McDonald's Vs Wendy's: Which Has The Most Affordable Fast Food Meal Combo?

Fast food chains like McDonald's and Wendy's are known for giving you a pretty solid bang for your buck. But ordering a combo is a good way to save some money on top of that. Although fast food restaurants have raised their prices in recent years, these two included, a combo meal — usually an entree, drink, and fries — can still be a good deal. But between these two fast food giants, does McDonald's or Wendy's offer the most affordable combo?

Based on our research, McDonald's is the clear winner. It offers the cheaper combo meal across nuggets, burgers, and chicken sandwiches, with the Big Mac Meal being the best deal of those we compared. The price difference varies depending on the exact order, but McDonald's is around $2 cheaper in some categories. Of course, prices may vary by location. Chowhound compared prices at two New Jersey locations less than a mile apart, but it's possible price differences in other parts of the country could impact the results. It's also important to watch out for deals and specials, as these could mean Wendy's occasionally has lower prices than McDonald's. If you're a rewards member at either chain, that could also impact the final cost.

To find the cheaper fast food deal, we looked at three orders that nearly mirror one another. In the burger category, we compared Dave's Combo at Wendy's (a Dave's Single burger with a medium soda and medium fries) with the Big Mac Meal at McDonald's (an iconic Big Mac with a medium soda and medium fries). It's important to note that a McDonald's Big Mac has two patties, while the Dave's Single has one, but the Dave's Double combo meal wasn't available at the time of publication. McDonald's charges $9.20 for its medium Big Mac Meal, according to the app, while the Dave's Combo — which actually includes a smaller burger — costs $11.19.

The McDonald's 10-piece Chicken McNuggets Meal costs $9.20 for a medium combo. The price difference between McDonald's and Wendy's chicken nuggets is less noticeable here, as a Wendy's medium 10-piece chicken nugget combo costs $9.39. Finally, for a medium McCrispy Meal at McDonald's, which includes its signature chicken sandwich, you'll pay $9.49. At Wendy's, the Classic Chicken Sandwich Combo costs $11.19. Ultimately, the McDonald's Big Mac Meal, which offers a double patty for the lowest price, is the best deal among all of the combo options we checked.