Which is cheaper, McDonald's or Starbucks?

Starbucks is cheaper, averaging $4.13 per item versus $6.03 for McDonald's — a 31% difference. Based on 238 menu items as of April 2026.

Which has more menu items, McDonald's or Starbucks?

McDonald's has more menu items (164 vs 74). The total combined menu across both chains is 238 items.

Which has lower calories, McDonald's or Starbucks?

Starbucks averages 308 calories per item, compared to 413 for McDonald's. Both chains offer items under 500 calories.

Are McDonald's and Starbucks similar?

McDonald's (13,786 US locations) and Starbucks (13,502 US locations) compete on 0 similar menu categories. Cuisine overlap: 0%.

McDonald's vs Starbucks (2026)

Side-by-side comparison of menu prices, calories, and value. 164 items at McDonald's vs 74 items at Starbucks.

Quick answer: As of April 2026, McDonald's averages $6.03 per item across 164 menu items, while Starbucks averages $4.13 across 74 items. Starbucks is $1.90 cheaper per item (31% difference). Starbucks has lower average calories (308 vs 413 per item).

Quick Comparison

McDonald's vs Starbucks: Quick Price & Menu Comparison
Metric	McDonald's	Starbucks	Winner
Avg Price	$6.03	$4.13	Starbucks
Menu Items	164	74	McDonald's
Avg Calories	413	308	Starbucks
US Locations	13,786	13,502	McDonald's
Secret Menu	15	15	Tie

Starbucks is 31% cheaper on average than McDonald's ($1.90 less per item).

Cheapest Items

McDonald's

Butter $0.15

Syrup $0.25

Creamy Ranch Sauce $0.30

Spicy Buffalo $0.30

Honey Mustard $0.30

Starbucks

Chocolate Chip Cookie $1.95

Salted Caramel or Birthday Cake Pop $1.95

Freshly Brewed Coffee $2.10

Teavana® Shaken Iced Tea $2.25

Double Chocolate Chunk Brownie $2.35

Lowest Calorie Options

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

Starbucks

Skinny Vanilla Latte 70 cal

Mango Dragonfruit Refresher (Grande) 90 cal

Strawberry Acai Refresher (Grande) 100 cal

Iced Coffee (with or without Milk) 120 cal

Pink Drink (Grande) 140 cal

Deep Comparison: McDonald's vs Starbucks

Calorie Value (cents per calorie)

McDonald's delivers 6.07¢/cal on average, while Starbucks delivers 5.04¢/cal. Starbucks gives more calories per dollar — a key metric for value-per-meal seekers.

Menu Category Overlap

McDonald's and Starbucks share 0 menu categories (0% Jaccard overlap). Low overlap — these chains serve mostly different food categories.

What Fits in Your Budget

$10 budget: McDonald's fits 1 item (290 cal), Starbucks fits 3 items (310 cal)
$15 budget: McDonald's fits 0 items, Starbucks fits 3 items (1100 cal)
$20 budget: McDonald's fits 3 items (260 cal), Starbucks fits 3 items (1100 cal)

Where They Rank in Our 414-Chain Dataset

McDonald's ranks #156 of 414 on price (cheaper than 63% of tracked chains). Starbucks ranks #49 of 414 (cheaper than 88% of chains).

Calorie Distribution (items under 500 cal)

At McDonald's, 70% of menu items with calorie data come in under 500 calories. At Starbucks, 92% are under 500 calories. Starbucks offers more lower-calorie options proportionally.

Bottom Line

Budget pick: Starbucks ($4.13 avg vs $6.03)
More variety: McDonald's (164 items)
More locations: McDonald's (13,786 US locations)
Best calorie value: Starbucks (5.04¢/cal)

Full Menus

McDonald's Menu Starbucks Menu Cheapest Fast Food Low Calorie Guide