Like the $5 foot of Subway, an affordable fast food restaurant may soon be a thing of the past.

According to a new report by Lendingtree, the average price of fast food in larger cities in the U.S. is now in double digits, with a typical meal fee of $11.56. San Francisco has the highest price, with the average fast food volume there being $13.88, followed by $13.48 in Seattle. Fast food restaurants in Columbus, Ohio are the most affordable, but the average price of meals is still $10.01.

Fast food has long been considered a more economical food, if not a healthier food. Whether it's Wendy's "Biggie Bag" or McDonald's "McValue" menu, most major fast food chains offer some sort of meal for under $10. But as costs rise and inflation gets stuck in American wallets, the cost of burgers, fries and chicken nuggets may not be reached for many consumers.

FinanceBuzz analysis last year found that the average price of fast food has risen between 39% and 100% over the past decade. For example, in 2024, the McDouble sandwich that sold for $1.19 in 2014 can easily cost more than $3.

According to a recent bank survey, 39% of Americans want to spend less on meals given the increased economic uncertainty.

According to a recent earnings report from McDonald's, the company's sales fell 3.6% in the first quarter, with executives betting tariffs as the reason for slower flows.

McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski said on a May 1 income call that "anxiety" about the economy is under pressure on low- and middle-income Americans.

Among consumers who may be struggling with fast food expenses, those low-income workers who make it. According to Lendingtree, the average hourly wage for fast food workers is $15.07. This means that workers spend more than twice as much time than those who earn an average salary in the United States to get enough money to cover a typical fast food restaurant while taking into account other living expenses.

"No one expects to make money from fast food wages, but it's unsettling that these workers can't even expect livable wages," Matt Schulz, chief consumer finance analyst at Lendingtree, said in the report.

Lendingtree found that a fast food worker will spend an average of 40% of their salary by buying three meals a day from his employer, seven days a week, ending up spending an average of 40% of his salary, which makes them live on just 60%.