France's Massive Burger Leads List Of McDonald's Most Expensive Items

McDonald's is known and loved around the globe, thanks to its comforting, nostalgic, consistently tasty menu items. And yes, because you can enjoy those iconic Big Macs, french fries, or Happy Meals within minutes of ordering them. But there's another reason the franchise is so popular, and it's a big one: McDonald's is cheap.

According to Investopedia, what consumers want from McDonald's is simply a place to buy cheap, decent-tasting, quickly-served hamburgers. So, as the company that sparked the entire fast-food category and one that's built on serving cheap meals, it's somewhat shocking just how not-cheap some of McDonald's menu items can be — especially when you venture outside the U.S. to its many international locations.

You can certainly still walk into a McDonald's and get yourself a meal for around $5, and hopefully that will always be the case. But if you find yourself at a McDonald's in Europe, you might want to prepare yourself for some sticker shock.

CashNetUSA performed an extensive study on McDonald's menu pricing around the world. One of the things it determined was the "Global Top 10" — aka, a ranking of the most expensive menu item from every country. The number one most-expensive item found in McDonald's across the globe? The Triple Cheddar & Double Beef Burger from France, coming in at the equivalent of $15.70.

The burger is made up of two 100% French Charolais meat patties layered with three slices of matured cheddar cheese, all topped off with pickles, crispy onions, and a ketchup-mustard blend. It costs French patrons more than double the price of the country's Big Mac (and it also costs 1,336 calories, but who's counting?).

Liechtenstein and Switzerland tied for second and third place, both with a Big Tasty Double Bacon that costs $13.31. Out of the top ten countries with the most expensive items, Europe is home to seven of them. The continent is famed for having some of the most interesting, unique, and tasty McDonald's creations — and its residents certainly pay the price.

You may be left wondering where the United States falls in all of this. Is it up there with Europe in terms of high prices, or does the McDonald's of America stay true to its affordable fast-food foundation?

The same CashNetUSA study pitted the cost of every country's Big Mac against each other and found that out of the 76 countries that serve it, the United States offers the 19th most expensive Big Mac at $5.35 (based on capital cities). That puts the U.S. in the top 25% in terms of most expensive McDonald's offerings, at least when it comes to one of the franchise's most iconic, go-to items.

Within the United States, Hawaii doles out the most expensive Big Mac at an average of $5.31, with New York and New Jersey trailing behind it. The most affordable states to grab some McDonald's? Make your way south: Mississippi, Alabama, and Arkansas offer the cheapest Big Macs found in the country, all priced at below $4.