Carl's Jr. vs Del Taco: Menu Prices Compared (2026)

Updated September 26, 2026 3 items matched

The short answer

Carl's Jr. is the cheaper of the two. Of the 3 directly comparable items we could match across both menus, Carl's Jr. is cheaper on 2 of them, by an average of $0.80 per item.

Typical menu price: Carl's Jr. $5.49 · Del Taco $3.49

Matched Items, Side by Side

The same item on both menus, priced against each other. Where names differ, we matched the closest equivalent — Carl's Jr.'s wording first.

Item	Carl's Jr.	Del Taco	Difference
Double Cheeseburgervs Double Del Cheeseburger	$3.49	$5.49	$2.00 cheaper at Carl's Jr.
Iced Coffee	$2.99	$2.79	$0.20 cheaper at Del Taco
Fountain Drink (medium)	$2.49	$2.69	$0.20 cheaper at Carl's Jr.

Make Carl's Jr. and Del Taco at Home

Whichever of the two wins on price, cooking the favorites at home beats both. These are the sauces, mixes and kitchen tools that get closest to the real thing.

Burger Press Uniform smash-style patties in seconds. Check price on Amazon Cast Iron Griddle The crust fast-food flat-tops are known for. Check price on Amazon Copycat Restaurant Recipes Cookbooks that recreate chain-restaurant favorites. Check price on Amazon

Carl's Jr. vs Del Taco at a Glance

	Carl's Jr.	Del Taco
Typical menu price	$5.49	$3.49
Average menu price	$5.58	$4.25
Cheapest item	Chocolate Chip Cookie — $1.49	Value Taco — $1.29
Most expensive item	Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger — $9.99	Epic Burrito Combo — $11.79
Items priced	27	44
Menu sections	5	6
Price range	$	$
Founded	1941	1964
Headquarters	Franklin, Tennessee	Lake Forest, California
Locations	About 1,000 restaurants in the United States	About 600 restaurants, concentrated in the West

Which One Should You Order From?

Del Taco has the lower typical menu price of the two — $3.49 against $5.49 — but a typical price only tells you where the middle of the menu sits. At the value end, Del Taco gets you in cheaper at $1.29.

Carl's Jr. is strongest on Famous Star with Cheese, Western Bacon Cheeseburger, Super Star; Del Taco on Del Taco (crunchy), Epic Burrito, Crinkle Cut Fries. Neither chain's app prices match the counter, and both discount heavily through their loyalty programmes, so the deals below usually matter more than the few cents between the two menus.

Deals Worth Knowing at Both

Carl's Jr.

The $6 Big Carl and Famous Star combos that rotate through the app cost about $4 less than ordering the same meal at menu prices.
My Rewards points on the Carl's Jr. app turn into free items, and new members get a free burger with their first purchase.
The Spicy Chicken Sandwich at about $2.99 is the cheapest filling item on the menu.

Del Taco

The 20 Under $2 menu is the deepest value lineup in Mexican fast food — a Value Taco at $1.29 and a cheeseburger at $1.99 from the same window.
Two Value Tacos plus Value Fries comes to about $4.37, well under any combo on the board.
Del Yeah! Rewards in the app gives a free item on signup, points on every order and a birthday reward.

About these prices: menu prices are set by individual franchise owners and change without notice. The figures on this page are researched estimates for 2026 and are provided for reference only. Confirm the current price with the restaurant before ordering. Menu Price Book is not affiliated with this chain.

Carl's Jr. vs Del Taco — FAQ

Is Carl's Jr. cheaper than Del Taco in 2026?

Carl's Jr. is cheaper on most matched items — 2 of 3. Across the whole menu Del Taco is the lower-priced of the two, at $3.49 for a typical item against $5.49 at Carl's Jr..

What is the price difference between Carl's Jr. and Del Taco?

On matched items the average difference is $0.80, or about 24% overall. Carl's Jr. averages $5.58 across 27 priced items; Del Taco averages $4.25 across 44.

Which has the cheaper entry price, Carl's Jr. or Del Taco?

Carl's Jr. starts at $1.49 (Chocolate Chip Cookie) and Del Taco at $1.29 (Value Taco).

Are these prices the same at every location?

No. Both chains let franchise owners set prices, so figures move by a dollar or more between markets and run highest at airport, stadium and highway locations. Treat these as the typical U.S. price, not a quote.