McDonald's vs Waffle House: 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 3 of them, by an average of $3.26 per item.

Typical menu price: McDonald's $4.29 · Waffle House $6.55

Matched Items, Side by Side

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

Item	McDonald's	Waffle House	Difference
Double Cheeseburgervs Double Angus Cheeseburger	$4.19	$11.45	$7.26 cheaper at McDonald's
Hash Brownsvs Hash Browns (regular)	$2.39	$3.75	$1.36 cheaper at McDonald's
Soft Drink (medium)vs Soft Drink	$1.79	$2.95	$1.16 cheaper at McDonald's

Make McDonald's and Waffle House 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 Buttermilk Pancake & Waffle Mix Just add water — crisp diner-style waffles at home. Check price on Amazon Big Mac–Style Special Sauce Bottled burger sauce for Big Mac copycats at home. Check price on Amazon Copycat Restaurant Recipes Cookbooks that recreate chain-restaurant favorites. Check price on Amazon

McDonald's vs Waffle House at a Glance

	McDonald's	Waffle House
Typical menu price	$4.29	$6.55
Average menu price	$4.97	$7.46
Cheapest item	Apple Slices — $1.29	Toast — $2.45
Most expensive item	Bundle Box (family) — $24.99	T-Bone Steak Dinner — $18.95
Items priced	51	43
Menu sections	6	6
Price range	$	$
Founded	1955	1955
Headquarters	Chicago, Illinois	Norcross, Georgia
Locations	More than 13,500 restaurants in the United States	About 1,900 restaurants, mostly in the South

Which One Should You Order From?

McDonald's has the lower typical menu price of the two — $4.29 against $6.55 — 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.

McDonald's is strongest on Big Mac, Quarter Pounder with Cheese, 10 pc. Chicken McNuggets; Waffle House on All-Star Special, Scattered Smothered Covered Hash Browns, Pecan Waffle. 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

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.

Waffle House

The All-Star Special at $12.55 includes a waffle, eggs, meat, toast and a side — ordering those items separately costs roughly $5 more.
Coffee is bottomless at about $2.95, which matters on a long stop.
Hash brown toppings are $0.95 each; three of them cost less than the pre-named combinations at some locations, so order by the modifier.

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.

McDonald's vs Waffle House — FAQ

Is McDonald's cheaper than Waffle House in 2026?

McDonald's is cheaper on most matched items — 3 of 3. Across the whole menu McDonald's is the lower-priced of the two, at $4.29 for a typical item against $6.55 at Waffle House.

What is the price difference between McDonald's and Waffle House?

On matched items the average difference is $3.26, or about 33% overall. McDonald's averages $4.97 across 51 priced items; Waffle House averages $7.46 across 42.

Which has the cheaper entry price, McDonald's or Waffle House?

McDonald's starts at $1.29 (Apple Slices) and Waffle House at $2.45 (Toast).

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.