Cook Out vs McDonald's: Menu Prices Compared (2026)

Updated August 27, 2026 3 items matched

The short answer

McDonald's is the cheaper of the two. Of the 3 directly comparable items we could match across both menus, McDonald's is cheaper on 2 of them, by an average of $0.77 per item.

Typical menu price: Cook Out $4.79 · 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 — Cook Out's wording first.

Item	Cook Out	McDonald's	Difference
Regular Milkshakevs Milkshake (medium)	$4.29	$4.39	$0.10 cheaper at Cook Out
Cheeseburger	$3.99	$2.79	$1.20 cheaper at McDonald's
Sweet Tea (large)	$2.49	$1.49	$1.00 cheaper at McDonald's

Make Cook Out 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

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Cook Out vs McDonald's at a Glance

	Cook Out	McDonald's
Typical menu price	$4.79	$4.29
Average menu price	$5.16	$4.97
Cheapest item	Coleslaw — $1.99	Apple Slices — $1.29
Most expensive item	Double Burger Plate — $9.99	Bundle Box (family) — $24.99
Items priced	43	51
Menu sections	6	6
Price range	$	$
Founded	1989	1955
Headquarters	Thomasville, North Carolina	Chicago, Illinois
Locations	About 300 restaurants across the Southeast	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 $4.79 — 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.

Cook Out is strongest on Cook Out Tray, Big Double Burger, Cajun Chicken Sandwich; 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

Cook Out

The Cook Out Tray at $7.49 to $8.79 includes an entree, two sides and a drink — the cheapest complete combo of any national or regional chain.
Upgrading the tray drink to a milkshake for $2.99 costs less than buying the shake separately at $4.29.
Cook Out stays open until 3:00 or 4:00 AM, which makes it one of the only late-night sit-down-quality options in much of the Southeast.

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.

Cook Out vs McDonald's — FAQ

Is Cook Out cheaper than McDonald's in 2026?

McDonald's is cheaper on most matched items — 2 of 3. Across the whole menu McDonald's is the lower-priced of the two, at $4.29 for a typical item against $4.79 at Cook Out.

What is the price difference between Cook Out and McDonald's?

On matched items the average difference is $0.77, or about 4% overall. Cook Out averages $5.16 across 40 priced items; McDonald's averages $4.97 across 51.

Which has the cheaper entry price, Cook Out or McDonald's?

Cook Out starts at $1.99 (Coleslaw) 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.