Del Taco vs McDonald's: Menu Prices Compared (2026)

Updated August 27, 2026 5 items matched

The short answer

McDonald's is the cheaper of the two. Of the 5 directly comparable items we could match across both menus, McDonald's is cheaper on 4 of them, by an average of $1.06 per item.

Typical menu price: Del Taco $3.49 · 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 — Del Taco's wording first.

Item	Del Taco	McDonald's	Difference
Double Del Cheeseburgervs Double Cheeseburger	$5.49	$4.19	$1.30 cheaper at McDonald's
Combo Burritovs Sausage Burrito	$4.79	$2.59	$2.20 cheaper at McDonald's
Del Cheeseburgervs Cheeseburger	$3.49	$2.79	$0.70 cheaper at McDonald's
Iced Coffeevs Iced Coffee (medium)	$2.79	$2.49	$0.30 cheaper at McDonald's
Value Cheeseburgervs Cheeseburger	$1.99	$2.79	$0.80 cheaper at Del Taco

Del Taco vs McDonald's at a Glance

	Del Taco	McDonald's
Typical menu price	$3.49	$4.29
Average menu price	$4.25	$4.97
Cheapest item	Value Taco — $1.29	Apple Slices — $1.29
Most expensive item	Epic Burrito Combo — $11.79	Bundle Box (family) — $24.99
Items priced	44	51
Menu sections	6	6
Price range	$	$
Founded	1964	1955
Headquarters	Lake Forest, California	Chicago, Illinois
Locations	About 600 restaurants, concentrated in the West	More than 13,500 restaurants in the United States

Which One Should You Order From?

Del Taco has the lower typical menu price of the two — $3.49 against $4.29 — 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.

Del Taco is strongest on Del Taco (crunchy), Epic Burrito, Crinkle Cut Fries; 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

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.

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.

Del Taco vs McDonald's — FAQ

Is Del Taco cheaper than McDonald's in 2026?

McDonald's is cheaper on most matched items — 4 of 5. Across the whole menu Del Taco is the lower-priced of the two, at $3.49 for a typical item against $4.29 at McDonald's.

What is the price difference between Del Taco and McDonald's?

On matched items the average difference is $1.06, or about 14% overall. Del Taco averages $4.25 across 44 priced items; McDonald's averages $4.97 across 51.

Which has the cheaper entry price, Del Taco or McDonald's?

Del Taco starts at $1.29 (Value Taco) 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.