Not-So-Happy Meals: The Rising Costs of Kids Meals [Data Study]

Since first introduced in the 1970s, fast-food kids meals have been a staple part of drive-thru menus and an always-special treat for kids. It’s a win-win: Kids get a tasty meal, some fries, and a toy, while their parents get a reprieve from a night of cooking and dishes.

While kid-sized servings haven’t changed much in the last 50 years, their prices certainly have. Having already taken a look at how fast-food prices have changed in the last decade, the FinanceBuzz team wanted to zoom in on kids meals and see how their prices have changed alongside inflation in recent history.

Key findings

• Chick-fil-A kids meal prices have increased by an average of 63% since 2014, the most of any fast-food chain, and nearly double the nationwide rate of inflation in that time.
• Popeyes (62%), Jack in the Box (61%), Sonic (60%), and McDonald’s (57%) are the other chains where kids meal prices rose by more than 50% in the last decade.
• Prices for kids meals at Dairy Queen changed the least between 2014 and 2024, increasing by just 21%.
• Kids meals at Wendy’s (24%), Burger King (28%), and Culver’s (30%) also rose more slowly than the nationwide rate of inflation.

How do kids meals compare to inflation?

We compared what kids meals cost in 2014 to what they cost in 2024 at 12 different fast-food chains to see how much prices have risen.

Our analysis showed that, on average, kids meals cost 43% more now than they did a decade ago, which is higher than the 32% national inflation rate during that time. Not all kids meal price changes are created equal, of course, as some chains exceeded that average increase while others did a better job of keeping kids meal costs down.

Fast-flation’s impact on kids meals

Of the 12 chains we looked at, seven have raised the cost of kids meals at a rate that exceeded the national inflation rate since 2014, while four increased prices at a slower pace than 32%. Kids meal price increases at one chain, Chipotle, exactly matched the rate of inflation.

The biggest offender is Chick-fil-A, where kids meal prices rose by 63%, on average, which is nearly double the national rate of inflation. Many chains offer different kids meal options (with different pricing), so in this analysis, we looked at the average prices of kids options at each chain.

While Chick-fil-A’s kids meals were higher than any other chain, several others very nearly matched Chick-fil-A’s jump. Popeyes’ kids meals prices rose by 62%, on average, while Jack in the Box (61%) and Sonic (60%) were just a percentage point or two behind those top chains. McDonald’s rounded out the top five thanks to a 57% increase in the price of Happy Meals^® since 2014.

On the other end of the spectrum, kids meals at a handful of chains actually became more affordable relative to the national rate of inflation thanks to price increases that were smaller than the overall inflation rate since 2014.

Dairy Queen takes the crown (no pun intended) in this regard, as prices for kids meals at the ice cream-forward chain only increased by 21% in the last 10 years, the smallest change of any restaurant. Three other chains also raised prices at a rate lower than national inflation, including another chain that invokes thoughts of royalty: Wendy’s (24%), Burger King (28%), and Culver’s (30%).

How kids meal prices have changed at different chains over time

Chick-fil-A

• Average kids meal price, 2014: $4.06
• Average kids meal price, 2024: $6.63
• Price increase, 2014-2024: 63%
• Sample kids meal:
  • 2-Count Chik-n-Strips™ Kid’s Meal
  • 2014 price: $4.09
  • 2024 price: $6.79
  • Increase: 66%

Popeyes

• Average kids meal price, 2014: $3.39
• Average kids meal price, 2024: $5.49
• Price increase, 2014-2024: 62%
• Sample kids meal:
  • 1-Piece Tender Kids Meal
  • 2014 price: $3.39
  • 2024 price: $5.49
  • Increase: 62%

Jack in the Box

• Average kids meal price, 2014: $3.39
• Average kids meal price, 2024: $5.44
• Price increase, 2014-2024: 61%
• Sample kids meal:
  • Jr. Cheeseburger
  • 2014 price: $3.29
  • 2024 price: $5.39
  • Increase: 64%

Sonic

• Average kids meal price, 2014: $3.29
• Average kids meal price, 2024: $5.23
• Price increase, 2014-2024: 60%
• Sample kids meal:
  • Corn Dog Wacky Pack®
  • 2014 price: $3.29
  • 2024 price: $5.29
  • Increase: 61%

McDonald’s

• Average kids meal price, 2014: $2.74
• Average kids meal price, 2024: $4.29
• Price increase, 2014-2024: 57%
• Sample kids meal:
  • 4-Piece McNugget® Happy Meal®
  • 2014 price: $2.99
  • 2024 price: $4.59
  • Increase: 54%

Arby’s

• Average kids meal price, 2014: $3.79
• Average kids meal price, 2024: $5.29
• Price increase, 2014-2024: 40%
• Sample kids meal:
  • 4-Piece Chicken Nuggets Kids Meal
  • 2014 price: $3.79
  • 2024 price: $5.29
  • Increase: 40%

Panda Express

• Average kids meal price, 2014: $4.79
• Average kids meal price, 2024: $6.60
• Price increase, 2014-2024: 38%
• Sample kids meal:
  • Panda Cub Meal™
  • 2014 price: $4.79
  • 2024 price: $6.60
  • Increase: 38%

Chipotle

• Average kids meal price, 2014: $4.00
• Average kids meal price, 2024: $5.28
• Price increase, 2014-2024: 32%
• Sample kids meal:
  • Kid’s Quesadilla
  • 2014 price: $3.75
  • 2024 price: $4.95
  • Increase: 32%

Culver’s

• Average kids meal price, 2014: $4.99
• Average kids meal price, 2024: $6.51
• Price increase, 2014-2024: 30%
• Sample kids meal:
  • Single ButterBurger® Kids’ Meal
  • 2014 price: $4.99
  • 2024 price: $6.39
  • Increase: 28%

Burger King

• Average kids meal price, 2014: $3.71
• Average kids meal price, 2024: $4.77
• Price increase, 2014-2024: 28%
• Sample kids meal:
  • Cheeseburger King Jr™ Meal
  • 2014 price: $3.59
  • 2024 price: $4.49
  • Increase: 25%

Wendy’s

• Average kids meal price, 2014: $3.52
• Average kids meal price, 2024: $4.36
• Price increase, 2014-2024: 24%
• Sample kids meal:
  • 4-Piece Kids’ Meal Nuggets
  • 2014 price: $3.69
  • 2024 price: $4.49
  • Increase: 22%

Dairy Queen

• Average kids meal price, 2014: $4.29
• Average kids meal price, 2024: $5.19
• Price increase, 2014-2024: 21%
• Sample kids meal:
  • Hot Dog Kids Meal
  • 2014 price: $4.29
  • 2024 price: $5.19
  • Increase: 21%

Ask the experts

With the rising cost of kids’ meals, we asked an expert to weigh in on what factors contribute to kids' meal inflation and some tips for parents to feed their children.

What are some factors that can contribute to the rising costs of what's typically considered an affordable kid's meal option?

Michael Bognanno

Economics Professor and Department Chair | Temple University

The fast-food industry is highly competitive, and prices rise as the result of two forces: higher demand or higher costs. In this case, it is due largely to higher costs. The competition for low-wage workers in the aftermath of the pandemic caused their wages to rise the fastest. This directly affects the cost of running a fast-food restaurant. At the same time, the war in Ukraine and other factors contributed to higher food costs. Energy prices, notably for the cost of electricity, rose more than 10% in 2022 and are still increasing at a rate that exceeds the rate of inflation. In short, fast-food prices have been driven up by increasing costs for food, labor, and energy.

Do you have any tips for parents who rely on affordable, convenient meals to feed their children during times of inflation?

Michael Bognanno

Economics Professor and Department Chair | Temple University

Industry data shows that restaurant deals have been on the rise. In fact, there are restaurant chains with promotions in which kids can eat free with the purchase of an adult meal. Some of these require dining on a specific evening, during a specific time period or joining a rewards program

Tips for saving money for the whole family when dining out

• Maximize your rewards when eating out. Get the best bang for your buck by using a credit card for dining out to help rack up rewards and offset food prices.
• Set a budget. Cut back on unnecessary purchases and plan with your fast-food expenses to keep more money in your pocket.
• Look into a food delivery side hustle. Read up on our Deliver with DoorDash guide to see how you can create your own hours and earn some extra cash on the side.

Methodology

FinanceBuzz collected the prices of kids meals from each restaurant. Prices were collected for 2024, 2019, and 2014. Only kids meals available to customers in every one of those years were included for each restaurant. Data on multiple kids meals was collected for every chain except Panda Express, which only offers a single kids meal option (although it is highly customizable).

2024 prices were pulled from each restaurant’s mobile app or website directly. Previous menu prices were pulled from FastFoodMenuPrices.com with the use of the Internet Archive’s Wayback Machine.

Of note, some chains (such as McDonald’s) have variable pricing based on franchise location and may not perfectly reflect nationwide pricing. Because nationwide pricing data is not available at most chains, we tried to remain as consistent as possible in data collection to fairly represent historical and current prices.

Inflation rates are based on the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ CPI Inflation Calculator. Inflation rates were collected in July 2024.

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