Fast Food Prices Outpace Inflation

Fast food prices have risen by 3.2% over the past year, outpacing inflation and making quick meals increasingly expensive. To highlight where these purchases take the biggest bite out of Americans' wallets, the personal-finance company WalletHub released its report on the Cities Where People Spend the Most & Least on Fast Food.

"Fast food has grown more and more expensive in recent years, outpacing inflation," said Chip Lupo, WalletHub analyst. "As a result, it's worthwhile for consumers to think critically about whether the convenience of fast food really justifies the cost and about how much room they have in their budgets for this luxury. The city in which you live can have a big impact on how much fast food costs too. People in the most expensive cities shell out over three times more than residents of the least expensive cities, relative to the median income."

To determine where consumers spend the most and least relative to their earnings, WalletHub analyzed the average prices of burgers, pizza, and fried chicken sandwiches in 100 of the largest U.S. cities and then compared those costs with each city's median household income.

Highest % of income spent

1. Detroit (0.73%)

2. Cleveland (0.70%)

3. Buffalo, New York (0.60%)

4. Hialeah, Florida (0.58%)

5. Toledo, Ohio (0.57%)

6. Birmingham, Alabama (0.57%)

7. Newark, New Jersey (0.54%)

8. Milwaukee, Wisconsin (0.54%)

9. Baltimore, Maryland (0.54%)

10. Memphis, Tennessee (0.53%)

Lowest % of income spent

91. Henderson, Nevada (0.27%)

92. Durham, North Carolina (0.27%)

93. San Jose, California (0.27%)

94. Scottsdale, Arizona (0.27%)

95. San Francisco (0.27%)

96. Irvine, California (0.26%)

97. Austin, Texas (0.25%)

98. Gilbert, Arizona (0.24%)

99. Plano, Texas (0.24%)

100. Fremont, California (0.21%)