$18 Big Mac meal nearly broke the internet. Bad news, Arizona's are almost as expensive
McDonald's discourse has gone viral yet again. This time, it's not the insane Grimace milkshake taking the internet by storm, but a classic item that everyone knows: the Big Mac.
It began when Twitter user Sam Learner (@sam_learner) shared a photo of the McDonald's menu at a rest stop in Darien, Connecticut. The Big Mac was listed at $8.29 a la carte, or $17.59 for a combo meal.
That's more than a gourmet burger at some Phoenix burger joints. To put things in perspective, you can order a Paradise burger topped with lettuce, tomato, cucumber, 1000 island dressing and pickled onions at Paradise Valley Burger Co. for just $7.50.
Naturally, Twitter users flocked to the comments and quote tweets to lament the outrageous Big Mac prices, telling Learner he should not bother ordering anything and find a cheaper McDonald's instead, citing Darien as an expensive place to live and theorizing that the prices reflect that.
But how does that Connecticut rest stop's prices compare to McDonald's prices here in the Valley?
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How much is a Big Mac in Arizona?
According to data from Pantry and Larder, the most expensive reported Big Mac in the country is in Lee, Massachusetts, for $8.09 (still less than the $8.29 Big Mac from Darien). But interestingly, the second most expensive Big Mac in the country listed on the Pantry and Larder site is in Tusayan near the Grand Canyon for $7.59.
Though not as high as Tusayan, Big Macs in northern Arizona are definitely on the expensive side compared to the rest of the state and country. Big Mac prices in Flagstaff, Williams, Sedona, Cottonwood, Prescott and Camp Verde are all over $7.
McDonald's on South Milton Road in Flagstaff prices their Big Macs at $7.49 ala carte or a whopping $12.58 as a combo meal with fries and a drink.
Prices in metro Phoenix tend to be lower than in northern Arizona. In the far West Valley (Goodyear, Avondale, Litchfield Park) Big Macs go for $6.49, the same as in Gilbert and south Chandler. The price ranges from $6.19 to $6.29 in Scottsdale and $5.79 to $5.99 in Mesa, all according to Pantry and Larder.
In Peoria and Glendale, the price very much depends on the neighborhood. A McDonald's on Lake Pleasant Parkway in far north Peoria charges $6.29 for a Big Mac, while the same burger can be purchased for just $5.29 at 83rd Avenue and Thunderbird, about 9 miles or a 15-minute drive away. The difference is even bigger when looking at the Big Mac combo meal, which comes with fries and a drink; the far north Peoria location charges $10.98 while the Thunderbird charges just $8.99 — a difference of almost $2.
According to UberEats, an a la carte Big Mac is $7.09 from a McDonald's in midtown Phoenix, at Seventh Avenue and Indian School. The same item is listed at $5.79 in downtown Phoenix at Seventh Avenue and Van Buren Street. UberEats does typically list slightly higher prices than the in-store menu would, due to additional delivery fees, but regardless, it is clear that just a few miles can account for over a dollar difference in price.
Southern Arizona is cheaper than Flagstaff. A Big Mac from the McDonald's location at Fort Lowell Road and Campbell Avenue in Tucson is $6.69 or $12.39 for a combo meal.
In general, much of Arizona seems to be more expensive on average for Big Macs than in other states. The Pantry and Larder map uses color to show where the burgers are cheap, expensive or average, and almost all of Arizona outside Maricopa County is in the red. This contrasts with the Midwest, which is almost entirely bright green, with prices in the $3-$4 range except for a few more expensive locations in Chicago.
The Arizona Republic reached out to McDonald's to ask about the drastic price differences but had not received a response at the time of writing.
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Reach the reporter at endia.fontanez@gannett.com. Follow @EndiaFontanez on Twitter.
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This article originally appeared on Arizona Republic: How much does McDonald's Big Mac cost in Arizona? More than most of US
