Austin, Texas Cheapest US City for Cheeseburger Meal, DoorDash Report Finds
A new DoorDash index reveals significant price variations for a classic meal across American cities, influenced by local operating costs.
Austin, Texas, has been identified as the most affordable city in the United States for a classic cheeseburger, fries, and soda combo, with an average price of $12.94. This finding comes from the latest "Cheeseburger Index" featured in DoorDash's State of Local Commerce report.
The report highlights substantial regional disparities in the cost of this popular meal, with Anchorage, Alaska, registering the highest average price at $28.28 for the same combination. Jessica Lachs, DoorDash's chief analytics officer, noted that the index underscores how local economic factors dramatically influence restaurant prices.
DoorDash attributes the lower prices in Southern and Southeastern cities, including Austin, to structurally lower operating expenses. The report also identified several other cities with affordable meal prices, with four cities in Texas making the top 10 list. Laredo, Texas, ranked second with an average price of $13.39. Other cities rounding out the top five value locations include Lincoln, Nebraska ($13.86), Detroit ($14.99), and Philadelphia ($15.41).
This data emerges as dining out continues to become more expensive, even as prices for many staple groceries and household goods have stabilized. Over the past year, the average cost of a cheeseburger, fries, and soda has increased by 3.2%. While rising beef prices have been a point of discussion, DoorDash suggests that broader operating costs, such as labor, rent, and energy, are more significant drivers of the increased restaurant prices than food costs alone.
Lachs emphasized that the index illustrates the reality of diverse local economies. "There isn't one economy. There are a lot of local economies," she stated, pointing out the significant price difference between Austin and Anchorage for the identical meal.
The Cheeseburger Index is one of three affordability metrics in the State of Local Commerce Report. DoorDash also tracks breakfast items in its "Breakfast Basics Index" and household staples in its "Everyday Essentials Index." While some grocery prices, like those for avocados and milk, have risen in the last quarter, overall prices for many household essentials have remained relatively stable.
The "Cheeseburger Index" is intended to provide a simple and relatable measure of price changes for consumers, illustrating the monthly cost of a recurring dining-out choice.