The McDonald’s Egg McMuffin is an iconic breakfast sandwich enjoyed by millions every morning. But when you unwrap all the components, how much are you really paying for this convenient on-the-go meal? Let’s break down the true cost behind the Egg McMuffin and other McDonald’s breakfast classics.
Egg McMuffin Ingredients Cost Analysis
Here’s a look at what goes into a McDonald’s Egg McMuffin and how much each ingredient costs
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English Muffin – Estimated $030 each when purchased retail McDonald’s likely pays far less buying in huge bulk,
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Canadian Bacon – 1 slice costs about $0.30 retail. McDonald’s custom-formulated circular bacon runs about $0.15.
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Egg – Large Grade A eggs cost around $0.20 each retail. With massive supply chain scale, McDonald’s pays closer to $0.10 per egg.
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American Cheese Slice – Around $0.30 per slice retail. McDonald’s cheese costs approximately $0.15.
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Butter – Small retail pats run $0.05 each. McDonald’s butter is likely around $0.01-0.02 per sandwich.
Total Ingredient Cost: $0.85
So the raw ingredients in an Egg McMuffin cost less than a dollar. Even when accounting for assembly labor and overhead costs, McDonald’s is making huge margins on each sandwich.
Egg McMuffin Pricing History
The Egg McMuffin was first introduced in 1971 for $0.63. When adjusted for inflation, that equates to about $4.25 in today’s dollars.
In 2023, the average price for an Egg McMuffin is $3.99. While costs have clearly risen over 50 years, the sandwich remains affordable compared to competing fast food breakfast options.
Here’s a look at the Egg McMuffin’s price evolution over the decades:
- 1971 – Launched for $0.63
- 1980 – $1.00
- 1990 – $1.99
- 2000 – $2.29
- 2010 – $2.99
- 2020 – $3.79
- 2023 – $3.99
So the real price has increased around $1.25 in the past 10 years. But compared to many fast food menu hikes, the Egg McMuffin remains relatively steady.
How McDonald’s Keeps Egg McMuffin Prices Low
McDonald’s manages to sell the Egg McMuffin for just a few bucks thanks to:
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Bulk commodity ingredient purchases at hugely discounted rates
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Lean kitchen assembly practices perfected over decades
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High franchise revenue and profits across over 13,000 US locations
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Marketing synergies like McCafé coffee bundles and mobile app deals
McDonald’s also runs frequent breakfast promotions like 2 for $4 sandwiches to keep customers coming back. This offsets slow hours and increases average ticket totals.
Making Your Own Copycat Egg McMuffin
If you want to replicate the Egg McMuffin at home, expect to invest around:
- English muffins: $0.30 each ($3.60 per 12-pack)
- Canadian bacon: $6 per 12 oz pack
- Eggs: $3 per dozen large eggs
- American cheese slices: $4 for 24 count pack
- Butter: $4 per pound
So making a DIY Egg McMuffin costs about $2-2.50 each depending on ingredient amounts. That’s a pretty fair price for a fresh homemade sandwich!
While not as cheap as a McDonald’s Egg McMuffin, making your own allows you to control the quality and customize flavors. Plus you’ll earn major breakfast cred serving these up warm from your kitchen.
Are McDonald’s Egg McMuffins Worth It?
When it comes to taste, consistency, and value, few breakfasts beat the McDonald’s Egg McMuffin. At just $3.99, it’s an affordable and comforting start to busy mornings.
Just don’t get egg-cited at their huge profit margins! By keeping a tight grip on ingredients costs and operations, McDonald’s keeps America’s favorite egg sandwich a bargain after all these years.
McDonald’s Breakfast Menu Prices
- Item Size Price
- 2 Sausage Burritos Meal$2.58
- 2 Sausage Burritos MealMeal$4.79
- 3 Hotcakes$2.69
- Bacon, Egg & Cheese Bagel$4.09
- Bacon, Egg & Cheese BagelMeal$5.49
- Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit$3.59
- Bacon, Egg & Cheese BiscuitMeal$5.09
- Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddles$3.99
- Bacon, Egg & Cheese McGriddlesMeal$5.49
- Big Breakfast$3.99
- Big Breakfast w/ Hotcakes$5.99
- Egg McMuffin$3.59
- Egg McMuffinMeal$5.09
- Egg White Delight McMuffin$3.79
- Egg White Delight McMuffinMeal$5.29
- Fruit & Maple Oatmeal$2.39
- Hotcakes w/ Sausage$3.49
- Sausage Biscuit$1.29
- Sausage Biscuit w/ Egg$3.59
- Sausage Biscuit w/ EggMeal$5.09
- Sausage Gravy & Biscuit$3.09
- Sausage McGriddles$2.29
- Sausage McGriddlesMeal$3.89
- Sausage McMuffin$1.29
- Sausage McMuffin w/ Egg$3.59
- Sausage McMuffin w/ EggMeal$5.09
- Sausage, Egg & Cheese McGriddles$3.99
- Sausage, Egg & Cheese McGriddlesMeal$5.49
- Steak, Egg & Cheese Bagel$4.59
- Steak, Egg & Cheese BagelMeal$5.99
What Are The McDonald’s Breakfast Menu Prices?
The McDonald’s Breakfast Menu is a full meal that comes with Hash Browns and your choice of main dish. If you buy a meal at McDonald’s instead of just ordering the same things one by one, you save money. When you order the breakfast menu at McDonald’s, you usually pay for the sandwich and hash browns and then get a free coffee. For a small fee, you can get juice instead of coffee. If you’re willing to pay the extra cost, look at the drink menu for ideas. McDonald’s has a lot of different kinds of sandwiches for breakfast, including the unique McGriddle Sandwich, which has a pancake-like muffin inside. Breakfast platters are also available off the breakfast menu at McDonalds.
You will be pleased to find up-to-date menu prices for McDonalds below. If you think our menu prices need to be changed, please let us know or leave a comment. However, please keep in mind that prices may be different from state to state and from franchise to franchise. HackTheMenu claims no affiliaton, sponsorship, endorsement or other relationship to any restaurant mentioned on this page. The prices are actual prices displayed at the time of publication, but are not reflective of all locations.
If you cant find what youre looking for, then please check out the complete McDonalds Menu Prices page.
Making the McDonald’s Egg McMuffin At Home | But Better
FAQ
How much is a bacon and Egg McMuffin?
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Menu Item
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Price
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Price (Value Meal)
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Bacon & Egg McMuffin
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$5.70
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$11.00
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Double Bacon & Egg McMuffin
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$6.60
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$11.90
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Sausage McMuffin
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$5.25
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$10.90
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Double Sausage McMuffin
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$6.55
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$12.10
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How much does a Bacon & Egg McMuffin cost?
These are really easy to make at home and a much cheaper alternative to eating breakfast out. Currently the restaurant price for a Bacon and Egg McMuffin is £2.79, but my homemade version costs just 80p per muffin! I’ve broken down the cost of making an individual muffin using supermarket ingredients below.
Is Egg McMuffin a good breakfast sandwich?
Satisfy your McDonald’s breakfast cravings with our Egg McMuffin® breakfast sandwich—it’s an excellent source of protein and oh so delicious. McDonald’s Egg McMuffin® recipe features a freshly cracked Grade A egg placed on a toasted English Muffin topped with real butter, lean Canadian bacon, and melty American cheese.
How much does a Sausage Egg McMuffin cost?
Noteworthy price points include $4.79 in Detroit, Michigan, and an average price of approximately $5.17 across states. When considering the Sausage Egg McMuffin Meal, which includes two hash browns and a small McCafé Roast Coffee, the prices also fluctuate across states.
How much does a bacon and egg muffin cost?
One bacon and egg muffin is made up of; muffin 22p + cheese 5p + egg 17p + 2 bacon rashers 36p = 80p each. We served our muffins with hash browns (restaurant price: £1.09 vs homemade price: 10p each) and orange juice (restaurant price: £1.49 vs homemade price: 25p). Ingredients (makes 1): Method: Cook the bacon according to pack instructions.
Does McDonald’s have Egg McMuffin?
McDonald’s Egg McMuffin is the original on-the-go breakfast. It’s such an icon of the brand, that it’s easy to forget that the Egg McMuffin almost didn’t make it onto the menu—but lucky for us, it did, and it’s become one of bestselling items at McDonald’s. But what about the days when you don’t want to wait in line for yours?
How many calories in an Egg McMuffin?
McDonald’s Egg McMuffin® recipe features a freshly cracked Grade A egg placed on a toasted English Muffin topped with real butter, lean Canadian bacon, and melty American cheese. There are 310 calories in an Egg McMuffin® from McDonald’s.