Five Guys 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 5 of them, by an average of $8.72 per item.

Typical menu price: Five Guys $8.69 · 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 — Five Guys's wording first.

Item	Five Guys	McDonald's	Difference
Bacon Cheeseburgervs Cheeseburger	$13.89	$2.79	$11.10 cheaper at McDonald's
Cheeseburger	$12.49	$2.79	$9.70 cheaper at McDonald's
Hamburger	$11.29	$2.49	$8.80 cheaper at McDonald's
Little Cheeseburgervs Cheeseburger	$10.09	$2.79	$7.30 cheaper at McDonald's
Little Hamburgervs Hamburger	$9.19	$2.49	$6.70 cheaper at McDonald's

Five Guys vs McDonald's at a Glance

	Five Guys	McDonald's
Typical menu price	$8.69	$4.29
Average menu price	$8.82	$4.97
Cheapest item	Bottled Water — $2.69	Apple Slices — $1.29
Most expensive item	Cheeseburger + Regular Fries + Drink — $22.99	Bundle Box (family) — $24.99
Items priced	32	51
Menu sections	5	6
Price range	$$$	$
Founded	1986	1955
Headquarters	Lorton, Virginia	Chicago, Illinois
Locations	About 1,400 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 $8.69 — 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.

Five Guys is strongest on Cheeseburger, Bacon Cheeseburger, Five Guys Style 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

Five Guys

Order a 'little' burger unless you want two patties — it is a normal single-patty burger and saves about $2.30.
A regular fries at $7.19 genuinely feeds two people; ordering one between two is the main way to make Five Guys affordable.
All fifteen toppings and all milkshake mix-ins are free, so a fully loaded burger costs the same as a plain one.

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.

Five Guys vs McDonald's — FAQ

Is Five Guys cheaper than McDonald's in 2026?

McDonald's is cheaper on most matched items — 5 of 5. Across the whole menu McDonald's is the lower-priced of the two, at $4.29 for a typical item against $8.69 at Five Guys.

What is the price difference between Five Guys and McDonald's?

On matched items the average difference is $8.72, or about 44% overall. Five Guys averages $8.82 across 29 priced items; McDonald's averages $4.97 across 51.

Which has the cheaper entry price, Five Guys or McDonald's?

Five Guys starts at $2.69 (Bottled Water) 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.