Is Burger King Cheaper Than McDonald’s in South Africa?
McDonald’s and Burger King are the two global burger names South Africans actually have a choice between. McDonald’s has the bigger footprint here, with around 400 restaurants against Burger King’s 150, and it has been in the country since 1995. That size gap shows up in the pricing, too. Here is exactly how the two menus compare, item by item.
The short version
McDonald’s is cheaper at the entry level and on its signature burger. A Big Mac® price is R72.90 against R69.90 for a Whopper®, so that particular match-up is basically a draw, but move down to the cheapest burger on each menu and McDonald’s wins clearly at R26.90 against Burger King’s R29.90. Burger King pulls ahead in one specific place: bigger, multi-patty burgers, where its Double and Triple WHOPPER® options are priced more aggressively than McDonald’s equivalents. If you’re after the cheapest possible meal, go McDonald’s. If you want the biggest burger for your money, Burger King’s upper range is worth a look.
| McDonalds Menu | Burger King | |
|---|---|---|
| South Africa since | 1995 | 2013 |
| Locations | ~400 | ~150 |
| Signature burger | Big Mac® , R72.90 | WHOPPER® , R69.90 |
| Cheapest burger | Hamburger, R26.90 | Hamburger, R29.90 |
| Soft drink | Coca-Cola | Pepsi |
| Breakfast | Full breakfast menu, all day until ~10:30 | Small English muffin range, morning only |
| 24-hour branches | Some, especially highway stops | Rare, most close by 22:00 |
Big Mac Price vs Whopper: the main event
This is the comparison people actually search for, and the honest answer is that it barely matters. Three rand separates the two, which is not enough to base a decision on. What matters more is the build. The Big Mac® is two smaller patties with special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles and onion on a three-part bun. The WHOPPER® is one larger flame-grilled patty with lettuce, tomato, mayo, pickles and onion on a single bun. They are not really the same burger wearing different names, they are two different ideas about what a signature burger should be.
| Signature burger | Price |
|---|---|
| WHOPPER® | R69.90 |
| Big Mac® | R72.90 |
| WHOPPER® with Cheese | R75.90 |
| Quarter Pounder® with Cheese | R81.90 |
If flame-grilled matters to you, that is a Burger King point in its favour that no price comparison captures. If you want the two-patty, three-bun format McDonald’s is known for, the extra R3.00 is not going to change your mind either way.
Cheapest burgers on each menu
Here McDonald’s has a clearer lead. Every entry-level item is a few rand cheaper than the Burger King equivalent, and it stays that way as you move up through cheeseburgers and doubles.
| Item | McDonald’s | Burger King Menu with Prices |
|---|---|---|
| Basic burger | Hamburger, R26.90 | Hamburger, R29.90 |
| Cheeseburger | Cheeseburger, R30.90 | Cheeseburger, R34.90 |
| Double cheeseburger | Double Cheese, R43.90 | Double Cheeseburger, R44.90 |
| Big Mac®-style | Big Mac®, R72.90 | Big King®, R59.90 |
The last row is the interesting one. Burger King’s own answer to the Big Mac®, the Big King®, is R13.00 cheaper than the McDonald’s original it is built to compete with. If you like the two-patty format but don’t care which brand’s name is on the box, the Big King® is the better-value pick.
Chicken burgers
McDonald’s wins clearly here, both at the cheap end and in the middle of the range.
| Item | McDonald’s | Burger King |
|---|---|---|
| Basic chicken burger | Chicken Burger, R26.90 | Chicken Burger, R49.90 |
| Crispy chicken | McChicken®, R56.90 | Crispy Chicken, R59.90 |
| Spicy chicken | Cajun Deluxe, R62.90 | Fierce Crispy Chicken, R69.90 |
The gap on the basic chicken burger is the biggest single difference on this whole page. McDonald’s Chicken Burger at R26.90 costs almost half of Burger King’s R49.90 equivalent. That is not a rounding difference, it changes which brand you’d pick if chicken is what you’re after and budget matters.
Fries and sides
| Item | McDonald’s | Burger King |
|---|---|---|
| Small/regular fries | Fries®, R29.90 | BK® Fries Small, R24.90 |
| Chicken nuggets (4pc equivalent) | Chicken McNuggets®, R48.90 | Chicken Nuggets (4pc), R34.90 |
| Onion rings | Not on menu | Onion Rings, R34.90 |
Burger King’s small fries undercut McDonald’s by exactly R5.00, and its nuggets are noticeably cheaper too. Sides are one category where Burger King is the better value across the board, even though it loses on the mains.
Breakfast
This is not really a fair fight. McDonald’s runs a full breakfast menu, including the South African-only Boerie Burger, and serves it daily until around 10:30. Burger King’s breakfast is five items built around English muffins, with no full breakfast plate on offer at all.
| Item | McDonald’s Menu Prices | Burger King Menu Prices |
|---|---|---|
| Entry breakfast item | Hash Brown, R33.90 | Egg & Cheese English Muffin, R44.90 |
| Local breakfast burger | Boerie Burger, R35.90 | Boerie English Muffin, R49.90 |
| Egg-based option | Egg McMuffin®, R54.90 | Egg & Cheese English Muffin, R44.90 |
If breakfast is the main reason you’re choosing between these two, McDonald’s has both the cheaper entry point and the far bigger menu. Burger King only wins on the direct egg-and-cheese comparison.
Drinks and desserts
The biggest non-price difference on this whole comparison sits here. McDonald’s serves Coca-Cola. Burger King serves Pepsi. If you have a strong preference between the two, that decides your order before you even look at a single price.
| Item | McDonald’s Menu and Prices | Burger King |
|---|---|---|
| Soft drink, medium | Coke, R26.90 | Pepsi (Medium), R29.90 |
| Soft serve / ice cream | Sundaes, R30.90 | Ice Cream Cone, R19.90 |
| Milkshake | Vanilla Milkshake, R39.90 | Vanilla King Shake, R39.90 |
| Premium dessert | McFlurry® Oreo, R56.90 | Oreo Fusion, R49.90 |
Milkshakes come out identical at R39.90. Everywhere else Burger King’s dessert menu is a little cheaper, including its own Oreo option against the McFlurry®.
How these prices can shift by city
Both chains run a mix of company-owned and franchised restaurants, so the figures above are national standard pricing rather than a guarantee for your exact branch. Mall and airport locations for both brands tend to price above suburban stores, and delivery-platform prices through Uber Eats and Mr D usually carry a markup over the till price at both McDonald’s and Burger King.
Other burgers worth comparing
McDonald’s vs Burger King: quick answers
Is Burger King cheaper than McDonald’s in South Africa?
It depends what you order. Mcdo menu is cheaper on basic and chicken burgers, where the gap is large. Burger King is cheaper on fries, desserts, and its own Big Mac® rival, the Big King®. The signature burgers, Big Mac® and WHOPPER®, are within R3.00 of each other.
Is a Big Mac or a Whopper cheaper?
The WHOPPER® is R69.90 and the Big Mac® is R72.90, a difference of R3.00. This is close enough that taste and portion preference should decide it rather than price.
Does Burger King or McDonald’s have more locations in South Africa?
McDonald’s, by a wide margin. McDonald’s has roughly 400 restaurants in South Africa against Burger King’s approximately 150, reflecting McDonald’s much longer presence in the country since 1995.
Does McDonald’s or Burger King have better breakfast in South Africa?
McDonald’s, on both range and price. It runs a full breakfast menu including the Boerie Burger, while bk breakfast menu offers five English muffin-based items with no full breakfast plate.
Does Burger King serve Coke in South Africa?
No. Burger King offers Pepsi products. McDonald’s is the Coca-Cola partner of the two.