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Fast-food prices have risen, but the named Hungry Jack’s, McDonald’s and KFC price increases in the headline-making comparison date to July 2022—not to today. More recent official data shows Australian meals-out and takeaway prices continued to rise, while it does not establish what any one chain currently charges or why it set a particular price.
What the 2022 price report found
A 30 July 2022 PerthNow report by Adrian Lowe and Cheyanne Enciso documented increases across three Australian fast-food chains. These were reported menu prices and changes at that time, not independently collected prices for every outlet. The article noted that local prices could differ by around 10–20 cents because franchisees could set prices to suit local conditions.
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| Chain and item | Reported change in the July 2022 article |
|---|---|
| McDonald’s Double Quarter Pounder | Up 95 cents, from $7.65 to $8.60 (PerthNow, 30 July 2022). |
| McDonald’s small and large soft drinks | Each reported up 40 cents (PerthNow, 30 July 2022); the article did not state the before-and-after prices for these sizes. |
| KFC 21-piece chicken bucket | Up $3.50 to $38.45 (PerthNow, 30 July 2022); the article did not state the earlier price. |
| KFC six-piece Wicked Wings pack | Up $1 (PerthNow, 30 July 2022); the article did not state the before-and-after prices. |
| Hungry Jack’s Whopper | Up 60 cents (PerthNow, 30 July 2022); the article did not state the before-and-after prices. |
| Hungry Jack’s cheeseburger meals | Reported increases ranged from $1 to $1.30 (PerthNow, 30 July 2022); the article did not list each meal’s before-and-after price. |
| Hungry Jack’s soft-serve cone | Reported at 70 cents, up from 60 cents (PerthNow, 30 July 2022). |
| McDonald’s soft-serve cone | Reported at 75 cents, up from 70 cents (PerthNow, 30 July 2022). |
These figures are useful as a dated snapshot, not as a current menu comparison. A fair comparison today would need the same item or meal, serving size, location and date, and would need to distinguish an ordinary menu price from an app promotion. The reported local variation also means one outlet’s price need not represent a whole chain.
Are takeaway prices still rising?
Yes, at the national category level. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported that prices for meals out and takeaway food rose 4.5% in the 12 months to July 2026. The ABS attributed the category increase to higher operating, ingredient and other input costs, including minimum-wage award increases on 1 July. This is a national consumer-price measure; it is not an audited breakdown of the costs or pricing decisions of Hungry Jack’s, McDonald’s or KFC.
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What cost pressures can—and cannot—explain
Higher input and operating costs can put pressure on a restaurant’s expenses, but the available figures do not show how much each chain’s costs rose, how those costs were allocated, or how much of any menu-price change was caused by a particular input. The ABS’s explanation applies to the national meals-out and takeaway category, not to the accounts of an individual fast-food business.
In the July 2022 PerthNow report, Richard Hill, then licensee of seven Western Australian McDonald’s outlets, described his experience at the time as “the toughest environment I’ve ever seen” in his 40 years in the business. He also said equipment costs had doubled for items he had bought two years earlier, citing changes in global shipping costs. These are Hill’s comments as reported in 2022, not current statements from the chains.
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ABC News reported in August 2024 that McDonald’s global comparable sales fell 1% in April–June 2024 compared with the same period a year earlier, amid inflation-weary customers cutting back. The same report said the Australian Big Mac price had risen nearly 40%, from $5.75 in 2019 to $7.90 in 2024. Both figures describe specific historical periods; neither is a current price quote or evidence of how customers are spending in 2026.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.How to check whether a fast-food order has become more expensive
- Match the product. Compare the same burger, drink size, serving size or meal components, rather than unlike items.
- Use the same location and date. Franchise-level pricing can vary, so compare prices from the outlet you would actually visit and record when you checked.
- Separate standard prices from offers. Note whether a listed price is an ordinary menu price, an app deal, or a limited-time promotion.
- Compare the total order. Include the same sides, drinks, size upgrades and fees. A lower headline item price may not mean the full order costs less.
No current, location-matched price series for equivalent items across all three chains is established here. The 2022 figures therefore cannot answer which chain is cheapest now.
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Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.
