Published 2026-10-02
The most expensive fast food in the US: every chain charges more in Anchorage, AK
As fast food pricing becomes more data-driven, Drive Thru Index looked for the most expensive fast food in the US, comparing each of 21 chains only with its own national prices, on October 2, 2026.
Data as of .
Key facts
- Anchorage, AK: fast food costs 27% more than the US typical priceEvery one of its 7 chains charges more than its own national median there.
- Alaska is the most expensive state (index 129)North Carolina is the cheapest (index 95); 100 is the national typical price.
- Arby's Classic Roast Beef: $9.24 in Baker, CA82% above Arby's US median of $5.09.
- Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich: $9.99 in Anchorage, AK73% above Popeyes' US median of $5.79.
- Whataburger: $9.99 in Las Vegas, NV70% above Whataburger's US median of $5.89.
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, Anchorage, AK is the most expensive: its Drive Thru Index is 127, meaning its restaurants charge 27% more than their own chains' national typical prices, on average, and every one of its 7 chains charges more there than nationally.
Next come Fairbanks, AK (123) and Kapolei, HI (122); the cheapest is Opelika, AL (90).
By state, Alaska is the most expensive (index 129) and North Carolina the cheapest (95).
Arby's most expensive Classic Roast Beef costs $9.24, at the Arby's in Baker, CA: 82% above the chain's US median of $5.09. Its most expensive basket of 6 items is $48.34 in Baker, CA, 56% above its median of $30.94.
Popeyes' most expensive Classic Chicken Sandwich costs $9.99, at the Popeyes in Anchorage, AK: 73% above the chain's US median of $5.79. Its most expensive basket of 6 items is $43.95 in Vista, CA, 43% above its median of $30.74.
Whataburger's most expensive Whataburger costs $9.99, at the Whataburger in Las Vegas, NV: 70% above the chain's US median of $5.89. Its most expensive basket of 4 items is $29.00 in Saraland, AL, 24% above its median of $23.46.
Wendy's most expensive Dave's Single costs $9.99, at the Wendy's in Key West, FL: 67% above the chain's US median of $5.99. Its most expensive basket of 6 items is $41.04 in Sacramento, CA, 36% above its median of $30.14.
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.
Firehouse Subs' most expensive Hook & Ladder costs $15.99, at the Firehouse Subs in Alameda, CA: 62% above the chain's US median of $9.89. Its most expensive basket of 4 items is $41.86 in Alameda, CA, 43% above its median of $29.26.
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 Arby's Classic Roast Beef in the US costs $9.24, in Baker, CA.
The most expensive Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich in the US costs $9.99, in Anchorage, AK.
The most expensive Whataburger in the US costs $9.99, in Las Vegas, NV.
The most expensive Wendy's Dave's Single in the US costs $9.99, in Key West, FL.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Anchorage, AK: fast food costs 27% more than the US typical price | Every one of its 7 chains charges more than its own national median there. | See the page |
| Alaska is the most expensive state (index 129) | North Carolina is the cheapest (index 95); 100 is the national typical price. | See the page |
| Arby's Classic Roast Beef: $9.24 in Baker, CA | 82% above Arby's US median of $5.09. | See the page |
| Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich: $9.99 in Anchorage, AK | 73% above Popeyes' US median of $5.79. | See the page |
| Whataburger: $9.99 in Las Vegas, NV | 70% above Whataburger's US median of $5.89. | See the page |
| Most expensive Arby's Classic Roast Beef (restaurants) | $9.24 (+82%) | Baker, CA |
| Most expensive order (restaurants) | $48.34 (+56%) | Baker, CA |
| Most expensive Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich (restaurants) | $9.99 (+73%) | Anchorage, AK |
| Most expensive order (restaurants) | $43.95 (+43%) | Vista, CA |
| Most expensive Whataburger Whataburger (restaurants) | $9.99 (+70%) | Las Vegas, NV |
| Most expensive order (restaurants) | $29.00 (+24%) | Saraland, AL |
| Most expensive Wendy's Dave's Single (restaurants) | $9.99 (+67%) | Key West, FL |
| Most expensive order (restaurants) | $41.04 (+36%) | Sacramento, CA |
| Most expensive Burger King Whopper (restaurants) | $10.19 (+62%) | Kapaa, HI |
| Most expensive order (restaurants) | $50.44 (+60%) | Kapaa, HI |
| Most expensive Firehouse Subs Hook & Ladder (restaurants) | $15.99 (+62%) | Alameda, CA |
| Most expensive order (restaurants) | $41.86 (+43%) | Alameda, CA |
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 2, 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.