Fast food is expensive in California. These states are pricier
California ranks among the most expensive U.S. states for – well, pretty much everything. So it probably won’t come as a surprise that the Golden State is among the costliest in the nation when it comes to ordering fast food takeout.
A new study conducted by BravoDeal, an online coupons site, looked at the prices of specific menu items at four fast food chains: McDonald’s, Domino’s Pizza, Chick-fil-A and Taco Bell.
It found the most expensive takeout is in Hawaii, where a Domino’s medium cheese pizza costs an average of $18.99, a McDonald’s Big Mac is $5.31, a Chick-fil-A chicken sandwich is $4.06, and a Taco Bell combo meal is $7.70.
California ranked fourth behind New York and New Jersey. The study found that in California, customers pay an average of $14.99 for a Domino’s medium cheese pizza, and a McDonald’s Big Mac costs $5.11.
The average cost of each food item was scored out of ten and averaged to produce the rankings.
Most expensive states to buy a takeaway:
Rank | State | Dominos Medium Cheese Pizza (Average Price $) | McDonalds Big Mac (Average Price $) | Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich (Average Price $) | Taco Bell Combo Meal (Average Price $) | Final Score |
1 | Hawaii | 18.99 | 5.31 | 4.06 | 7.7 | 10 |
2 | New York | 14.49 | 5.23 | 4 | 7.58 | 7.96 |
3 | New Jersey | 13.99 | 5.19 | 3.96 | 7.53 | 7.56 |
4 | California | 14.99 | 5.11 | 3.9 | 7.41 | 7.48 |
5 | Maryland | 13.99 | 5.03 | 3.84 | 7.3 | 6.71 |
6 | Alaska | 15.99 | 4.87 | 3.72 | 7.06 | 6.56 |
7 | Connecticut | 14.49 | 4.95 | 3.78 | 7.18 | 6.46 |
8 | Massachusetts | 14.99 | 4.87 | 3.72 | 7.06 | 6.20 |
9 | Washington | 16.99 | 4.67 | 3.57 | 6.77 | 5.85 |
10 | New Hampshire | 13.99 | 4.83 | 3.69 | 7.01 | 5.64 |
On the opposite end of the spectrum, BravoDeal found three southern U.S. states, Mississippi, Arkansas and Alabama, have the cheapest takeout fast food.
Cheapest states to buy a takeaway:
Rank | State | Dominos Medium Cheese Pizza (Average Price $) | McDonalds Big Mac (Average Price $) | Chick-fil-A Chicken Sandwich (Average Price $) | Taco Bell Combo Meal (Average Price $) | Final Score |
1 | Mississippi | 13.49 | 3.91 | 2.99 | 5.67 | 0.54 |
2 | Arkansas | 12.99 | 3.95 | 3.02 | 5.73 | 0.57 |
3 | Alabama | 12.99 | 3.99 | 3.05 | 5.79 | 0.79 |
4 | Nebraska | 11.99 | 4.07 | 3.11 | 5.91 | 0.86 |
5 | Kentucky | 12.79 | 4.03 | 3.08 | 5.85 | 0.93 |
6 | South Dakota | 12.99 | 3.99 | 3.05 | 5.96 | 1.00 |
7 | Iowa | 12.99 | 4.07 | 3.11 | 5.91 | 1.22 |
Oklahoma | 12.99 | 4.07 | 3.11 | 5.91 | 1.22 | |
8 | Ohio | 13.99 | 4.03 | 3.08 | 5.85 | 1.36 |
9 | North Dakota | 12.99 | 4.11 | 3.14 | 5.96 | 1.42 |
10 | Missouri | 14.99 | 3.99 | 3.05 | 5.79 | 1.50 |
Prices at many California fast-food restaurants have increased since the state boosted the minimum wage for quick-service restaurant workers from $16 to $20 an hour on April 1.
According to data from market research firm Datassential, fast food and fast-casual restaurants in the Golden State have raised menu prices by 10% overall.
Another analysis found Chick-fil-A raised prices by 10.6% between Feb. 15 and April 15, Starbucks raised them by 7.8%, Shake Shack by 7.7%, Chipotle by 6.9% and Taco Bell by 4.1%.
Copyright 2024 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
For the latest news, weather, sports, and streaming video, head to KTLA.
