Which is cheaper, Burger King or McDonald's?

Burger King is cheaper, averaging $3.33 per item versus $6.03 for McDonald's — a 45% difference. Based on 229 menu items as of April 2026.

Which has more menu items, Burger King or McDonald's?

McDonald's has more menu items (164 vs 65). The total combined menu across both chains is 229 items.

Which has lower calories, Burger King or McDonald's?

McDonald's averages 413 calories per item, compared to 491 for Burger King. Both chains offer items under 500 calories.

Are Burger King and McDonald's similar?

Burger King (6,809 US locations) and McDonald's (13,786 US locations) compete on 1 similar menu categories. Cuisine overlap: 4%.

Burger King vs McDonald's (2026)

Side-by-side comparison of menu prices, calories, and value. 65 items at Burger King vs 164 items at McDonald's.

Quick answer: As of April 2026, Burger King averages $3.33 per item across 65 menu items, while McDonald's averages $6.03 across 164 items. Burger King is $2.70 cheaper per item (45% difference). McDonald's has lower average calories (413 vs 491 per item).

Quick Comparison

Burger King vs McDonald's: Quick Price & Menu Comparison
Metric	Burger King	McDonald's	Winner
Avg Price	$3.33	$6.03	Burger King
Menu Items	65	164	McDonald's
Avg Calories	491	413	McDonald's
US Locations	6,809	13,786	McDonald's
Secret Menu	10	15	McDonald's

Burger King is 45% cheaper on average than McDonald's ($2.70 less per item).

Cheapest Items

Burger King

Hamburger $1.00

Cheeseburger $1.00

Crispy Chicken Jr. $1.00

Spicy Crispy Chicken Jr. $1.00

Rodeo Crispy Chicken $1.00

McDonald's

Butter $0.15

Syrup $0.25

Creamy Ranch Sauce $0.30

Spicy Buffalo $0.30

Honey Mustard $0.30

Lowest Calorie Options

Burger King

Apple Juice 80 cal

Orange Juice 140 cal

Soft Serve (Cup or Cone) 200 cal

Soft Serve (Cone or Cup) 200 cal

Hamburger 250 cal

McDonald's

Honey Mustard 60 cal

Medium Frozen Fanta® Wild Cherry 80 cal

Medium Frozen Coca-Cola® 80 cal

Medium Frozen Fanta® Blue Raspberry 80 cal

Mayonnaise Packet 90 cal

Deep Comparison: Burger King vs McDonald's

Calorie Value (cents per calorie)

Burger King delivers 0.72¢/cal on average, while McDonald's delivers 6.07¢/cal. Burger King gives more calories per dollar — a key metric for value-per-meal seekers.

Menu Category Overlap

Burger King and McDonald's share 1 menu categories (4% Jaccard overlap). Shared categories: breakfast. Low overlap — these chains serve mostly different food categories.

Price Differences by Shared Category

Where these chains overlap, here is who undercuts whom on average price:

breakfast: Burger King avg $3.99 vs McDonald's $3.63 — McDonald's is 9% cheaper

What Fits in Your Budget

$10 budget: Burger King fits 0 items, McDonald's fits 1 item (290 cal)
$15 budget: Burger King fits 3 items (1228 cal), McDonald's fits 0 items
$20 budget: Burger King fits 3 items (2850 cal), McDonald's fits 3 items (260 cal)

Where They Rank in Our 414-Chain Dataset

Burger King ranks #20 of 414 on price (cheaper than 95% of tracked chains). McDonald's ranks #156 of 414 (cheaper than 63% of chains).

Calorie Distribution (items under 500 cal)

At Burger King, 65% of menu items with calorie data come in under 500 calories. At McDonald's, 70% are under 500 calories. McDonald's offers more lower-calorie options proportionally.

Bottom Line

Budget pick: Burger King ($3.33 avg vs $6.03)
More variety: McDonald's (164 items)
More locations: McDonald's (13,786 US locations)
Best calorie value: Burger King (0.72¢/cal)

Full Menus

Burger King Menu McDonald's Menu Cheapest Fast Food Low Calorie Guide