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McDonalds Cheeseburger: Price, Calories & What's On It

Updated 29 August 2026 300 calories · on the menu since 1949 Verified by our pricing team

A McDonalds cheeseburger costs $2.99 and carries 300 calories. It has been on the menu since 1949, and in New York it comes without mustard.

Table of Contents

A McDonalds cheeseburger contains 300 calories, 15g of protein and 13g of fat, and costs $2.99 at the national midpoint. One beef patty, one slice of American cheese, pickles, chopped onions, ketchup and mustard on a toasted bun.

This and the plain hamburger are the two oldest things McDonald's still sells, both dating to the original 1949 menu. Almost nothing about the build has changed since. This page covers the price, the full nutrition, exactly what goes on it, and two regional variations most people have never heard of. Prices for the rest of the range are on our McDonald's burgers menu, and the full board is on the McDonald's menu with prices.

Price$2.99
Calories300
Protein15g
On the menu since1949
mcdonalds cheeseburger

McDonalds cheeseburger price in 2026

Our surveyed national midpoint is $2.99. This is one of the cheapest hot items McDonald's sells and a fixture of every value menu the company has ever run, so participating restaurants often list it below three dollars on the McValue board.

HOW YOU ORDER ITPRICECALORIESPROTEIN

McDonalds cheeseburger

The national midpoint
$2.9930015g

Hamburger

The same burger without the cheese slice
$2.6925012g

Two McDonalds cheeseburgers

Cheaper than one Double at some boards
$5.9860030g

Value meal

Medium fries and a medium drink
$7.4983021g

Rural and small town

Lowest recorded band
$2.3930015g

Airport and highway

Highest recorded band
$3.8930015g
The cheese slice costs 30 cents and 50 calories. That is the entire difference between this and the plain hamburger, and it is one of the clearest value calculations on the menu. It also adds 3g of protein and 170mg of sodium. Current offers are on our McDonald's meal deals page.

McDonalds cheeseburger calories and nutrition

A McDonalds cheeseburger is 300 calories with 15g of protein, the lightest burger on the menu after the plain hamburger, and one of the few items where you can eat a hot meal at McDonald's for under a third of a typical daily calorie allowance.

NUTRIENTAMOUNT% DVNOTE

Calories

30015%Second lightest burger

Protein

15g30%5g per 100 cal

Total fat

13g17%Low for a burger

Saturated fat

6g30%Beef and cheese

Carbohydrate

32g12%Mostly the bun

Sugars

7gBun and ketchup

Sodium

720mg31%Watch this one

Cholesterol

40mg13%Low
Sodium is the number that undercuts it. 720mg is 31 percent of the daily recommendation in a 300 calorie sandwich, which is a poor ratio. The McDouble carries 850mg for 390 calories, so it is proportionally similar. Every item's figures are on our McDonald's calorie list.

Ordering it lighter

Without the bun a McDonalds cheeseburger comes to roughly 150 calories with 6g of carbohydrate, keeping 14g of protein. Holding the ketchup takes out most of the remaining sugar. Both changes are free, and both are handled more reliably through the app or kiosk than at the counter.

What's on a McDonalds cheeseburger?

A McDonalds cheeseburger holds six things, and the recipe has barely moved since 1949. A 1.6oz beef patty seasoned with salt and pepper only, one slice of American cheese, two dill pickle slices, rehydrated chopped onions, ketchup and mustard, on a toasted bun.

COMPONENTCOUNTALLERGENNOTE

Beef patty

1.6oz, salt and pepper only
1Frozen, not fresh

American cheese

One slice. The whole difference from a hamburger
1Milk, soy50 calories

Dill pickle slices

The only artificial preservative on it
2See below

Rehydrated onions

Chopped, not slivered
1Removable

Ketchup and mustard

Not in New York. See the next section
2Most of the sugar

Toasted bun

Plain, no sesame seeds
1Wheat~150 calories
McDonald's tells you to skip the pickle. The company advertises this burger as containing no artificial flavours, preservatives or added colours from artificial sources, then notes on its own product page that the pickle contains an artificial preservative and you can leave it off if you prefer. Ordered without pickles, the burger genuinely meets the claim.

One of the two original menu items

The hamburger and the cheeseburger were both on the 1949 menu, which makes them the oldest things McDonald's still sells. Nothing else on the current board comes close — the Big Mac arrived in 1967 and the Quarter Pounder in 1971. In some countries it was sold for years as the Junior Burger.

Contains wheat, milk and soy. Full ingredient detail on McDonald's own product page.

Two regional versions most people never hear about

The McDonalds cheeseburger build is standard nationwide with two documented exceptions, and neither is a secret menu hack. Both are how McDonald's itself serves the burger in those places.

WHEREWHAT CHANGESOFFICIAL?NOTE

New York City area

Served without mustard as standard
No mustardYesAsk if you want it

New Mexico

Green Chile Double Cheeseburger with roasted New Mexico chile
Added chileYesListed variant

Everywhere else in the US

The standard build
NothingKetchup and mustard

Some overseas markets

Formerly sold as the Junior Burger
Name onlyHistoricSame build
The New York mustard rule is real and long-standing. Across most of the New York City area McDonald's serves the hamburger and cheeseburger without mustard by default, which catches out visitors who expect the standard build. If you want it, ask. Elsewhere, if you do not want it, ask for that instead. Menus in other countries are on our McDonald's international menu page.

Where the McDonalds cheeseburger sits on the menu

The McDonalds cheeseburger is the second cheapest and second lightest burger they sell. Everything above it on the board adds either a patty, a cheese slice or both, and the calorie steps between them are remarkably even.

BURGERPRICECALORIESPROTEIN

Hamburger

One patty, no cheese
$2.6925012g

McDonalds cheeseburger

One patty, one cheese slice
$2.9930015g

McDouble

Two patties, one cheese slice
$3.4939022g

Double Cheeseburger

Two patties, two cheese slices
$4.1944025g

Triple Cheeseburger

Three patties, cheese between each. Not at every restaurant
$5.2958035g
Two McDonalds cheeseburgers give you more cheese than one Double. Two singles come to 600 calories with two cheese slices, two buns and 30g of protein for $5.98. One Double Cheeseburger is 440 calories with the same two cheese slices for $4.19. If you want volume the pair wins; if you want value the Double does.

Prices are a national midpoint recorded from restaurant menu boards in August 2026 and vary by location. Nutrition figures are McDonald's published US data. Every item's calorie count is on our calorie list, and the full board with current pricing is on the McDonald's menu with prices.

McDonalds Cheeseburger FAQ

How many calories in a McDonalds cheeseburger?

300 calories, with 15g of protein, 13g of fat and 32g of carbohydrate. That is McDonald's own published figure. A plain hamburger without the cheese slice is 250.

How much is a McDonalds cheeseburger?

$2.99 at the national midpoint. Rural restaurants run closer to $2.39 and airport locations to $3.89. Participating restaurants often list it below three dollars on the McValue board.

What's on a McDonalds cheeseburger?

A 1.6oz beef patty seasoned with salt and pepper, one slice of American cheese, two dill pickle slices, rehydrated chopped onions, ketchup and mustard on a toasted bun. No sesame seeds.

Hamburger or McDonalds cheeseburger?

One slice of American cheese. Everything else is identical. The slice adds 50 calories, 3g of protein, 170mg of sodium and about 30 cents.

Why does McDonald's say to skip the pickle?

Because the pickle is the only component containing an artificial preservative. McDonald's advertises the burger as having none, then flags that one exception on its own product page. Without pickles it genuinely meets the claim.

Is it true there's no mustard in New York?

Yes. Across most of the New York City area McDonald's serves the hamburger and cheeseburger without mustard as standard. It is a long-standing regional default rather than a mistake, so ask for mustard if you want it.

How old is the McDonalds cheeseburger?

It was on the original 1949 menu alongside the plain hamburger, making the two of them the oldest items McDonald's still sells. The Big Mac did not arrive until 1967.

McDonalds cheeseburger calories with no bun?

Roughly 150, with carbohydrate dropping from 32g to about 6g while keeping 14g of protein. McDonald's will serve it in a container at no charge. Order through the app or kiosk for a more reliable result.

Is the beef fresh or frozen?

Frozen. Only the Quarter Pounder range uses fresh beef cooked to order in the US. Every other burger, including this one, uses a frozen patty.

Is a McDonalds cheeseburger good value?

On price it is among the cheapest hot items on the menu. On protein per dollar the McDouble beats it at 6.3g against 5g. The sodium is the drawback at 720mg, which is 31 percent of the daily recommendation for a 300 calorie sandwich.

Prices shown are based on typical U.S. McDonald’s menu prices as of August 2026 and may vary by location. Check your local restaurant or McDonald’s app for the latest prices.

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About the Author

Priya Raman

Pricing Editor

Priya has tracked fast food pricing since 2019. Every figure on this page comes from our own field survey: eight researchers photograph restaurant menu boards at 62 locations across 14 states in the first week of each month, and we publish the median. We do not use app pricing, which runs higher, and we do not carry figures forward from a previous month without re-checking them.