Here's how much $5 can get you at major fast-food chains

Prices seem to be climbing in every aspect of life, from streaming services to groceries. Fast-food restaurants, however, are attempting to counter rising costs by upping the ante on value menus, meal deals, and other ways for hungry consumers to save money.

USA TODAY took a look at multiple fast-food restaurants' menus, including McDonald's, Wendy's and Taco Bell, to see what items you can get for $5 and some change. Here's what we found.

Note: The prices below are based on restaurant locations in Chicago. Prices can vary across the US.

McDonald's

The options at beloved fast food chain McDonald's range from breakfast to burgers. With a breakfast, lunch and dinner menu offered at different times daily, there are items you can combine to make a meal.

Starting off with breakfast, customers can get some handheld items for less than $5, including the Sausage McMuffin, English Muffin, Sausage Biscuit, Hot 'N Spicy McChicken Biscuit, Egg Cheese Biscuit, McChicken Biscuit, Sausage McGriddles, Chicken McGriddles, Hot 'N Spicy Chicken McGriddles and Sausage Burrito.

Options also range widely for lunch and dinner, including the Ranch Snack Wrap for $3.79; Spicy Snack Wrap for $3.79; 4-piece Chicken McNuggets for $3.39; and 6-piece Chicken McNuggets for $4.99. For sandwich fans, some of the chain's staple items are also on the list:

• Cheeseburger, $3.69
• Double Cheeseburger, $4.89
• Bacon Cheeseburger, $4.49
• Hamburger, $3.49
• Double Hamburger, $3.99
• McDouble, $4.59
• Daily Double burger, $4.89
• McChicken, $4.29
• Hot 'N Spicy McChicken, $4.79

Those handheld, individual items can also be paired with sides, like fries for $3.09 and soft drinks for between $1 and $2, but it might put the cost at over $5. If you're jonesing for a free milk with your meal, the Hamburger Happy Meal costs $4.99 and comes with the sandwich, kid-sized fries, apple slices, choice of drink and, of course, a toy.

Wendy's

Wendy's is similar to McDonald's in its menu, which includes an Everyday Value menu and handheld items for low prices. The Everyday Value menu includes eight items for less than $5:

• Jr. Cheeseburger, $0.99
• Jr. Cheeseburger Deluxe, $1.19
• Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger, $1.60
• Double Stack burger, $1.79 
• Bacon Double Stack burger, $2.99
• Crispy Chicken Sandwich, $0.99
• Crispy Chicken BLT, $1.69
• Jr. Hamburger, $0.99

Most individual sandwiches also come out to be less than $5, including the Dave's Single, Dave's Double, Son of Baconator, Big Bacon Classic, Bacon Double Stack, Classic Chicken Sandwich Crispy Chicken BLT, and more.

For those who aren't fans of sandwiches, the chain's chicken nugget orders also fall under $5, with the most expensive being the 10-piece nuggets for $4.69. Chili, fries, and baked potatoes are also less than $5.

The chain also has established meal deals that don't break the bank:

• $4 Biggie Bites: Choose between a Crispy Chicken Sandwich, Jr. Cheeseburger, Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger, 4pc. Nuggets, or Jr. Fry, and then a second item of 4pc. Nuggets, Jr. Fry or Small Soft Drink
• $5 Jr. Cheeseburger Biggie Bag: Includes Jr. Cheeseburger, 4-piece chicken nuggets, small fries, and a small soft drink

Taco Bell

Many of the items on Taco Bell's menu fall in the $2 to $5 range, making it possible to combine different foods to make a meal, including some of its tacos, crunchwraps, burritos, and grillers.

Most tacos cost between $1 and $4, including the Nacho Cheese Doritos Locos Tacos for $2.89. Burritos are also generally less than $5, including the Cheesy Double Beef Burrito and the Beefy 5-Layer Burrito.

Taco Bell also has a Luxe Value Menu, where items are under $3. The chain also offers a Classic Luxe Box meal for $5, which includes a Beefy 5-Layer Burrito, Crunchy Taco, Cinnamon Twists and a medium fountain drink.

Chick-fil-A

Fast-food restaurant Chick-fil-A's menu is filled with meal options, but most come out to costing a little over $10. Some individual items do cost less than $5, however, the portions might be too small for a full meal, depending on the customer:

• 5 ct Chick-fil-A Nuggets, $3.75
• 5 ct Grilled Nuggets, $4.20
• 2 ct Chick-fil-A Chick-n-Strips, $4.19
• Medium Mac & Cheese, $4.59  
• Side Salad, $4.59  

For those looking for a quick meal in the morning, multiple singular items from Chick-fil-A's breakfast menu come to under $5 before tax, including the Sausage, Egg & Cheese Muffin and Bacon, Egg & Cheese Muffin for $4.75, and the Sausage, Egg & Cheese Biscuit and Bacon, Egg & Cheese Biscuit for $4.55.

Breakfast meals, like entrees and other meals, tend to cost over $5.

Starbucks

Coffee chain Starbucks' food menu is smaller than other fast-food chains but still has affordable options. While many of Starbucks' sandwiches live in the $7 range, some snacks are under $5:

• Jalapeño Chicken Pocket, $3.95
• Spicy Falafel Pocket, $3.95
• Sausage, Cheddar & Egg Sandwich, $4.95
• Turkey Bacon, Cheddar & Egg White Sandwich, $4.95
• Spinach, Feta & Egg White Wrap, $4.95

Dunkin

Similar to Starbucks, coffee chain Dunkin' has sandwiches and wraps that all cost under $5 in the Chicago area except for one signature breakfast sandwich.

Given the restaurant's nature, most of the sandwiches and wraps cater to the breakfast crowd. But still, all of the chain's Wake-Up Wraps and breakfast sandwiches on bagels, croissants, and English muffins cost between $2 and $5.

Outside of breakfast sandwiches, Dunkin' also has a grilled cheese sandwich that costs $4.39; avocado toast at $3.89; or bacon avocado toast for $4.89.

Subway

Subway's options are also slightly limited. However, the sandwich chain does have new wraps on the menu called Protein Pockets, which include different types of meats inside a tortilla for $3.99 each.

The Protein Pocket options include Turkey & Ham, Italian Trio, Peppercorn Ranch Chicken, and Baja Chicken. Subway's website states the Protein Pockets are a limited time offer, however, so the option might not be around for long.

A longer-lasting deal is Subway's "Meal of the Day" option, which give customers a chance to get a 6-inch sub for $4.99. For $2 more, you can make it an official meal with a drink, chips or cookies.

Each day of the week features a different sub:

• Sunday: Spicy Italian
• Monday: Meatball Marinara
• Tuesday: Classic Tuna
• Wednesday: Sweet Onion Chicken Teriyaki
• Thursday: Oven-Roasted Turkey
• Friday: Black Forest Ham
• Saturday: Italian B.M.T.

Kate Perez covers national trends and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach her at [email protected] or on X @katecperez_.