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

Updated September 26, 2026 4 items matched

The short answer

Carl's Jr. is the cheaper of the two. Of the 4 directly comparable items we could match across both menus, Carl's Jr. is cheaper on 3 of them, by an average of $0.65 per item.

Typical menu price: Carl's Jr. $5.49 · McDonald's $4.29

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.	McDonald's	Difference
Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit	$3.99	$4.79	$0.80 cheaper at Carl's Jr.
Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuitvs Sausage Biscuit with Egg	$3.99	$4.59	$0.60 cheaper at Carl's Jr.
Double Cheeseburger	$3.49	$4.19	$0.70 cheaper at Carl's Jr.
Iced Coffeevs Iced Coffee (medium)	$2.99	$2.49	$0.50 cheaper at McDonald's

Make Carl's Jr. and McDonald's 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.

McCafé Premium Roast K-Cups The same medium roast McDonald's pours, in Keurig pods. Check price on Amazon Big Mac–Style Special Sauce Bottled burger sauce for Big Mac copycats at home. Check price on Amazon Burger Press Uniform smash-style patties in seconds. Check price on Amazon Copycat Restaurant Recipes Cookbooks that recreate chain-restaurant favorites. Check price on Amazon

Carl's Jr. vs McDonald's at a Glance

	Carl's Jr.	McDonald's
Typical menu price	$5.49	$4.29
Average menu price	$5.58	$4.97
Cheapest item	Chocolate Chip Cookie — $1.49	Apple Slices — $1.29
Most expensive item	Double Western Bacon Cheeseburger — $9.99	Bundle Box (family) — $24.99
Items priced	27	51
Menu sections	5	6
Price range	$	$
Founded	1941	1955
Headquarters	Franklin, Tennessee	Chicago, Illinois
Locations	About 1,000 restaurants in the United States	More than 13,500 restaurants in the United States

Which One Should You Order From?

McDonald's has the lower typical menu price of the two — $4.29 against $5.49 — but a typical price only tells you where the middle of the menu sits. At the value end, McDonald's gets you in cheaper at $1.29.

Carl's Jr. is strongest on Famous Star with Cheese, Western Bacon Cheeseburger, Super Star; McDonald's on Big Mac, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, 10 pc. Chicken McNuggets. 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.

McDonald's

The $5 Meal Deal is the single best value on the menu — the same four items ordered separately run close to $12.
The McDonald's app gives a free item on many orders and runs a points programme worth roughly 5% back; app prices are frequently below counter prices for the same item.
20-piece McNuggets at $9.99 cost about $0.50 per nugget against $0.65 for a 4-piece — the best per-unit price on the menu.

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 McDonald's — FAQ

Is Carl's Jr. cheaper than McDonald's in 2026?

Carl's Jr. is cheaper on most matched items — 3 of 4. Across the whole menu McDonald's is the lower-priced of the two, at $4.29 for a typical item against $5.49 at Carl's Jr..

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

On matched items the average difference is $0.65, or about 11% overall. Carl's Jr. averages $5.58 across 27 priced items; McDonald's averages $4.97 across 51.

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

Carl's Jr. starts at $1.49 (Chocolate Chip Cookie) and McDonald's at $1.29 (Apple Slices).

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.