Historical Big Mac Purchasing Power & Inflation Lab

📈 Nominal Price vs. Labor Hours Trajectory

1960s Labor Min

21.6

2025 Labor Min

47.9

Cumulative % ↑

1186.67%

Annualized CAGR

4.11%

Decade Scrubber: Drag to explore eras 2025 (Current)

Custom Hourly Wage Scenario $7.25 / hr Calculates labor minutes needed to buy 1 Big Mac at selected era's nominal price.

Counterfactual Inflation Model Standard CPI

1960s – 2025 Macro Overview

Active Selected Era 2025
Nominal Big Mac Price $5.79
Est. Min Hourly Wage $7.25
Labor Minutes / Burger 47.9 min
Burgers / Working Hour 1.25
Real Price (2025 CPI Adj) $5.79

Era Dynamic: 2020 to 2025 experienced rapid price expansion from $4.95 to $5.79 (+17%), outpacing federal minimum wage progression and increasing labor minutes required by 17%.

💡 Notable Burgernomics Anomaly

In the 2000s, nominal price dropped from $2.45 to $2.39 due to dollar strength and intense fast-food "Dollar Menu" price wars before rebounding in the 2010s.