Publié le 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 23 chains only with its own national prices, on October 2, 2026.
Données au .
Chiffres clés
- Anchorage, AK: fast food costs 27% more than the US typical priceEvery one of its 8 chains charges more than its own national median there.
- Alaska is the most expensive state (index 129)Oklahoma is the cheapest (index 96); 100 is the national typical price.
- Dunkin' Medium Original Blend: $6.99 in Las Vegas, NV126% above Dunkin' US median of $3.09.
- 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.
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 8 chains charges more there than nationally.
Next come Fairbanks, AK (123) and Honolulu, HI (122); the cheapest is Opelika, AL (90).
By state, Alaska is the most expensive (index 129) and Oklahoma the cheapest (96).
Dunkin' most expensive Medium Original Blend costs $6.99, at the Dunkin' in Las Vegas, NV: 126% above the chain's US median of $3.09. Its most expensive basket of 4 items is $33.21 in Las Vegas, NV, 94% above its median of $17.16.
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 5 items is $30.25 in Fort Wainwright, AK, 41% above its median of $21.45.
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.
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.
“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.
Citations
The most expensive Dunkin' Medium Original Blend in the US costs $6.99, in Las Vegas, NV.
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.
Images
Les chiffres derrière le communiqué
Chaque chiffre provient de nos relevés du 2026-10-02, avec la page de ce site qui le présente.
| Chiffre | Valeur | Où le voir |
|---|---|---|
| Anchorage, AK: fast food costs 27% more than the US typical price | Every one of its 8 chains charges more than its own national median there. | Voir la page |
| Alaska is the most expensive state (index 129) | Oklahoma is the cheapest (index 96); 100 is the national typical price. | Voir la page |
| Dunkin' Medium Original Blend: $6.99 in Las Vegas, NV | 126% above Dunkin' US median of $3.09. | Voir la page |
| Arby's Classic Roast Beef: $9.24 in Baker, CA | 82% above Arby's US median of $5.09. | Voir la page |
| Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich: $9.99 in Anchorage, AK | 73% above Popeyes' US median of $5.79. | Voir la page |
| Dunkin' Medium Original Blend le plus cher (restaurants) | $6.99 (2) | Las Vegas, NV |
| Commande la plus chère (restaurants) | $33.21 (+94%) | Las Vegas, NV |
| Arby's Classic Roast Beef le plus cher (restaurants) | $9.24 (1) | Baker, CA |
| Commande la plus chère (restaurants) | $48.34 (+56%) | Baker, CA |
| Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich le plus cher (restaurants) | $9.99 (2) | Anchorage, AK |
| Commande la plus chère (restaurants) | $30.25 (+41%) | Fort Wainwright, AK |
| Whataburger Whataburger le plus cher (restaurants) | $9.99 (1) | Las Vegas, NV |
| Commande la plus chère (restaurants) | $29.00 (+24%) | Saraland, AL |
| Wendy's Dave's Single le plus cher (restaurants) | $9.99 (1) | Key West, FL |
| Commande la plus chère (restaurants) | $41.04 (+36%) | Sacramento, CA |
| Burger King Whopper le plus cher (restaurants) | $10.19 (8) | Kapaa, HI |
| Commande la plus chère (restaurants) | $50.44 (+60%) | Kapaa, HI |
Méthodologie, à propos et 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
Sources de contexte
Ne fait pas partie du communiqué : les articles qui étayent sa seule phrase de contexte, pour répondre aux questions des journalistes.
- 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.