McDonald’s is the fast-food of choice for many of us not just because it is delicious and quick, but also because it also quite affordable. This has been the case ever since the original restaurant opened by Richard (Dick) and Maurice (Mac) McDonald sold menu items which were all below 20 cents. In fact, the first burger was only cost 15 cents!
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The association between affordable pricing and addictively good food has since been carried forward by new McDonald’s franchises spread across the world.
In the beginning, McDonald's restaurants offered fast-food such as cheeseburger, fries, chicken sandwich etc. The company has since been consistently introducing new and exciting foods for fans, including introducing breakfast into their menu in 1972, with the iconic Egg McMuffin.
McDonald's has expanded globally becoming one of the largest fast-food franchises in the world, with more than 30,000 locations in more than 100 countries around the world.
Diversified McDonald's in different countries
The chief reason for this success is the willingness of the brand to honour and adapt to local taste and preference of different countries’ culinary cultures. This is one of the reasons why McDonald’s offerings across the globe include diverse and interesting things such as Masala Scrambled Egg in India, Chicken McBites in Australia, Chicken McDo with McSpaghetti in Philippines or Gratin Croquette Burger in France.
The ingredients in McDonald's food can vary so much across countries that it could actually be risky to bring some McDonald's food across international border.
For example, a woman was fined $2664 for flying into Australia from Bali, Indonesia with an egg-and-beef-sausage McMuffins and a ham croissant. The woman unknowingly broke Australia's biosecurity law that prevented food from Indonesia due to an outbreak of foot and mouth disease there. Not only was it a huge biosecurity risk for Australia, but it could possibly also be one of the steepest prices anyone has had to pay for McDonald's food.
McDonald’s affordability
Different McDonald's franchises also prices their food to match what locals ingredient and costs are like. Expensivity published a report on the prices of McDonald’s across different countries, and states that the brand's food is not equally affordable across all the countries of the world. In fact, in what might be news to some, McDonald’s might be considered to be a high value expensive meal in some countries, and not the guilt-free affordable spread we might think of it as.
Lebanon has the worst affordability of McDonald’s food due to the rapid inflation the country has witnessed over the past couple of years. To buy 100 adult meals here, you would have to spend 74.65% of the average annual salary. It is followed by Nicaragua (52.98%) and Pakistan (51.15%) for the worst affordability in McDonald's prices.
On the opposite side, McDonald’s is most affordable in Monaco and Liechtenstein, Taiwan, followed by prices in the US placing it in fourth place.
Most expensive McDonald’s menu items
Below are the most expensive McDonald’s food as reported by Expensivity. The above question of affordability and state of the overall economy in different countries should definitely be factored in when you view the list. The information has been compiled from the McDelivery’ section of the official websites in different countries with McDonald’s franchises.
- Grand Chicken Special Sandwich in Lebanon is the most expensive menu item costing $27. The chief reason why the humble chicken sandwich costs so much there, is because the eye-watering inflation in the country has raised its monetary value.
- In second place is the Signature Charolais & Sauce Aux 2 Moutardes in France and Monaco that cost $14.38. This gourmet cheeseburger is made of 100% French ingredients with ‘Charolais’ meat, which is a breed of cow.
- Big Tasty Smokey Double Bacon sold in Switzerland and Liechtenstein's will cost you $13.56, and is third most expensive item.
- Israel’s Mega Tokyo burger is at fourth place with it setting diners back $13.48. The Tokyo burger is made of mushrooms cooked with Asian barbecue sauce.
- Dobbel Big Tasty Bacon burger sold in Norway makes fifth place, at a cost of $13.36.
Lebanon also has the most high-value Happy Meal ($21.89) and Big Mac ($21.89), while the second most expensive Happy Meal costs $10.89 and is in the Netherlands.
Sources used:
Expensivity: ‘The Price of McDonald’s in Every Country’
Traveller: 'Passenger cops $2664 fine over McDonald's meal amid foot and mouth disease fears'
