Lunch price index · September 2026
What a lunch special costs
1,428 lunch special prices, read on the menus of 208 restaurants in 4 cities. The typical one costs $21: $17.50 in Los Angeles, $24.98 in Washington, DC.
- New York$21.80: half of the restaurants sit between $16.95 and $28.
- Los Angeles$17.50: half of the restaurants sit between $14.95 and $25.
- Washington, DC$24.98: half of the restaurants sit between $18.75 and $30.
- San Francisco$18: half of the restaurants sit between $16.50 and $21.
Middle half of restaurantsTypical price
- Typical lunch special
- $21
- all cities
- Prices read
- 1,428
- Under $15
- 26%
- Under $20
- 57%
City by city
$7.48 separates the cheapest city from the dearest
| City | Typical price | Middle half | Under $15 | Under $20 | Lunch vs dinner | Prices read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York | $21.80 | $16.95 to $28 | 23% | 56% | −$4 | 762 |
| Los Angeles | $17.50 | $14.95 to $25 | 37% | 64% | −$2.02 | 367 |
| Washington, DC | $24.98 | $18.75 to $30 | 10% | 31% | −$3.70 | 167 |
| San Francisco | $18 | $16.50 to $21 | 34% | 72% | −$3 | 132 |
Typical price and middle half count each restaurant once, at the middle price of its lunch specials; the middle half holds half of the restaurants. Lunch vs dinner: the typical gap at restaurants that print both prices. See them all.
Dollar by dollar
The shape of lunch in each city
How many lunch specials sit at each price. Every city on the same price scale; the dashed line is the typical price.
Block by block
Neighborhoods, cheapest first
Typical lunch special, for neighborhoods with at least 3 restaurants.
- 1Chinatown / North BeachSan Francisco$11.05
- 2Long Island City (Queens)New York$14
- 3BurbankLos Angeles$14.62
- 4GlendaleLos Angeles$15.95
- 5Murray Hill / Kips BayNew York$15.95
- 6KoreatownLos Angeles$17.04
- 7Upper East SideNew York$17.95
- 8SoMaSan Francisco$20
- 9Flatiron / Union SquareNew York$21
- 10Chelsea / Hudson YardsNew York$21.50
- 11Penn Quarter / ChinatownWashington, DC$21.50
- 12Dupont CircleWashington, DC$22
- 13PasadenaLos Angeles$22
- 14Koreatown / NoMadNew York$22.73
- 15Downtown BrooklynNew York$22.95
- 16MidtownNew York$24
- 17Capitol HillWashington, DC$24.50
- 18Foggy Bottom / West EndWashington, DC$25
- 19NoMa / Mount Vernon TriangleWashington, DC$26.98
- 20Downtown / Little TokyoLos Angeles$27
- 21Downtown / K StreetWashington, DC$30
- 22GeorgetownWashington, DC$30
- 23Beverly HillsLos Angeles$34.50
- 24Santa MonicaLos Angeles$36
By cuisine and by dish
What is on the plate changes the price
Typical lunch special in each cuisine and for each kind of dish, all cities together.
Month by month
One reading a month
This is the first reading, September 2026. Each month keeps its own page, and the change from one reading to the next shows here from the second one.
| Reading | All cities | New York | Los Angeles | Washington, DC | San Francisco | Restaurants | Prices read |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| September 2026 latest | $21 | $21.80 | $17.50 | $24.98 | $18 | 208 | 1,428 |
Each reading covers the restaurants listed that month. A change from one month to the next mixes prices that moved and restaurants that joined or left the list.
Using these numbers
Quote them, with the date
Every figure on this page comes from menus read on Sep 30, 2026. A price counts only when two independent readings of the restaurant's own menu agree. Chains, delivery prices and menus that look out of date are left out. You are welcome to quote the figures with a link to this page.
Good to know
In short
How much does a lunch special cost in a big US city?
Across the 4 cities we cover, the typical lunch special costs $21. It ranges from $17.50 in Los Angeles to $24.98 in Washington, DC. These are prices at the table, before tax and tip.
Which city has the cheapest lunch specials?
Los Angeles, where the typical lunch special costs $17.50 and 37% of them are under $15. Washington, DC is the most expensive, $7.48 higher.
Which neighborhood has the cheapest lunch specials?
Among neighborhoods with at least 3 restaurants, Chinatown and North Beach, San Francisco has the lowest typical price, $11.05. Santa Monica, CA has the highest, $36.
What does "typical price" mean here?
The middle restaurant. Each restaurant counts once, at the middle price of its own lunch specials, and we take the restaurant in the middle of the list. A long menu weighs no more than a single prix fixe, and one expensive tasting menu does not move the number.