I see a lot of complaints about fast food being and other meals becoming much more expensive than usual. I know it’s true because grocery prices are absurd, but I genuinely don’t know what’s considered “expensive” with fast food.
I just instinctively know it’s expensive and never eat out. Like $8 for one small smash burger just seems absurd to me, but apparently that’s always been normal?
Its all relative and people don't have sticker shock as much for things that are a trend, not a long term staple menu item (I would say that explains the "smash burger", you used to be able to get a griddle-cooked burger for less than that, even if it wasn't smashed but since that started as a trendy thing it showed up first in fast casual and more expensive places, not fast food per se).
if you look at individual items on a fast food menu though, many have like doubled in price in the past 10 years especially if you factor in "deals" that used to exist vs modern ones, they have inflated much faster than the overall market.