Global basket comparator

Choose one brand and two markets, then select the identically named products you want in the basket. Local totals show what the board says; US-dollar totals make the two baskets comparable.

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Products in your basket 8 shared products available
Comparison guide

Build the same restaurant basket in two countries

A menu average can hide what you actually buy. This tool lets you choose shared products, total each basket in its local currency and then compare both totals on one US-dollar basis.

  1. Pick one brandThe market selectors show countries where that brand has usable priced menus.
  2. Choose two marketsThe product list is rebuilt from names present and priced on both menus.
  3. Select the basketEvery checked product is counted once. Calculate to see local totals and the converted gap.

What makes the comparison fairer

  • The brand is held constant across both markets.
  • Only identically normalized product names are selectable.
  • Both totals use the same weekly currency-rate snapshot.
  • The table keeps local prices visible beside converted totals.

What the basket cannot normalize

  • Different serving sizes, recipes or included condiments.
  • Tax treatment, delivery mark-ups and outlet-specific pricing.
  • Products renamed between markets, even when they appear similar.
  • Local wages or the share of income required to buy the basket.

How products and prices are matched

Only products with the same normalized name on both the McDonald's USA menu and McDonald's United Kingdom menu are offered. When an item has several priced options, the basket uses its lowest published option in each market. Select each product once; the current calculator does not apply quantities.

The percentage result answers: “After currency conversion, how much higher or lower is Market B than Market A for this basket?” It is calculated from the two USD totals. Keep the local totals in view because those are the prices customers actually encounter on each menu.

Read the result as a menu-price comparison, not a cost-of-living index. Currency conversion enables a common unit, but it does not adjust for earnings or purchasing power. For individual products across more countries, use the global price index; for full menus, use Compare two markets.

Global basket questions

Why is a product missing from the selector?

It may be absent from one menu, have no usable price, or use a different normalized name. The tool excludes uncertain matches instead of deciding that two differently named products are equivalent.

Can I add two of the same item?

Not in the current basket. Each selected line is counted once. To model quantities, multiply the relevant price outside the tool or select several comparable items that reflect the intended order.

Does a cheaper USD basket mean it is more affordable locally?

No. A converted total shows the cross-border price difference. Affordability also depends on local wages, taxes and household spending power, none of which this result adjusts for.

Use the same menu and currency data in another way.

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