Why Your McDonald's Combo Meal Might Be A Bit Cheaper In The Near Future

Not only is McDonald's stepping up its burger game in 2025, it's apparently also stepping up its value proposition by cutting the prices of its combo meals. Eight of its combo meals, including breakfast, will now cost less than 15% of the total price of each individual item that makes up the whole (per The Wall Street Journal). This comes after the company and its franchisees, who comprise over 90% of the total locations, spent weeks in talks finalizing an acceptable deal. McDonald's corporate had to promise to help franchisees financially if they experience a decrease in profits as a result of the lower prices.

Along with the combo meal price reductions, the company will also offer additional Extra Value Meals later this year, including a $5 breakfast special and an $8 Big Mac with McNuggets deal. While other fast-food chains like Taco Bell remain an affordable option, McDonald's appears to be trying to shed its reputation for no longer being a budget-friendly choice.

It's not just our imagination; fast food prices are going up, and despite the fact that McDonald's still sells a staggering amount of burgers each day, the Golden Arches — once considered a quick and cheap option for a hot, satisfying meal — has been grappling with negative press and a damaged reputation for years now. One striking example occurred in 2023, when an X (formerly Twitter) user posted an image of a Darien, Connecticut McDonald's menu, where the Big Mac meal cost nearly $19 including taxes.

President of McDonald's U.S. operations Joe Erlinger addressed the furor in a statement on the chain's website, saying that it was an outlier, representing just one restaurant out of over 13,700 in the U.S. But customer dissatisfaction has only grown with McDonald's prices, and recent sales declines reflect that frustration. Clearly, McDonald's is hoping these new combo meal price drops will bring lost (or hesitant) customers back.