McDonald's to introduce $5 meal deal following customer complaints that the fast food restaurant has grown too expensive, with Big Mac meal costing up to $19

McDonald's is planning to introduce a $5 meal deal menu in an attempt to draw back customers who have been priced out by the chain's soaring menu prices, which now see a Big Mac meal priced as high as $19.

Although details of the wallet-friendly offer are still vague, it's believed the options may feature either a McChicken or a McDouble, along with fries and a drink, reports Bloomberg.

The plans come after McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski emphasized the importance of affordability, especially as diners grow more price-conscious. 

Users on TikTok have long bemoaned the cost of a meal and menu items at the fast food joint.

'Who told y'all that was good to be charging that much for y'alls food?!', asked one TikToker, while another noted that several pounds of potatoes could be bought for the same price that it costs to purchase a single hash brown.

In one location of the popular fast food chain, a Big Mac meal was priced at $17.59 which would have been well above the $19 mark after tax was added.

A Quarter Pounder meal with cheese was even more expensive at $17.99, while adding a strip of bacon took it to $18.99 before tax.

It is important to note that while the prices here are considered for a single store, McDonald's franchisees are given lots of autonomy in setting menu prices. 

The prices with Big Mac's set at $17.99 were from a rest stop location where costs are usually higher, but the issue is symptomatic of price hikes being felt by customers across the country. 

The company has raised prices by roughly mid- to high-single-digit percentages over the last year in response to a rise in costs of eggs and other raw items as lower-income budgets remain stretched. 

Another reason for the price hikes is due to an increase in labor costs which have in turn forced some franchisees to hike prices. The state of New York recently raised its hourly wage to $16 while in California workers are paid $20 an hour.

It means the the cost of a McDonald's has left customers far from happy with their meal as the rises outpace inflation which was 3.5 percent in March 2024.

Overall, the Chicago-based burger joint has doubled its menu prices over the course of the last decade which is more than triple the rate of US inflation.

Some menu items have risen particularly quickly over the last ten years. 

A McChicken was just a dollar in 2014 but is now three times the price, according to FinanceBuzz, which gathered prices over time.

Medium fries have more than doubled in price, from $1.59 to $3.79 this year. A McDouble was $1.19 in 2014 but $3.19 in 2024.

Other items have been less vulnerable to price hikes. The cost of a medium drink increased less than inflation at $1.29 a decade ago but still only $1.61 today.

Figures from the US Labor Department show fast-food prices are 33 percent more expensive than they were in 2019. 

By comparison, grocery costs are up just 26 percent while the overall Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 19 percent in that time.

Last month, McDonald's fell short of Wall Street estimates for first-quarter sales on  as budget-conscious consumers decided to cut back on restaurant meals.

Global comparable sales growth slid for the fourth straight quarter to 1.9 percent, with the company saying consumers became 'more discriminating with every dollar they spend'.