Via iStockphoto / @_.savvvvvyy._ TikTok
A Missouri woman found a blast from the past—a receipt from McDonald's dating back to 2013. Here's how McDonald's prices compare today.
A Missouri woman found a relic from the past—a McDonald’s receipt from 2013. The small piece of paper made many of her viewers realize—and reminisce on—how dirt cheap McDonald’s used to be.
In a video that received more than 214,000 views, Savvy (@_.savvvvvyy._) tells her audience about the find. Back then, a Quarter Pounder meal cost almost half what it does in 2026—a figure that seemed astonishing to her viewers.
The Cost Of McDonald’s 13 Years Ago
In Savvy’s video, the content creator holds the single receipt in hand. She explains how she found it.
“ Cleaning my dad’s shop, and I found this McDonald’s receipt,” she says. “Quarter cheese meal, large Coke: $5.49. One, two cheeseburger meals, large Coke: $4.89.”
Today, a Quarter Pounder with cheese combo costs around $10.69, although prices depend on location. Tasting Table, for instance, says the combo can cost $12 in certain areas. Ordering a Quarter Pounder by itself would cost $6.39, per Mac Menus. A large Coke à la carte would normally cost $3.19.
Notably, Tasting Table says that the Quarter Pounder with Cheese is no longer worth splurging over.
“If the QPC was more unique, it might be worth the splurge, but for the high price, you get a pretty standard burger with cheese, pickles, onions, mustard, ketchup, and a patty that’s hefty for McD’s, but not particularly generous by other standards,” the publication states.
Why Have Prices Increased So Much?
In the comment section, viewers complained about the rise in prices. Some commenters even shared costs at locations near them.
“Got a McDouble, large fries, and medium Diet Coke for $11 tonight,” one commenter said.
Another added, “Quarter pounder with cheese, a fry, and a large Coke for [less money than] 2 hashbrowns now is actually barbaric.”
FinanceBuzz reported that prices at McDonald’s doubled between 2014 and 2024. But why?
The straightforward answer is inflation, but actually analyzing how inflation affected fast-food prices is slightly more complex. Experts who spoke to FinanceBuzz attributed rising prices to rising labor costs. To create larger margins, many franchises continued increasing prices past inflation.
However, for many franchises, the strategy backfired. Food costs eventually outpaced customers’ discretionary spending. In 2025, McDonald’s reportedly cut prices in response to lower store traffic. For a limited time, the company offered customers an “$8 Big Mac meal” or “$5 Sausage McMuffin meal.”
In 2026, McDonald’s has continued the strategy. It’s reportedly working well, although the company is still struggling with some lower-income consumers.
For many, the cost of McDonald’s is still too high to justify grabbing a meal. A few of Savvy’s commenters, for instance, have sworn off fast food altogether.
BroBible reached out to Savvy via TikTok direct message and McDonald’s via email for comment.