Published 2026-10-02
The same Original Krystal costs $1.29 at one Atlanta Krystal and $1.79 at another
As fast food pricing becomes more data-driven, Drive Thru Index compared the pickup prices of the same items at 360 restaurants of five chains in the Atlanta area. Within each chain, prices for the same item differ by up to 39% from one restaurant to the next.
Data as of .
Key facts
- Krystal Original Krystal: $1.29 to $1.79 (+39%)Cheapest in Atlanta, GA, most expensive in Norcross, GA; median $1.39, 7% below Krystal's US median.
- Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich: $4.99 to $6.79 (+36%)Cheapest in Fairburn, GA, most expensive in Lawrenceville, GA; median $5.49, 5% below Popeyes' US median.
- Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme: $5.49 to $7.49 (+36%)Cheapest in Doraville, GA, most expensive in Alpharetta, GA; median $6.39, 4% below Taco Bell's US median.
- Burger King Whopper: $5.99 to $7.89 (+32%)Cheapest in Atlanta, GA, most expensive in Atlanta, GA; median $6.19, 2% below Burger King's US median.
- McDonald's Big Mac: $4.99 to $6.59 (+32%)Cheapest in Duluth, GA, most expensive in Kennesaw, GA; median $5.99, the same as McDonald's US median.
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.
Krystal: a Original Krystal costs $1.29 at two Krystal restaurants in Atlanta and Decatur, GA and $1.79 at the Krystal in Norcross, GA, $0.50 (39%) more. Across its 19 restaurants in the Atlanta area, the median is $1.39, 7% below Krystal's US median of $1.49.
Popeyes: a Classic Chicken Sandwich costs $4.99 at three Popeyes restaurants in Fairburn, Lilburn and Peachtreecity, GA and $6.79 at the Popeyes in Lawrenceville, GA, $1.80 (36%) more. Across its 55 restaurants in the Atlanta area, the median is $5.49, 5% below Popeyes' US median of $5.79.
Taco Bell: a Crunchwrap Supreme costs $5.49 at three Taco Bell restaurants in Doraville, Marietta and Roswell, GA and $7.49 at 13 Taco Bell restaurants in Alpharetta, Marietta, Atlanta, Austell, Douglasville, Lawrenceville, Peachtree Corners, Powder Springs, Roswell and Smyrna, GA, $2.00 (36%) more. Across its 74 restaurants in the Atlanta area, the median is $6.39, 4% below Taco Bell's US median of $6.69.
Burger King: a Whopper costs $5.99 at 29 Burger King restaurants in Atlanta, Decatur, Alpharetta, Duluth, Snellville, Stone Mountain, College Park, Conyers, Doraville, Ellenwood, Fayetteville, Forest Park, Hiram, Lake City, Lawrenceville, Lilburn, Lithonia and Roswell, GA and $7.89 at two Burger King restaurants in Atlanta and Lawrenceville, GA, $1.90 (32%) more. Across its 73 restaurants in the Atlanta area, the median is $6.19, 2% below Burger King's US median of $6.29.
McDonald's: a Big Mac costs $4.99 at the McDonald's in Duluth, GA and $6.59 at the McDonald's in Kennesaw, GA, $1.60 (32%) more. Across its 139 restaurants in the Atlanta area, the median is $5.99, the same as McDonald's US median of $5.99. At the airport in Atlanta, GA, it costs $6.99.
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 same Krystal Original Krystal costs $1.29 in Atlanta, GA but $1.79 in Norcross, GA.
The same Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich costs $4.99 in Fairburn, GA but $6.79 in Lawrenceville, GA.
The same Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme costs $5.49 in Doraville, GA but $7.49 in Alpharetta, GA.
The same Burger King Whopper costs $5.99 in Atlanta, GA but $7.89 in Atlanta, GA.
The same McDonald's Big Mac costs $4.99 in Duluth, GA but $6.59 in Kennesaw, GA.
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Krystal Original Krystal: $1.29 to $1.79 (+39%) | Cheapest in Atlanta, GA, most expensive in Norcross, GA; median $1.39, 7% below Krystal's US median. | See the page |
| Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich: $4.99 to $6.79 (+36%) | Cheapest in Fairburn, GA, most expensive in Lawrenceville, GA; median $5.49, 5% below Popeyes' US median. | See the page |
| Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme: $5.49 to $7.49 (+36%) | Cheapest in Doraville, GA, most expensive in Alpharetta, GA; median $6.39, 4% below Taco Bell's US median. | See the page |
| Burger King Whopper: $5.99 to $7.89 (+32%) | Cheapest in Atlanta, GA, most expensive in Atlanta, GA; median $6.19, 2% below Burger King's US median. | See the page |
| McDonald's Big Mac: $4.99 to $6.59 (+32%) | Cheapest in Duluth, GA, most expensive in Kennesaw, GA; median $5.99, the same as McDonald's US median. | See the page |
| Cheapest Krystal Original Krystal (restaurants) | $1.29 (2) | Atlanta, GA, Decatur, GA |
| Most expensive Krystal Original Krystal (restaurants) | $1.79 (1) | Norcross, GA |
| Cheapest Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich (restaurants) | $4.99 (3) | Fairburn, GA, Lilburn, GA, Peachtreecity, GA |
| Most expensive Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich (restaurants) | $6.79 (1) | Lawrenceville, GA |
| Cheapest Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme (restaurants) | $5.49 (3) | Doraville, GA, Marietta, GA, Roswell, GA |
| Most expensive Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme (restaurants) | $7.49 (13) | Alpharetta, GA, Alpharetta, GA, Alpharetta, GA, Atlanta, GA, Austell, GA, Douglasville, GA, Lawrenceville, GA, Marietta, GA, Marietta, GA, Peachtree Corners, GA, Powder Springs, GA, Roswell, GA, Smyrna, GA |
| Cheapest Burger King Whopper (restaurants) | $5.99 (29) | Alpharetta, GA, Alpharetta, GA, Atlanta, GA, Atlanta, GA, Atlanta, GA, Atlanta, GA, Atlanta, GA, College Park, GA, Conyers, GA, Decatur, GA, Decatur, GA, Decatur, GA, Decatur, GA, Doraville, GA, Duluth, GA, Duluth, GA, Ellenwood, GA, Fayetteville, GA, Forest Park, GA, Hiram, GA, Lake City, GA, Lawrenceville, GA, Lilburn, GA, Lithonia, GA, Roswell, GA, Snellville, GA, Snellville, GA, Stone Mountain, GA, Stone Mountain, GA |
| Most expensive Burger King Whopper (restaurants) | $7.89 (2) | Atlanta, GA, Lawrenceville, GA |
| Cheapest McDonald's Big Mac (restaurants) | $4.99 (1) | Duluth, GA |
| Most expensive McDonald's Big Mac (restaurants) | $6.59 (1) | Kennesaw, GA |
| Most expensive overall (airport) | $6.99 (2) | Atlanta, GA, Atlanta, GA |
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 area covers restaurants within 25 miles (40 km) of downtown of Atlanta, each restaurant counted in its nearest city. Each chain is compared only with itself, on its own signature item, and only where it has at least 5 restaurants in the area; prices are never compared between chains or converted between currencies. The cheapest and most expensive restaurants leave out airports and similar special sites, which are reported separately.
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.