How Much Is A Burger In NorCal?! Sticker Shock Hits The Drive-Thru

SAN FRANCISCO, CA — Whether you're buying a cocktail or a gallon of gasoline, inflation has driven prices up on just about everything in recent months. It's even reached California's most iconic fast food meal — a hamburger, soda and fries.

The price of a burger has gone up exponentially in California, with many popular fast food chains hiking prices up by nearly 20 percent since last year, according to a new report from MoneyGeek.

San Francisco was named as the home for the nation's most expensive burger — $15.30 on average. Residents of Sacramento are paying $12.67 on average for a burger. The state's capital made it to no. 8 on the list of the most expensive burger meals.

A whopping four California cities made the ranking for the top ten most expensive cities to buy a burger in. Los Angeles was identified as the second most expensive city to buy a burger, soda and fries, according to the report, which found that on average, Angelenos are paying $14.59 for the meal. In neighboring Long Beach, patrons are paying an average of $13.08, according to the report.

The least expensive burger combo on the list was found in Tusla, Oklahoma for $6.55, which was no. 50 on the list.

Researchers looked at which specific fast-food chains were behind the price hikes and found that Burger King saw the biggest price increase, raising prices by 21 percent since last year. Meanwhile, Wendy's saw a 18.9 percent increase, Jack in the Box saw a 15.6 percent rise, Five Guys had a 13.5 percent increase and McDonalds had the lowest increase, 11.3 percent.

To calculate price increases, MoneyGeek used prices from allmenus.com and Grubhub.com for 2022, along with data archived by the Wayback Machine for 2021 prices, according to the report.

Along with skyrocketing prices, the money in Californians' wallets just isn't going as far as it was a year ago. Experts offered MoneyGeek some tips on how to save money on food amid rising food inflation.

“If you have kids,” said Dr. Brian Walkup, Associate Professor of Finance at the Crummer School of Business at Rollins College, “be aware of what days your favorite restaurants have Kids Eat Free promotions.”

Walkup also advised patrons to skip the soda, which can end up costing around $3 per person. Ordering from the kids menu, at establishments that will allow it, will also save money for those who have a lighter appetite.

Jill Fopiano, President and CEO at O’Brien Wealth Partners, also told MoneyGeek that consumers should prepare more meals at home to save money. Strategies such as buying incredients in bulk from wholesale stores like Costco and Sam's Club can also help. She said that grocery stores "require less labor per customer than do restaurants, and they should not see as much price pressure."

Read the full report here.

Consumer prices, excluding volatile food and energy costs, jumped 6.6 percent in September from a year ago — the fastest such pace in four decades. And on a month-to-month basis, such “core” prices soared 0.6 percent for a second straight time, defying expectations for a slowdown and signaling that the Fed's multiple rate hikes have yet to ease inflation pressures. Core prices typically provide a clearer picture of underlying price trends.

Speaking earlier this month in Los Angeles, President Joe Biden acknowledged the pain that inflation is causing many people, while suggesting that the latest figures showed “some progress."

“Americans are squeezed by the cost of living,” the president said. “It’s been true for years, and folks don’t need to read a report to tell them they’re being squeezed. Fighting this battle every day is a key reason why I ran for president.”

The Associated Press contributed to this report.