ITSYS Solutions analysis shows that McDonald’s has rolled out a nationwide effort to increase
discounts and standardize pricing on its popular combo meals, enhancing value and affordability
for customers. The new policy, agreed upon by franchisees, sets a standard 15% discount on
meals compared to purchasing items individually, up from the previous average of 10%, leading
to an average cost reduction of about $0.50 per meal. This pricing reset reflects broader U.S.
QSR pricing trends and McDonald’s effort to regain consumer traffic in the fast food market.
The new structure means:
● Breakfast meals, which include hash browns and coffee, now reflect the new discount.
● Lunch and dinner meals, which come with fries and a drink, also benefit from the
updated pricing.
To kick off this new value push, McDonald’s is highlighting several popular items with price
reductions ranging from 13% to 25%.
● The medium Big Mac meal experienced the steepest drop, exceeding 20%, and is
now priced between $8.00 and $9.00, depending on the state.
● The Sausage McMuffin with Egg is now available for just $5.00.
🍔 Core Burgers & Sandwiches
● Price increases in the range of $0.20 – $0.50, depending on region.
● Some combo meals now sit above the psychological $10 threshold in select markets.
📊 Spotlight on the Big Mac Meal
Based on our research and analysis, the Big Mac meal was the primary target of this pricing
strategy, with significant changes observed across the following 10 states.
● California: The medium Big Mac meal dropped from $11.31 in August to $9.02 in
September, a steep 20.2% decrease, while the large meal fell 4.7%, from $12.19 to
$11.62.
● Florida: Medium meals decreased from $9.87 to $8.03 (18.6% drop) and large meals
from $10.71 to $10.20 (4.8% decrease).
● Georgia: Medium meals fell from $9.26 to $8.01 (13.5% decrease), and large meals
dropped from $10.28 to $9.71 (5.5% decline).
● Illinois: Medium Big Mac meals declined from $9.48 to $8.07 (14.8% decrease) and
large meals from $10.37 to $9.82 (5.3% drop).
● New Jersey: The medium meal saw one of the sharpest reductions, from $10.71 to
$8.01 (25.2% decrease), while large meals dropped from $11.60 to $10.71 (7.6%
decrease).
● New York: Medium meals fell from $10.74 to $8.10 (24.6% decrease), with large meals
declining from $11.52 to $10.71 (7.1% drop).
● Ohio: Medium Big Mac meals decreased from $9.54 to $8.01 (16.0% drop) and large
meals from $10.32 to $9.52 (7.7% decline).
● Pennsylvania: Medium meals dropped from $9.97 to $8.01 (19.6% decrease), and
large meals from $10.78 to $10.10 (6.3% drop).
● Texas: Medium meals declined from $8.51 to $7.96 (6.5% decrease) and large meals
from $9.29 to $8.77 (5.6% drop).
● Washington: Medium meals fell from $10.50 to $8.03 (23.5% decrease), and large
meals dropped from $11.27 to $10.36 (8.1% decrease).
Overall, medium Big Mac meals saw declines between 13% and 25% across all states, while
large meals experienced smaller reductions of 4.7% to 8.1%.
These targeted reductions were a key driver of overall category-level pricing adjustments,
highlighting McDonald’s effort to make its flagship combo more affordable while still maintaining
consistency across top U.S. markets.
📊 State-Level Meal Category Insights (Aug → Sept 2025):
● Across these 10 states, average burger meal prices saw modest declines, ranging from
0.6% to 1.7%. The largest reductions were observed in Ohio and Washington (-1.7%),
while smaller dips occurred in California and Texas (-0.6%).
● Overall, these decreases reflect a broad, consistent trend toward more affordable combo
meals, supporting McDonald’s effort to balance value with pricing consistency across
key markets.
📌 Key Takeaways – ITSYS Solutions Analysis:
● The Big Mac meal led the nationwide recalibration, with medium meals dropping by
~20–25% across several states.
● Large Big Mac meals adjusted at a more moderate rate, averaging 4–8% declines.
● These reductions directly contributed to the 0.6%–1.8% category-level declines across
the top 10 GDP states.
● This strategy signals a clear intent to strengthen value perception while
standardizing pricing across markets.
● Ultimately, this pricing reset reflects McDonald’s broader strategy to regain consumer
traffic in the U.S. QSR market.
ITSYS Solutions provides accurate, verified QSR pricing data like this across U.S. states,
helping brands, analysts, and investors track menu price changes, value meal trends, and
market dynamics with confidence

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