Published 2026-10-02
The most expensive fast food in Australia: a McDonald's Big Mac for $10.70 in Karratha, 27% above the chain's median
As fast food pricing becomes more data-driven, Drive Thru Index looked for the most expensive fast food in Australia, comparing each of 6 chains only with its own national prices, on 2 October 2026.
Data as of .
Key facts
- Cairns, QLD: fast food costs 4% more than the Australian typical priceDrive Thru Index 104, across 11 restaurants; each chain is compared only with itself.
- The Northern Territory is the dearest state or territory (index 110)Victoria is the cheapest (index 99); 100 is the national typical price.
- McDonald's Big Mac: $10.70 in Karratha, WA27% above McDonald's Australian median of $8.45.
- Hungry Jack's Whopper: $11.75 in Karratha, WA19% above Hungry Jack's Australian median of $9.90.
- Red Rooster Quarter Chicken: $8.75 in Docklands, VIC13% above Red Rooster's Australian median of $7.75.
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.
Among cities with at least 10 restaurants, Cairns, QLD is the most expensive: its Drive Thru Index is 104, meaning its restaurants charge 4% more than their own chains' national typical prices, on average.
Next come Baldivis, WA (102) and Caboolture, QLD (101); the cheapest is Werribee, VIC (98).
By state or territory, the Northern Territory is the dearest (index 110) and Victoria the cheapest (99).
McDonald's dearest Big Mac costs $10.70, at the McDonald's in Karratha, WA: 27% above the chain's Australian median of $8.45. Its dearest basket of 4 items is $40.95 in Karratha, WA, 30% above its median of $31.50.
Hungry Jack's dearest Whopper costs $11.75, at the Hungry Jack's in Karratha, WA: 19% above the chain's Australian median of $9.90. Its dearest basket of 4 items is $39.25 in Karratha, WA, 20% above its median of $32.75.
Red Rooster's dearest Quarter Chicken costs $8.75, at the Red Rooster in Docklands, VIC: 13% above the chain's Australian median of $7.75. Its dearest basket of 4 items is $33.10 in Docklands, VIC, 10% above its median of $30.10.
KFC's dearest Zinger Burger costs $9.45, at the KFC in Webberton, WA: 12% above the chain's Australian median of $8.45. Its dearest basket of 3 items is $35.05 in Karratha, WA, 12% above its median of $31.35.
Nando's dearest 1/4 Chicken costs $12.95, at the Nando's in Bunbury, WA: 8% above the chain's Australian median of $11.95. Its dearest basket of 4 items is $29.80 in Bunbury, WA, 3% above its median of $28.80.
Guzman y Gomez's dearest Chicken Burrito costs $15.50, at the Guzman y Gomez in Thuringowa Central, QLD: 7% above the chain's Australian median of $14.50. Its dearest basket of 4 items is $31.10 in Thuringowa Central, QLD, 5% above its median of $29.60.
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 dearest McDonald's Big Mac in Australia costs $10.70, in Karratha, WA.
The dearest Hungry Jack's Whopper in Australia costs $11.75, in Karratha, WA.
The dearest Red Rooster Quarter Chicken in Australia costs $8.75, in Docklands, VIC.
The dearest KFC Zinger Burger in Australia costs $9.45, in Webberton, WA.
Images
The facts behind the release
Every figure is from our prices of 2026-10-02, with the page on this site that shows it.
| Figure | Value | Where to see it |
|---|---|---|
| Cairns, QLD: fast food costs 4% more than the Australian typical price | Drive Thru Index 104, across 11 restaurants; each chain is compared only with itself. | See the page |
| The Northern Territory is the dearest state or territory (index 110) | Victoria is the cheapest (index 99); 100 is the national typical price. | See the page |
| McDonald's Big Mac: $10.70 in Karratha, WA | 27% above McDonald's Australian median of $8.45. | See the page |
| Hungry Jack's Whopper: $11.75 in Karratha, WA | 19% above Hungry Jack's Australian median of $9.90. | See the page |
| Red Rooster Quarter Chicken: $8.75 in Docklands, VIC | 13% above Red Rooster's Australian median of $7.75. | See the page |
| Most expensive McDonald's Big Mac (restaurants) | $10.70 (+27%) | Karratha, WA |
| Most expensive order (restaurants) | $40.95 (+30%) | Karratha, WA |
| Most expensive Hungry Jack's Whopper (restaurants) | $11.75 (+19%) | Karratha, WA |
| Most expensive order (restaurants) | $39.25 (+20%) | Karratha, WA |
| Most expensive Red Rooster Quarter Chicken (restaurants) | $8.75 (+13%) | Docklands, VIC |
| Most expensive order (restaurants) | $33.10 (+10%) | Docklands, VIC |
| Most expensive KFC Zinger Burger (restaurants) | $9.45 (+12%) | Webberton, WA |
| Most expensive order (restaurants) | $35.05 (+12%) | Karratha, WA |
| Most expensive Nando's 1/4 Chicken (restaurants) | $12.95 (+8%) | Bunbury, WA |
| Most expensive order (restaurants) | $29.80 (+3%) | Bunbury, WA |
| Most expensive Guzman y Gomez Chicken Burrito (restaurants) | $15.50 (+7%) | Thuringowa Central, QLD |
| Most expensive order (restaurants) | $31.10 (+5%) | Thuringowa Central, QLD |
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 2 October 2026, in Australian 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 dearest 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.