CBS NEWS – An image of McDonald’s menu this week went viral because people couldn’t believe the prices depicted.
Twitter user Sam Learner says he snapped the photo at a McDonald’s located at a Connecticut rest stop. In the photo, a Big Mac combo meal – with fries and a soft drink – is $17.59 [total with Connecticut 7.35% meals tax, $18.88].
After discovering the expensive McDonald’s off of I-95 in Darien, Learner said he looked into the company’s prices a bit more.
Using data from Pantry and Larder, a food research site, Learner found a McDonald’s in Lee, Massachusetts, lists a Big Mac for $8.09. Still, the Darien location lists a more expensive Big Mac for $8.29.
Some social media users were outraged by Learner’s post. Some compared the Darien prices to McDonald’s in their area. “Checking my local McD’s in the bay area, a #1 Big Mac meal is $10.48, so the rest stop has a ~70% markup,” one person replied.
“The two states with the highest average Big Mac price are Hawaii for $5.31 and New York for $5.23, according to SavingSpot. Mississippi has the cheapest at $3.91.”
Many suggested that the prices could be inflated at rest stop locations. Others blamed it on Connecticut – particularly Darien – being an expensive place to live.
The Darien location shows above-average prices for many items, according to Learner’s photo and the GrubHub page for that location … The same meal at a McDonald’s in the Upper East Side of New York City costs $8.29 on GrugHub.
The median household income in the Upper East Side, which is considered one of the most expensive neighborhoods in the city, is $138,490. That’s about 92% higher than median household income citywide – $72,150.
The median household income in Darien, one of the wealthiest towns in Connecticut, is $250,001. That’s 57% higher than the median household income in the Upper East Side — but McDonald’s prices there are about 70% higher. I
Minimum wage in both Connecticut and New York City is $15 an hour. READ MORE.
