DoorDash’s Cheeseburger Index Reveals Dining Costs Across America
For those looking to eat out on a budget, prices for a cheeseburger, fries, and soda can vary significantly depending on where you are in the U.S.
In some cities, a $15 check will cover that meal, but that’s not the case everywhere. According to a recent report by DoorDash, only four cities were found to have average meal prices below $15: Austin and Laredo in Texas, Lincoln in Nebraska, and Detroit in Michigan.
Austin topped the list with an average meal price of $12.94, as tracked by DoorDash’s Cheeseburger Index, which monitors these average prices across various U.S. cities.
Jessica Lachs, Chief Analytics Officer at DoorDash, told FOX News Digital, “The Cheeseburger Index is a great way to distill information into simple, fun and relevant metrics.”
Although prices differ widely based on location, DoorDash noted that cities in the South and Southeast typically enjoy lower operating costs, making them more affordable for both dining and groceries.
In stark contrast, Anchorage, Alaska, sees an average price of $28.28 for that same cheeseburger combo—more than double the cost in Austin.
The ten most valuable cities in this analysis are primarily situated in the Midwest. Interestingly, four of them are in Texas: Laredo ($13.39), Lincoln ($13.86), Detroit ($14.99), and Philadelphia ($15.41) rounds out the top five.
This ranking arises at a time when eating out is becoming increasingly costly, despite stable prices for many grocery staples. Recently, DoorDash reported that the average price for a cheeseburger, fries, and soda has increased by 3.2% over the past year.
With rising beef prices and other factors, DoorDash points out that growing restaurant prices reflect broader operational costs like labor and rent, not just the cost of ingredients.
“There’s not one economy; there are many regional economies,” Lachs explained. She emphasized that the same meal that costs $12.94 in Austin can run up to $28.28 in Anchorage.
For diners, this disparity means that the same $15 that covers a meal in Austin might not even stretch to half of what you’d pay in Anchorage.
