Gepubliceerd op 2026-10-12
The most expensive fast food in Japan: a Matsuya Gyumeshi (regular) for ¥540 in 大田区, 17% above the chain's median
As fast food pricing becomes more data-driven, Drive Thru Index looked for the most expensive fast food in Japan, comparing each of 1 chains only with its own national prices, on 12 October 2026.
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De belangrijkste feiten
- Matsuya Gyumeshi (regular): ¥540 in 大田区, Tokyo17% above Matsuya's Japanese median of ¥460.
Fast food chains are collecting more and more data about their customers through mobile apps and loyalty programmes: 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.
Matsuya's most expensive Gyumeshi (regular) costs ¥540, at the Matsuya in 大田区, Tokyo: 17% above the chain's Japanese median of ¥460. Its most expensive basket of 5 items is ¥2,670 in 大田区, Tokyo, 10% above its median of ¥2,430.
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. In JP, 100% of Sukiya locations, the biggest chain tracked there, charge within 10% of its typical Gyudon (regular) price.
“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.
Citeerbare zinnen
The most expensive Matsuya Gyumeshi (regular) in Japan costs ¥540, in 大田区, Tokyo.
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De feiten achter het persbericht
Elk cijfer komt uit onze prijzen van 2026-10-12, met de pagina op deze site waar het staat.
| Cijfer | Waarde | Waar te zien |
|---|---|---|
| Matsuya Gyumeshi (regular): ¥540 in 大田区, Tokyo | 17% above Matsuya's Japanese median of ¥460. | Bekijk de pagina |
| Duurste Matsuya Gyumeshi (regular) (restaurants) | ¥540 (4) | 大田区, Tokyo |
| Duurste bestelling (restaurants) | ¥2,670 (+10%) | 大田区, Tokyo |
Methode, over ons en contact
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 12 October 2026, in Japanese yen. The Drive Thru Index of a place averages each chain's own index there, where 100 is that chain's typical price nationally, so chains are never compared with each other; cities need at least 10 restaurants. Each chain's most expensive restaurant leaves out airports, stadiums and similar sites, which are reported separately. Prices are never converted between currencies.
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
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