To put things in perspective, you can look up putative prices for McDonald’s in India at mcdonadsprices.com, claimed to be current as of January 8, 2024. The McSaver Chicken Kebab Burger Meal with Whole Wheat Bun is listed at 214.30 rupees, or $2.44. For a person with a monthly income of 5,000 rupees, this meal costs about 4% of their monthly salary.
For me, a PhD student, 4% of my monthly salary is about $143. So eating at McDonald’s is essentially the equivalent of fine, upscale dining for the average person, and it makes sense that it would be nice inside since only the relative rich can afford to eat there.
Average wages in the city are close to Rs 15000 - Rs 25000, not Rs 5000 (also mentioned in the post, Rs 5000 is probably what they get from one house, not their monthly income)
You’re directionally correct about McDonald’s being more upscale/premium than it is considered in the West, but it is very much a mid-market option. An average meal in local eatery would be around Rs 60 − 80, and in McDonalds it would be about Rs 200 − 250. So the difference isn’t as stark as a $150 meal.
That comparison is a bit extreme because you are comparing an above median rich person in the west and a poor person in India. If you compare medianincomes, then India and the USA are just 10x apart. Not 60x.
I am about 2⁄3 median income for a full time year round worker in the USA, though I assume median for reasonable definitions of “the west” is lower than for the USA.
To put things in perspective, you can look up putative prices for McDonald’s in India at mcdonadsprices.com, claimed to be current as of January 8, 2024. The McSaver Chicken Kebab Burger Meal with Whole Wheat Bun is listed at 214.30 rupees, or $2.44. For a person with a monthly income of 5,000 rupees, this meal costs about 4% of their monthly salary.
For me, a PhD student, 4% of my monthly salary is about $143. So eating at McDonald’s is essentially the equivalent of fine, upscale dining for the average person, and it makes sense that it would be nice inside since only the relative rich can afford to eat there.
Hey, I live in India. Some basic observations:
Average wages in the city are close to Rs 15000 - Rs 25000, not Rs 5000 (also mentioned in the post, Rs 5000 is probably what they get from one house, not their monthly income)
You’re directionally correct about McDonald’s being more upscale/premium than it is considered in the West, but it is very much a mid-market option. An average meal in local eatery would be around Rs 60 − 80, and in McDonalds it would be about Rs 200 − 250. So the difference isn’t as stark as a $150 meal.
That comparison is a bit extreme because you are comparing an above median rich person in the west and a poor person in India. If you compare median incomes, then India and the USA are just 10x apart. Not 60x.
I am about 2⁄3 median income for a full time year round worker in the USA, though I assume median for reasonable definitions of “the west” is lower than for the USA.