How far does your
fast food dollar
actually go?
We track calories, protein, and price across thousands of menu items so you can eat more — or smarter — for less.
What the data shows
Is Popeyes actually better value than McDonald's?
Everyone has an opinion. We have the data. We compared the Popeyes Chicken Sandwich to the McChicken head-to-head — price, calories, protein, and what it actually costs to eat 2,000 calories a day from each.
McDonald's
McChicken
~$2.00
200
cal / $
7.0g
protein / $
Popeyes
Classic Chicken Sandwich
~$5.00
140
cal / $
7.6g
protein / $
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Browse table →Value Explorer
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Open explorer →Facts that'll change how you order
Cost of 2,000 calories at 200 cal / $
At 200 calories per dollar, 2,000 calories costs about $10. Actual item prices and nutrition vary by location.
Cost at 140 cal / $ compared with 200 cal / $
For the same amount of food energy, a 140 cal/$ rate costs about 43% more than a 200 cal/$ rate.
Popeyes outperforms McDonald's on protein per dollar
The Popeyes Chicken Sandwich has 38g of protein. Even at a higher price, it delivers more protein per dollar than most McDonald's items.
Location-level pricing reveals regional differences
The same item can have different prices across cities and stores. Our data preserves that location-level variation.
From the blog
All posts →Popeyes vs McDonald's: Which Chicken Sandwich Is Worth Your Money?
We crunched the numbers: cal/$, protein/$, cost per day's calories, and price variation by city. One winner, one clear loser.
Feb 2026 · 8 min read
More posts coming soon
KFC vs Popeyes, Taco Bell value rankings, and the cheapest way to hit your protein goals.
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