, Orange, Simi Valley, Colton, Costa Mesa, Hemet, Irvine, Oxnard, Palmdale, Rialto, San Jacinto, Upland, Adelanto, Aliso Viejo, Banning, Blythe, Calimesa, Camarillo, Chico, Compton, Corona, Downey, Foothill Ranch, Fullerton, Highland, Jurupa Valley, Loma Linda, Montebello, Perris, Rancho Santa Margarita, Redding, Redlands, Ridgecrest, San Fernando, Santa Fe Springs, Tehachapi, Tujunga, Tulare, Tustin, Visalia, West Covina, Whittier and Yuba City, CA and $3.79 at the Del Taco in Pittsburg, CA, $1.50 (66%) more. Across its 321 restaurants in California, the median is $2.49, 9% above Del Taco's US median of $2.29.

Dunkin': a Medium Original Blend costs $2.89 at the Dunkin' in Eastvale, CA and $4.69 at the Dunkin' in Tejon Ranch, CA, $1.80 (62%) more. Across its 147 restaurants in California, the median is $3.39, 10% above Dunkin' US median of $3.09.

Anthony Gherghetta, an Australian software developer who built Drive Thru Index, started it after reading some of the buzz about AI being used to set fast food prices: he wanted to see whether it was true, and how big the price differences between restaurants really were. Prices bear out the contrast he noticed. In Australia, 97% of McDonald's restaurants charge within 10% of the typical Big Mac price; in the US, 53% do. The gap between the cheapest and the dearest tenth of restaurants is 10% of the typical price in Australia and 33% in the US.

“I kept reading that fast food chains were starting to use AI and customer data to set prices, so I wanted to see if it was true and how big the differences really were. In Australia, where I’m from, a Big Mac costs much the same wherever you buy it. In the US the price changes from one restaurant to the next. Fast food apps now know what you order, when and where, but customers can’t see how prices are set. So I built Drive Thru Index to check every restaurant, every day,” said Gherghetta.

Citat att använda

The same Arby's Classic Roast Beef costs $5.39 in Mission Hills, CA but $9.24 in Baker, CA.

The same El Pollo Loco Original Pollo Bowl Combo costs $5.99 in Los Angeles, CA but $10.00 in San Jose, CA.

The same McDonald's Big Mac costs $5.39 in Twentynine Palms, CA but $8.99 in Blythe, CA.

The same Del Taco The Del Taco costs $2.29 in Riverside, CA but $3.79 in Pittsburg, CA.

The same Dunkin' Medium Original Blend costs $2.89 in Eastvale, CA but $4.69 in Tejon Ranch, CA.

Bilder

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The cheapest and most expensive Arby's Classic Roast Beef and El Pollo Loco Original Pollo Bowl Combo in California, October 3, 2026. Image: Drive Thru Index
Alt-text
Map of California marking the cheapest and most expensive restaurant of each chain. Arby's Classic Roast Beef: $5.39 in Mission Hills, CA, $9.24 in Baker, CA; El Pollo Loco Original Pollo Bowl Combo: $5.99 in Los Angeles, CA, $10.00 in San Jose, CA.
Foto/källa
Image: Drive Thru Index (drivethruindex.com)

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The cheapest and most expensive Arby's Classic Roast Beef in California, October 3, 2026. Image: Drive Thru Index
Alt-text
Map of California marking the cheapest Arby's Classic Roast Beef ($5.39 in Mission Hills, CA) and the most expensive ($9.24 in Baker, CA).
Foto/källa
Image: Drive Thru Index (drivethruindex.com)

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Same item, different price: California, October 3, 2026. Image: Drive Thru Index
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Same item, different price: California: Arby's Classic Roast Beef: $5.39 to $9.24 (+71%). Cheapest in Mission Hills, CA, most expensive in Baker, CA; median $6.69, 31% above Arby's US median.; El Pollo Loco Original Pollo Bowl Combo: $5.99 to $10.00 (+67%). Cheapest in Los Angeles, CA, most expensive in San Jose, CA; median $6.79, the same as El Pollo Loco's US median.; McDonald's Big Mac: $5.39 to $8.99 (+67%). Cheapest in Twentynine Palms, CA, most expensive in Blythe, CA; median $6.89, 15% above McDonald's US median.; Del Taco The Del Taco: $2.29 to $3.79 (+66%). Cheapest in Riverside, CA, most expensive in Pittsburg, CA; median $2.49, 9% above Del Taco's US median.; Dunkin' Medium Original Blend: $2.89 to $4.69 (+62%). Cheapest in Eastvale, CA, most expensive in Tejon Ranch, CA; median $3.39, 10% above Dunkin' US median.
Foto/källa
Image: Drive Thru Index (drivethruindex.com)

Fakta bakom pressmeddelandet

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Siffra	Värde	Var den syns
Arby's Classic Roast Beef: $5.39 to $9.24 (+71%)	Cheapest in Mission Hills, CA, most expensive in Baker, CA; median $6.69, 31% above Arby's US median.	Se sidan
El Pollo Loco Original Pollo Bowl Combo: $5.99 to $10.00 (+67%)	Cheapest in Los Angeles, CA, most expensive in San Jose, CA; median $6.79, the same as El Pollo Loco's US median.	Se sidan
McDonald's Big Mac: $5.39 to $8.99 (+67%)	Cheapest in Twentynine Palms, CA, most expensive in Blythe, CA; median $6.89, 15% above McDonald's US median.	Se sidan
Del Taco The Del Taco: $2.29 to $3.79 (+66%)	Cheapest in Riverside, CA, most expensive in Pittsburg, CA; median $2.49, 9% above Del Taco's US median.	Se sidan
Dunkin' Medium Original Blend: $2.89 to $4.69 (+62%)	Cheapest in Eastvale, CA, most expensive in Tejon Ranch, CA; median $3.39, 10% above Dunkin' US median.	Se sidan
Billigaste Arby's Classic Roast Beef (restauranger)	$5.39 (1)	Mission Hills, CA
Dyraste Arby's Classic Roast Beef (restauranger)	$9.24 (1)	Baker, CA
Billigaste El Pollo Loco Original Pollo Bowl Combo (restauranger)	$5.99 (11)	Brea, CA, Castaic, CA, Fullerton, CA, Los Angeles, CA, Los Angeles, CA, Sacramento, CA, Sacramento, CA, San Pedro, CA, South Gate, CA, Torrance, CA, Whittier, CA
Dyraste El Pollo Loco Original Pollo Bowl Combo (restauranger)	$10.00 (1)	San Jose, CA
Billigaste McDonald's Big Mac (restauranger)	$5.39 (1)	Twentynine Palms, CA
Dyraste McDonald's Big Mac (restauranger)	$8.99 (2)	Blythe, CA, Needles, CA
Billigaste Del Taco The Del Taco (restauranger)	$2.29 (113)	Adelanto, CA, Aliso Viejo, CA, Apple Valley, CA, Apple Valley, CA, Apple Valley, CA, Bakersfield, CA, Bakersfield, CA, Bakersfield, CA, Bakersfield, CA, Bakersfield, CA, Banning, CA, Blythe, CA, Calimesa, CA, Camarillo, CA, Chico, CA, Chino, CA, Chino, CA, Chino, CA, Colton, CA, Colton, CA, Compton, CA, Corona, CA, Costa Mesa, CA, Costa Mesa, CA, Downey, CA, Fontana, CA, Fontana, CA, Fontana, CA, Fontana, CA, Fontana, CA, Foothill Ranch, CA, Fullerton, CA, Hemet, CA, Hemet, CA, Hesperia, CA, Hesperia, CA, Hesperia, CA, Highland, CA, Irvine, CA, Irvine, CA, Jurupa Valley, CA, Lancaster, CA, Lancaster, CA, Lancaster, CA, Lancaster, CA, Loma Linda, CA, Montebello, CA, Moreno Valley, CA, Moreno Valley, CA, Moreno Valley, CA, Moreno Valley, CA, Ontario, CA, Ontario, CA, Ontario, CA, Ontario, CA, Ontario, CA, Orange, CA, Orange, CA, Orange, CA, Oxnard, CA, Oxnard, CA, Palmdale, CA, Palmdale, CA, Perris, CA, Rancho Cucamonga, CA, Rancho Cucamonga, CA, Rancho Cucamonga, CA, Rancho Cucamonga, CA, Rancho Cucamonga, CA, Rancho Santa Margarita, CA, Redding, CA, Redlands, CA, Rialto, CA, Rialto, CA, Ridgecrest, CA, Riverside, CA, Riverside, CA, Riverside, CA, Riverside, CA, Riverside, CA, Riverside, CA, Riverside, CA, Riverside, CA, Riverside, CA, Riverside, CA, San Bernardino, CA, San Bernardino, CA, San Bernardino, CA, San Bernardino, CA, San Bernardino, CA, San Bernardino, CA, San Fernando, CA, San Jacinto, CA, San Jacinto, CA, Santa Fe Springs, CA, Simi Valley, CA, Simi Valley, CA, Simi Valley, CA, Tehachapi, CA, Tujunga, CA, Tulare, CA, Tustin, CA, Upland, CA, Upland, CA, Victorville, CA, Victorville, CA, Victorville, CA, Victorville, CA, Victorville, CA, Visalia, CA, West Covina, CA, Whittier, CA, Yuba City, CA
Dyraste Del Taco The Del Taco (restauranger)	$3.79 (1)	Pittsburg, CA
Billigaste Dunkin' Medium Original Blend (restauranger)	$2.89 (1)	Eastvale, CA
Dyraste Dunkin' Medium Original Blend (restauranger)	$4.69 (1)	Tejon Ranch, CA

Metod, om oss och kontakt

Drive Thru Index reads every restaurant's menu from each chain's own ordering app every day; these are the latest pickup prices collected on or before October 3, 2026, in US dollars. The area covers every restaurant in California. Each chain is compared only with itself, on its own signature item, and only where it has at least 5 restaurants in the area; prices are never compared between chains or converted between currencies. The cheapest and most expensive restaurants leave out airports and similar special sites, which are reported separately.

About Drive Thru Index: Drive Thru Index (drivethruindex.com) publishes the menu price of every item at every restaurant of the biggest fast food brands, collected each day from the chains' own ordering apps. As pricing becomes more data-driven, it exists so that customers can see what each restaurant really charges and how it compares with others nearby. It covers the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, Spain, Mexico and the Netherlands. Brands are only compared with themselves, and prices are never converted between currencies. Its figures are free to quote with attribution: "Source: Drive Thru Index".

The images with this release are free to use with the credit "Image: Drive Thru Index (drivethruindex.com)".

Media contact: anthony@drivethruindex.com

Bakgrundskällor

Ingår inte i pressmeddelandet: rapportering som styrker dess enda rad med bakgrund, för frågor från journalister.

How restaurant loyalty programs can drive more traffic and improve experiences Restaurant Dive, 2024-08-15
Restaurant loyalty apps pull in customers' ordering history and preferences, to personalise offers and recommendations (the intro's apps and loyalty programmes).
Wendy's backtracks on dynamic pricing Restaurant Dive, 2024-02-28
Wendy's told investors it would test dynamic and AI-enabled pricing on digital menu boards from 2025, then said after a backlash that it would not raise prices at the busiest times (the intro's experiments with data-driven pricing).
Inside McDonald's push to have AI price your Big Mac CNBC, 2026-09-29
Reports a Reuters investigation into an AI tool that recommends menu prices to McDonald's restaurants; McDonald's says franchisees remain free to set their own prices. Not quoted in the release text; the page could not be fetched to check its wording, only its search listing.

Hela texten

The same Classic Roast Beef costs $5.39 at one California Arby's and $9.24 at another

As fast food pricing becomes more data-driven, Drive Thru Index compared the pickup prices of the same items at 2,158 restaurants of five chains in California. Within each chain, prices for the same item differ by up to 71% from one restaurant to the next.

Key facts

- Arby's Classic Roast Beef: $5.39 to $9.24 (+71%). Cheapest in Mission Hills, CA, most expensive in Baker, CA; median $6.69, 31% above Arby's US median.
- El Pollo Loco Original Pollo Bowl Combo: $5.99 to $10.00 (+67%). Cheapest in Los Angeles, CA, most expensive in San Jose, CA; median $6.79, the same as El Pollo Loco's US median.
- McDonald's Big Mac: $5.39 to $8.99 (+67%). Cheapest in Twentynine Palms, CA, most expensive in Blythe, CA; median $6.89, 15% above McDonald's US median.
- Del Taco The Del Taco: $2.29 to $3.79 (+66%). Cheapest in Riverside, CA, most expensive in Pittsburg, CA; median $2.49, 9% above Del Taco's US median.
- Dunkin' Medium Original Blend: $2.89 to $4.69 (+62%). Cheapest in Eastvale, CA, most expensive in Tejon Ranch, CA; median $3.39, 10% above Dunkin' US median.

Fast food chains are collecting more and more data about their customers through mobile apps and loyalty programs: accounts with their details, and what they order and when. They are also experimenting with AI and data-driven pricing. Meanwhile the same item can cost very different amounts from one restaurant to the next, and customers cannot see why. Drive Thru Index publishes every restaurant's real price, every day, so anyone can check.

Arby's: a Classic Roast Beef costs $5.39 at the Arby's in Mission Hills, CA and $9.24 at the Arby's in Baker, CA, $3.85 (71%) more. Across its 59 restaurants in California, the median is $6.69, 31% above Arby's US median of $5.09.

El Pollo Loco: a Original Pollo Bowl Combo costs $5.99 at 11 El Pollo Loco restaurants in Los Angeles, Sacramento, Brea, Castaic, Fullerton, San Pedro, South Gate, Torrance and Whittier, CA and $10.00 at the El Pollo Loco in San Jose, CA, $4.01 (67%) more. Across its 393 restaurants in California, the median is $6.79, the same as El Pollo Loco's US median of $6.79.

McDonald's: a Big Mac costs $5.39 at the McDonald's in Twentynine Palms, CA and $8.99 at two McDonald's restaurants in Blythe and Needles, CA, $3.60 (67%) more. Across its 1,238 restaurants in California, the median is $6.89, 15% above McDonald's US median of $5.99.

Del Taco: a The Del Taco costs $2.29 at 113 Del Taco restaurants in Riverside, San Bernardino, Bakersfield, Fontana, Ontario, Rancho Cucamonga, Victorville, Lancaster, Moreno Valley, Apple Valley, Chino, Hesperia, Orange, Simi Valley, Colton, Costa Mesa, Hemet, Irvine, Oxnard, Palmdale, Rialto, San Jacinto, Upland, Adelanto, Aliso Viejo, Banning, Blythe, Calimesa, Camarillo, Chico, Compton, Corona, Downey, Foothill Ranch, Fullerton, Highland, Jurupa Valley, Loma Linda, Montebello, Perris, Rancho Santa Margarita, Redding, Redlands, Ridgecrest, San Fernando, Santa Fe Springs, Tehachapi, Tujunga, Tulare, Tustin, Visalia, West Covina, Whittier and Yuba City, CA and $3.79 at the Del Taco in Pittsburg, CA, $1.50 (66%) more. Across its 321 restaurants in California, the median is $2.49, 9% above Del Taco's US median of $2.29.

Dunkin': a Medium Original Blend costs $2.89 at the Dunkin' in Eastvale, CA and $4.69 at the Dunkin' in Tejon Ranch, CA, $1.80 (62%) more. Across its 147 restaurants in California, the median is $3.39, 10% above Dunkin' US median of $3.09.

Anthony Gherghetta, an Australian software developer who built Drive Thru Index, started it after reading some of the buzz about AI being used to set fast food prices: he wanted to see whether it was true, and how big the price differences between restaurants really were. Prices bear out the contrast he noticed. In Australia, 97% of McDonald's restaurants charge within 10% of the typical Big Mac price; in the US, 53% do. The gap between the cheapest and the dearest tenth of restaurants is 10% of the typical price in Australia and 33% in the US.

“I kept reading that fast food chains were starting to use AI and customer data to set prices, so I wanted to see if it was true and how big the differences really were. In Australia, where I’m from, a Big Mac costs much the same wherever you buy it. In the US the price changes from one restaurant to the next. Fast food apps now know what you order, when and where, but customers can’t see how prices are set. So I built Drive Thru Index to check every restaurant, every day,” said Gherghetta.

Methodology

Drive Thru Index reads every restaurant's menu from each chain's own ordering app every day; these are the latest pickup prices collected on or before October 3, 2026, in US dollars. The area covers every restaurant in California. Each chain is compared only with itself, on its own signature item, and only where it has at least 5 restaurants in the area; prices are never compared between chains or converted between currencies. The cheapest and most expensive restaurants leave out airports and similar special sites, which are reported separately.

About Drive Thru Index: Drive Thru Index (drivethruindex.com) publishes the menu price of every item at every restaurant of the biggest fast food brands, collected each day from the chains' own ordering apps. As pricing becomes more data-driven, it exists so that customers can see what each restaurant really charges and how it compares with others nearby. It covers the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the UK, Ireland, Spain, Mexico and the Netherlands. Brands are only compared with themselves, and prices are never converted between currencies. Its figures are free to quote with attribution: "Source: Drive Thru Index".

The images with this release are free to use with the credit "Image: Drive Thru Index (drivethruindex.com)".

Media contact: anthony@drivethruindex.com