Cost of burgers skyrockets as beef production costs rise by 44%

According to Datassential’s Burger Price Index, restaurant burger prices have increased approximately 14 percent since 2023. Beef production costs have risen by nearly 44 percent over the same period, according to the Washington Post.

The widening gap has left restaurants absorbing the higher costs rather than passing the full increase to customers. However, the industry could see prices rise even more at a time when consumers are already complaining.

“To me, a hamburger should be an everyday enjoyment that should be affordable, and it should be something that people can comfortably do and not have to break the bank over,” said Andrew Schnipper, managing partner of Hamburger America, per the Washington Post.

Some restaurants are charging up to $30 or more for one burger, particularly in high-cost markets such as California and New York. Restaurant operators say those prices reflect the increase in expenses. Fast food has also seen pressure, as price hikes have caused low-income customers to scale back how often they go through the drive-thru.

“The last thing one ever wants to do is to pass on costs to the consumer,” said Danny Meyer, founder and chair of both Shake Shack and Union Square Hospitality Group. “The second-to-last thing people want to do is to lose money, because then you don’t have a business.”

Even the cost of making a burger at home has increased. The cost of preparing a quarter-pounder at home has risen by 14.5 percent in just two years, double that of inflation for the same period.

Since 1984, ground beef has become four times more expensive. Since 1976, the consumption of beef has dropped by more than one-third.

One factor contributing to high prices is the shrinking amount of domestic cattle. The US spent $26.3 billion on imported beef last year, a 24 percent jump from the year prior.

Last month, President Trump issued a proclamation for more than 660 million pounds of lean beef trimming to enter the US at a reduced tariff rate over three months. However, Will Harris, owner of White Oak Pastures, said the imported beef is so lean that it is “barely edible.” In response, the beef will be combined with excess fat from US slaughterhouses to create a more edible beef blend.