McDonald's to add new sandwich to its ultra-cheap menu

While as most fast-food chains it has been offering different meal deals and bundles for decades, McDonald's launched the latest iteration of the value menu in January 2025 — the McValue Meal Deal is marketed specifically to budget-conscious customers by letting them pair a sandwich with small fries, chicken McNuggets and a soft drink for $5.

The “buy one, add one for $1” addition also allows customers to tack on a breakfast item like a Sausage Biscuit or a Sausage Burrito for an additional dollar.

In the summer of 2024, McDonald's CEO Chris Kempczinski acknowledged that the chain had “an opportunity to improve [its] value execution” amid customer complaints that it was becoming increasingly unaffordable for many low-income visitors.

“We are working to fix that with pace,” Kempczinski said at an earnings call while adding that “it's clear that our value leadership gap has recently shrunk.”

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Daily Double has more veggies and is a larger sandwich

While it formerly included only the McChicken and McDouble sandwiches, the McValue Meal Deal as of July 22 now also lets customers craft a menu around the Daily Double cheeseburger for either $6 or $7 depending on the market.

While similar in that both sandwiches have two beef patties, the Daily Double comes with shredded lettuce, tomato, and onions rather than simply pickles, ketchup and mustard.

“With the Meal Deal, you get to enjoy it alongside a four piece Chicken McNuggets, small fries and your choice of a small, icy and refreshing soft drink — starting at $6,” the chain wrote in promoting the new menu.

The third sandwich had already been rolled out on the value menu in select markets in Chicago, Miami, and Seattle but is now going nationwide until at least the end of 2025 — a decision that, according to the chain, is a move meant to further reach those looking for cheaper options.

While similar to the McDouble, the Daily Double has more veggies.

McDonald's

‘Customers will continue to feel the pinch of the economy'

“At the end of the day, we expect customers will continue to feel the pinch of the economy and a higher cost of living for at least the next several quarters in this very competitive landscape,” McDonald's U.S. President Joe Erlinger said in a statement. “So we believe it is critical for us to consider these factors in order to grow market share, and return to sustainable guest count-led growth for the brand.”

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The customer call-outs regarding the rise of its food prices — fueled in large part by the rising cost of beef and overall inflation — has upped pressure on McDonald's in different parts of the world.

In Australia, the chain has responded by locking in the prices of items included in its equivalent Loose Change Menu at $7 ($4.55 USD) and $4 Australian dollars ($2.60 USD).

At the same time, the chain continues to see sustained success in the country due to a stream of customers who are redirecting their traffic from other restaurants due to rising expense; at the start of July, the chain announced plans to open between 30 and 50 new locations across Australia by the end of 2026.