5 ms·

One caveat about this index is that is does not consider the fact that Macdonald's has different types of customers in different countries. In rich countries,

One caveat about this index is that is does not consider the fact that Macdonald's has different types of customers in different countries. In rich countries, it targets lower income strata. In the third world, it targets middle and upper middle class. You can get much cheaper local food (and probably more nutritious food) on the streets. Therefore, Macdonald's is relatively more expensive in poorer countries.

Cthulhu_ 5y ago
> In rich countries, it targets lower income strata. [citation needed]; anecdotal, I live in a rich country, a trip to McD's for a family of 3 quickly adds up to €25; home cooked dinner is < €10. I will acknowledge that the ability to cook food at home and having access to a supermarket that actually stocks fresh vegetables and the like is a rich country's privilege. That said, I gathered there's plenty of places in the US where that is simply not a thing.
- inerte 5y ago
  Anecdotally that's the case in Brazil. McD is a lower-middle class and up place. McD in Brazil is actually not that bad in terms of quality. It doesn't have the bad rep it has in the US.
- lukas099 5y ago
  Where I live, McDonald's is indeed more expensive than a home-cooked dinner, but it still targets the lower income strata.
- danans 5y ago
  > I live in a rich country, a trip to McD's for a family of 3 quickly adds up to €25 That's pretty cheap for a rich country (i.e. the US or UK), especially when you consider the labor/time saved when you don't cook. Also, most people who fall in the lower income strata don't eat out every day, so $25/€25 for an occasional McDonalds meal for 3 is pretty achievable. The upper middle class in rich countries easily pay 2-3 times that price per restaurant meal.
- pessimizer 5y ago
  The comparison was to street/fast food, not home-cooked food; food with a labor cost. It's easy to make a great meal for a third of what street food costs, anywhere, if you're willing to list and shop for ingredients, keep track of what you have used and what you need to use quickly before it goes bad, spend 30-45 mins cooking it and another 15 mins washing dishes. A lot of people make more money at jobs, or simply don't have the time left in the day to make that a good deal.
arketyp 5y ago
Isn't the point of the index that it reflects precisely this? Because the chain of production of the burger is globally standardized, its intrinsic value should be expected to be the same everywhere.

Cthulhu_ 5y ago

> In rich countries, it targets lower income strata. [citation needed]; anecdotal, I live in a rich country, a trip to McD's for a family of 3 quickly adds up to €25; home cooked dinner is < €10. I will acknowledge that the ability to cook food at home and having access to a supermarket that actually stocks fresh vegetables and the like is a rich country's privilege. That said, I gathered there's plenty of places in the US where that is simply not a thing.

inerte 5y ago
Anecdotally that's the case in Brazil. McD is a lower-middle class and up place. McD in Brazil is actually not that bad in terms of quality. It doesn't have the bad rep it has in the US.
lukas099 5y ago
Where I live, McDonald's is indeed more expensive than a home-cooked dinner, but it still targets the lower income strata.
danans 5y ago
> I live in a rich country, a trip to McD's for a family of 3 quickly adds up to €25 That's pretty cheap for a rich country (i.e. the US or UK), especially when you consider the labor/time saved when you don't cook. Also, most people who fall in the lower income strata don't eat out every day, so $25/€25 for an occasional McDonalds meal for 3 is pretty achievable. The upper middle class in rich countries easily pay 2-3 times that price per restaurant meal.
pessimizer 5y ago
The comparison was to street/fast food, not home-cooked food; food with a labor cost. It's easy to make a great meal for a third of what street food costs, anywhere, if you're willing to list and shop for ingredients, keep track of what you have used and what you need to use quickly before it goes bad, spend 30-45 mins cooking it and another 15 mins washing dishes. A lot of people make more money at jobs, or simply don't have the time left in the day to make that a good deal.

arketyp 5y ago

Isn't the point of the index that it reflects precisely this? Because the chain of production of the burger is globally standardized, its intrinsic value should be expected to be the same everywhere.