Pubblicato il 2026-10-02
The same Whopper costs $5.89 at one Chicago Burger King and $9.19 at another
As fast food pricing becomes more data-driven, Drive Thru Index compared the pickup prices of the same items at 607 restaurants of five chains in the Chicago area. Within each chain, prices for the same item differ by up to 56% from one restaurant to the next.
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Dati chiave
- Burger King Whopper: $5.89 to $9.19 (+56%)Cheapest in Chicago, IL, most expensive in Chicago, IL; median $6.19, 2% below Burger King's US median.
- Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme: $5.49 to $8.49 (+55%)Cheapest in Des Plaines, IL, most expensive in Chicago, IL; median $7.54, 13% above Taco Bell's US median.
- Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich: $4.99 to $7.29 (+46%)Cheapest in Chicago, IL, most expensive in Schaumburg, IL; median $5.79, the same as Popeyes' US median.
- McDonald's Big Mac: $4.99 to $6.99 (+40%)Cheapest in Chicago, IL, most expensive in Rolling Meadows, IL; median $6.19, 3% above McDonald's US median.
- Wingstop 10 Classic Wings: $11.19 to $15.09 (+35%)Cheapest in Northlake, IL, most expensive in Chicago, IL; median $12.49, 8% below Wingstop'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.
Burger King: a Whopper costs $5.89 at 17 Burger King restaurants in Chicago, Downers Grove, Elmwood Park, Glendale Hts, Glenview, Highland Park, Lombard, Maywood, Oak Lawn, Skokie, Westmont and Willowbrook, IL, and Munster, IN and $9.19 at the Burger King in Chicago, IL, $3.30 (56%) more. Across its 110 restaurants in the Chicago area, the median is $6.19, 2% below Burger King's US median of $6.29.
Taco Bell: a Crunchwrap Supreme costs $5.49 at seven Taco Bell restaurants in Des Plaines, Arlington Heights, Chicago, Elk Grove Village, Schaumburg and Wood Dale, IL and $8.49 at 21 Taco Bell restaurants in Chicago and Cicero, IL, $3.00 (55%) more. Across its 102 restaurants in the Chicago area, the median is $7.54, 13% above Taco Bell's US median of $6.69.
Popeyes: a Classic Chicken Sandwich costs $4.99 at six Popeyes restaurants in Chicago, Bensenville, Blue Island and Melrose Park, IL and $7.29 at the Popeyes in Schaumburg, IL, $2.30 (46%) more. Across its 80 restaurants in the Chicago area, the median is $5.79, the same as Popeyes' US median of $5.79.
McDonald's: a Big Mac costs $4.99 at two McDonald's restaurants in Chicago, IL and $6.99 at two McDonald's restaurants in Rolling Meadows and Rosemont, IL, $2.00 (40%) more. Across its 236 restaurants in the Chicago area, the median is $6.19, 3% above McDonald's US median of $5.99.
Wingstop: a 10 Classic Wings costs $11.19 at the Wingstop in Northlake, IL and $15.09 at two Wingstop restaurants in Chicago, IL, $3.90 (35%) more. Across its 79 restaurants in the Chicago area, the median is $12.49, 8% below Wingstop's US median of $13.59.
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.
Frasi da citare
The same Burger King Whopper costs $5.89 in Chicago, IL but $9.19 in Chicago, IL.
The same Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme costs $5.49 in Des Plaines, IL but $8.49 in Chicago, IL.
The same Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich costs $4.99 in Chicago, IL but $7.29 in Schaumburg, IL.
The same McDonald's Big Mac costs $4.99 in Chicago, IL but $6.99 in Rolling Meadows, IL.
The same Wingstop 10 Classic Wings costs $11.19 in Northlake, IL but $15.09 in Chicago, IL.
Immagini
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Ogni dato viene dai nostri prezzi del 2026-10-02, con la pagina di questo sito che lo mostra.
| Dato | Valore | Dove vederlo |
|---|---|---|
| Burger King Whopper: $5.89 to $9.19 (+56%) | Cheapest in Chicago, IL, most expensive in Chicago, IL; median $6.19, 2% below Burger King's US median. | Vedi la pagina |
| Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme: $5.49 to $8.49 (+55%) | Cheapest in Des Plaines, IL, most expensive in Chicago, IL; median $7.54, 13% above Taco Bell's US median. | Vedi la pagina |
| Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich: $4.99 to $7.29 (+46%) | Cheapest in Chicago, IL, most expensive in Schaumburg, IL; median $5.79, the same as Popeyes' US median. | Vedi la pagina |
| McDonald's Big Mac: $4.99 to $6.99 (+40%) | Cheapest in Chicago, IL, most expensive in Rolling Meadows, IL; median $6.19, 3% above McDonald's US median. | Vedi la pagina |
| Wingstop 10 Classic Wings: $11.19 to $15.09 (+35%) | Cheapest in Northlake, IL, most expensive in Chicago, IL; median $12.49, 8% below Wingstop's US median. | Vedi la pagina |
| Burger King Whopper più economico (ristoranti) | $5.89 (17) | Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Downers Grove, IL, Elmwood Park, IL, Glendale Hts, IL, Glenview, IL, Highland Park, IL, Lombard, IL, Maywood, IL, Munster, IN, Oak Lawn, IL, Skokie, IL, Westmont, IL, Willowbrook, IL |
| Burger King Whopper più caro (ristoranti) | $9.19 (1) | Chicago, IL |
| Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme più economico (ristoranti) | $5.49 (7) | Arlington Heights, IL, Chicago, IL, Des Plaines, IL, Des Plaines, IL, Elk Grove Village, IL, Schaumburg, IL, Wood Dale, IL |
| Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme più caro (ristoranti) | $8.49 (21) | Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Cicero, IL, Cicero, IL |
| Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich più economico (ristoranti) | $4.99 (6) | Bensenville, IL, Blue Island, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Melrose Park, IL |
| Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich più caro (ristoranti) | $7.29 (1) | Schaumburg, IL |
| McDonald's Big Mac più economico (ristoranti) | $4.99 (2) | Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL |
| McDonald's Big Mac più caro (ristoranti) | $6.99 (2) | Rolling Meadows, IL, Rosemont, IL |
| Wingstop 10 Classic Wings più economico (ristoranti) | $11.19 (1) | Northlake, IL |
| Wingstop 10 Classic Wings più caro (ristoranti) | $15.09 (2) | Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL |
Metodologia, chi siamo e contatti
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 Chicago, 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
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