Published 2026-10-12
The most expensive fast food in the US: every chain charges more in Panorama City, CA
As fast food pricing becomes more data-driven, Drive Thru Index looked for the most expensive fast food in the US, comparing each of 136 chains only with its own national prices, on October 12, 2026.
Data as of .
Key facts
- Panorama City, CA: fast food costs 28% more than the US typical priceEvery one of its 3 chains charges more than its own national median there.
- Alaska is the most expensive state (index 123)Puerto Rico is the cheapest (index 89); 100 is the national typical price.
- KFC Chicken Sandwich: $9.75 in Fairbanks, AK81% above KFC's US median of $5.39.
- IHOP Original Buttermilk Pancakes (Full Stack): $19.59 in Honolulu, HI78% above IHOP's US median of $10.99.
- Graze Craze Char-Cutie-Cup (Classic): $15.00 in Milpitas, CA67% above Graze Craze's US median of $9.00.
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.
Among cities with at least 10 restaurants, Panorama City, CA is the most expensive: its Drive Thru Index is 128, meaning its restaurants charge 28% more than their own chains' national typical prices, on average, and every one of its 3 chains charges more there than nationally.
Next come Honolulu, HI (124) and Fairbanks, AK (122); the cheapest is Marrero, LA (89).
By state, Alaska is the most expensive (index 123) and Puerto Rico the cheapest (89).
KFC's most expensive Chicken Sandwich costs $9.75, at the KFC in Fairbanks, AK: 81% above the chain's US median of $5.39. Its most expensive basket of 4 items is $47.99 in Fairbanks, AK, 44% above its median of $33.26.
IHOP's most expensive Original Buttermilk Pancakes (Full Stack) costs $19.59, at the IHOP in Honolulu, HI: 78% above the chain's US median of $10.99. Its most expensive basket of 4 items is $72.56 in Honolulu, HI, 78% above its median of $40.76.
Graze Craze's most expensive Char-Cutie-Cup (Classic) costs $15.00, at the Graze Craze in Milpitas, CA: 67% above the chain's US median of $9.00. Its most expensive basket of 4 items is $53.90 in Milpitas, CA, 59% above its median of $33.90.
Little Caesars' most expensive Classic Pepperoni costs $11.49, at the Little Caesars in Tulare, CA: 64% above the chain's US median of $6.99. Its most expensive basket of 5 items is $44.95 in Bakersfield, CA, 41% above its median of $31.95.
Popeyes' most expensive Classic Chicken Sandwich costs $9.49, at the Popeyes in Pahoa, HI: 64% above the chain's US median of $5.79. Its most expensive basket of 5 items is $42.96 in San Jose, CA, 42% above its median of $30.35.
Burger King's most expensive Whopper costs $10.19, at the Burger King in Kapaa, HI: 62% above the chain's US median of $6.29. Its most expensive basket of 6 items is $50.44 in Kapaa, HI, 60% above its median of $31.54.
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.
Quotable lines
The most expensive KFC Chicken Sandwich in the US costs $9.75, in Fairbanks, AK.
The most expensive IHOP Original Buttermilk Pancakes (Full Stack) in the US costs $19.59, in Honolulu, HI.
The most expensive Graze Craze Char-Cutie-Cup (Classic) in the US costs $15.00, in Milpitas, CA.
The most expensive Little Caesars Classic Pepperoni in the US costs $11.49, in Tulare, CA.
Images
The facts behind the release
Every figure is from our prices of 2026-10-12, with the page on this site that shows it.
| Figure | Value | Where to see it |
|---|---|---|
| Panorama City, CA: fast food costs 28% more than the US typical price | Every one of its 3 chains charges more than its own national median there. | See the page |
| Alaska is the most expensive state (index 123) | Puerto Rico is the cheapest (index 89); 100 is the national typical price. | See the page |
| KFC Chicken Sandwich: $9.75 in Fairbanks, AK | 81% above KFC's US median of $5.39. | See the page |
| IHOP Original Buttermilk Pancakes (Full Stack): $19.59 in Honolulu, HI | 78% above IHOP's US median of $10.99. | See the page |
| Graze Craze Char-Cutie-Cup (Classic): $15.00 in Milpitas, CA | 67% above Graze Craze's US median of $9.00. | See the page |
| Most expensive KFC Chicken Sandwich (restaurants) | $9.75 (1) | Fairbanks, AK |
| Most expensive order (restaurants) | $47.99 (+44%) | Fairbanks, AK |
| Most expensive IHOP Original Buttermilk Pancakes (Full Stack) (restaurants) | $19.59 (2) | Honolulu, HI |
| Most expensive order (restaurants) | $72.56 (+78%) | Honolulu, HI |
| Most expensive Graze Craze Char-Cutie-Cup (Classic) (restaurants) | $15.00 (2) | Milpitas, CA |
| Most expensive order (restaurants) | $53.90 (+59%) | Milpitas, CA |
| Most expensive Little Caesars Classic Pepperoni (restaurants) | $11.49 (6) | Tulare, CA |
| Most expensive order (restaurants) | $44.95 (+41%) | Bakersfield, CA |
| Most expensive Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich (restaurants) | $9.49 (1) | Pahoa, HI |
| Most expensive order (restaurants) | $42.96 (+42%) | San Jose, CA |
| Most expensive Burger King Whopper (restaurants) | $10.19 (9) | Kapaa, HI |
| Most expensive order (restaurants) | $50.44 (+60%) | Kapaa, HI |
Methodology, about and 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 October 12, 2026, in US dollars. 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
Background sources
Not part of the release: reporting that backs up its one line of context, for questions from journalists.
- 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.