These Are the Most Expensive Fast-Food Orders Due to Inflation

From groceries to fuel, inflation has been causing the prices of practically everything we spend money on to skyrocket in recent years–and that includes fast food. Beloved value deals are disappearing, and it seems a simple double cheeseburger has never cost more. However, some items have risen much more in price than others (and the prices of some have even gone down!). Below, we’ve put together a list of the top 3 fast food orders that have raised in price thanks to inflation.

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3. Burger King’s Double Whopper – $7.03

Okay, the price of this one has actually gone down since September 2021, when it cost a whopping (pun intended) $7.42. However, the price of a Double Whopper took a brief dip back in May 2022, when it went down to $5.56–and now it’s back over the $7 mark. Say it ain’t so! However, Burger King’s Chicken Fries was the menu item that saw the highest inflation rate in 2022, rising from $3.97 to $4.64. A chicken shortage is likely to blame, which leads us to the next item…

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2. Chick-fil-A Grilled Chicken Sandwich – $7.23

Following Burger King’s Chicken Fries, Chick-fil-A’s equally iconic Grilled Chicken Sandwich saw a price increase of nearly 20% in 2022 thanks to that dreaded chicken shortage. Once costing $6.57 back in September 2021, it will now cost you $7.23. However, that price has luckily gone down a bit since May 2022, when it was 9 cents cheaper. (Hey, every penny counts!) Chick-fil-A’s regular chicken sandwich, hash browns, and Egg White Grill also rose in price since 2021, but their Chick-N-Minis are now cheaper. Woo!

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1. Dave’s Double from Wendy’s – $7.69

Wendy’s saw the biggest price inflations from September 2021 to May 2022, with Dave’s Double topping the list. This double cheeseburger went from $7.33 to $7.69. Dave’s Single also went from $5.99 to $6.31, but luckily the Spicy Chicken Sandwich and Double Stack are both slightly cheaper now. The Bacanator saw a major price decrease–but it’s still the most expensive fast food item on the list.

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Baconator is most expensive—but lowered in price

It wouldn’t be right to leave Wendy’s Baconator off of this list, since it costs nearly $10 at $9.62. This makes it the most expensive item across Wendy’s, Chick-fil-A, and McDonald’s. However, this infamous burger has actually lowered in price in recent years, as it cost a lofty $12.13 back in September 2021. So we can’t blame inflation for this one–it’s just an expensive burger in general. If you ask us, we should actually celebrate that lower price!

Of course, if you’re really looking to save money (or keep your health in check–after all, fast food isn’t usually the most nutritious option out there) it’s always best to buy groceries and make yourself some home-cooked meals. Although inflation is driving grocery prices off the charts, too, you’re likely to save a few bucks–and get a better quality meal than a greasy double cheeseburger.