Gepubliceerd op 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 569 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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De belangrijkste feiten
- 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.
- Jersey Mike's Original Italian: $8.95 to $11.95 (+34%)Cheapest in Chicago, IL, most expensive in Chicago, IL; median $10.85, 1% below Jersey Mike'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 79 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.
Jersey Mike's: a Original Italian costs $8.95 at the Jersey Mike's in Chicago, IL and $11.95 at four Jersey Mike's restaurants in Chicago, IL, $3.00 (34%) more. Across its 42 restaurants in the Chicago area, the median is $10.85, 1% below Jersey Mike's US median of $10.95.
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.
Citeerbare zinnen
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 Jersey Mike's Original Italian costs $8.95 in Chicago, IL but $11.95 in Chicago, IL.
Afbeeldingen
De feiten achter het persbericht
Elk cijfer komt uit onze prijzen van 2026-10-02, met de pagina op deze site waar het staat.
| Cijfer | Waarde | Waar te zien |
|---|---|---|
| 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. | Bekijk de 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. | Bekijk de 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. | Bekijk de 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. | Bekijk de pagina |
| Jersey Mike's Original Italian: $8.95 to $11.95 (+34%) | Cheapest in Chicago, IL, most expensive in Chicago, IL; median $10.85, 1% below Jersey Mike's US median. | Bekijk de pagina |
| Goedkoopste Burger King Whopper (restaurants) | $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 |
| Duurste Burger King Whopper (restaurants) | $9.19 (1) | Chicago, IL |
| Goedkoopste Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme (restaurants) | $5.49 (7) | Arlington Heights, IL, Chicago, IL, Des Plaines, IL, Des Plaines, IL, Elk Grove Village, IL, Schaumburg, IL, Wood Dale, IL |
| Duurste Taco Bell Crunchwrap Supreme (restaurants) | $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 |
| Goedkoopste Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich (restaurants) | $4.99 (6) | Bensenville, IL, Blue Island, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Melrose Park, IL |
| Duurste Popeyes Classic Chicken Sandwich (restaurants) | $7.29 (1) | Schaumburg, IL |
| Goedkoopste McDonald's Big Mac (restaurants) | $4.99 (2) | Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL |
| Duurste McDonald's Big Mac (restaurants) | $6.99 (2) | Rolling Meadows, IL, Rosemont, IL |
| Goedkoopste Jersey Mike's Original Italian (restaurants) | $8.95 (1) | Chicago, IL |
| Duurste Jersey Mike's Original Italian (restaurants) | $11.95 (4) | Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL, Chicago, IL |
Methode, over ons en 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 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)".
Achtergrondbronnen
Geen onderdeel van het persbericht: berichtgeving die de ene contextzin onderbouwt, voor vragen van journalisten.
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