McDonald’s prices in 1980

    by CreditorOP

    45 Comments

    1. it be like that back in the day, and if i was born than time id still be broke AF and cannot afford it

    2. I don’t think they were charging $0.15 for cheese in 1980. I know Burger King by me started charging $0.10 for cheese in the early 90s.

    3. ReputationOptimal651 on

      It’s not that much different. When adjusted to inflation that Big Mac ($1.20) would cost now about $4.58

    4. ModerateDataDude on

      McChicken 1980 $1.10 equivalent to $4.20 in today’s dollars after adjusting for inflation.

    5. matchesmalone321 on

      In the mid-to-late 90s, they’d sell 29 cent hamburgers and 39 cent cheeseburgers on specific days. Our broke asses took advantage back in the day.

      Also, what’s wrong with the McChicken that it hasn’t risen in price that much compared to everything else?

    6. Two burgers for 50p each and you saved 20p on a Big Mac was my mate’s eureka moment. We were 12.

    7. El_gato_picante on

      You dont even have to go too far back. I remember in the early 2000s I would scavenge 59 cents to buy a hamburger from the burgerking across the street from the apartment complex i grew up in.

    8. 76ersWillKillMe on

      Minimum wage was 3.10 an hour.

      Just going by the big mac – you could afford 2.6 big macs per minimum wage hour worked in 1980.

      average price of a big mac in 2024 is [5.69 ](https://www.statista.com/statistics/274326/big-mac-index-global-prices-for-a-big-mac/#:~:text=Big%20Mac%20index%20worldwide%202024&text=At%208.07%20U.S.%20dollars%2C%20Switzerland,dollars%20in%20the%20Euro%20area)with minimum wage being 7.25 so you can afford 1.3 big macs per min wage hour worked today.

      That’s half the purchasing power.

    9. Back when the Big Mac was around 5-6″ in diameter. Today they’re about the size of an Amuse-bouche you’d get served in a fine restaurant! Excellent example of shrinkflation!

      Don’t forget Burger King. Their Whopper was about 6″ in diameter back in the 80’s. Their smaller, kids size Whopper Junior back then, is comparable to today’s Whopper!

      This is why I don’t do fast food anymore. Zero value for all the sugar you’re served.

      Edit typo

    10. McDonald’s was my first part-time job at 14 (~2008 or 2009 in PA) and I can remember ringing in a big Mac meal at $5.35 with tax

      And dollar menu items were actually a dollar

      Edit: just checked my local McDonald’s and one big Mac sandwich is $5.69 and a meal is $9.49

    11. Inflation was barely a thing, until the Americans fucked with the gold standard, and now we are all slaves to the banks.

    12. Interesting-Gap2046 on

      FILET O FISH. $ .85 …………. Just paid 11$ for a double so let’s say $5.50

    Leave A Reply