McDonald's Calories: Burgers Ranked by Country
McDonald's burgers run from 250 calories (Hamburger) to 740 (Double Quarter Pounder) in the US. Big Mac counts for Spain, Mexico and France, sourced.
Photo: Julee Juu, Unsplash License
A plain McDonald’s Hamburger has 250 calories in the US. The Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese has 740, the most of the six core burgers. Cross a border and the numbers move: a Big Mac is listed at 544 kcal in Spain, about 540 in Mexico and about 530 in France, and the US figure is the one nobody agrees on.
I built this guide after noticing that every US ranking stops at the border, and that even those lists disagree on the Big Mac. Each figure below names its country and its source, and I checked all of them on November 12, 2026. One note on units: US menus say “calories”, while Spanish, Mexican and French labels say “kcal”. It is the same unit.
McDonald’s burgers ranked by calories (US)
The six core US McDonald’s burgers run from 250 to 740 calories. The figures come from Nutrola, which cites McDonald’s official US nutrition calculator (March 21, 2026), and from Eat This, both checked on November 12, 2026.
- Hamburger: 250 calories
- Cheeseburger: 300 calories
- McDouble: 400 calories
- Double Cheeseburger: 450 calories
- Quarter Pounder with Cheese: 520 calories
- Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese: 740 calories
What jumps out of this list is the second patty, not the cheese. A slice of cheese adds about 50 calories each time. Going from the Cheeseburger to the McDouble adds 100, and going from the Quarter Pounder with Cheese to the Double adds 220. If you are counting, skip the extra meat before you skip the cheese.
The Big Mac is missing on purpose. Nutrola says 550 calories, a search snippet attributed to mcdonalds.com says 580, and Eat This says 590. A 40-calorie spread on the chain’s best-known burger is too wide to print one number, so it stays out until I can read it on McDonald’s own calculator.
McDonald’s calories chart ranking US burgers from Hamburger to Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese: Hamburger 250, Cheeseburger 300, McDouble 400, Double Cheeseburger 450, Quarter Pounder with Cheese 520 and Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese 740 calories. The Big Mac is left out because US sources disagree (550, 580 or 590). Sources: Nutrola and Eat This, checked November 12, 2026. (800 × 450) (Chart: Burger Breton, CC BY 4.0, data from Nutrola and Eat This (checked 2026-11-12), rendered with QuickChart)
McDonald’s calories table: US vs Spain, Mexico and France
The same McDonald’s burger rarely moves more than 40 calories from one country to another, and the ranking order barely changes. The widest undisputed gap is the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese: 740 calories in the US, 778 kcal in Mexico. A dash means the item is not in that market’s data, or no figure could be confirmed.
| Burger | US | Spain | Mexico | France |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Hamburger | 250 | 258 | 258 | 253 |
| Cheeseburger | 300 | 306 | 323 or 409 (conflicting) | 300 |
| Double Cheeseburger | 450 | 457 | 450 | 442 |
| Big Mac | not confirmed | 544 | 540 (550 per Fitia) | 530 |
| Quarter Pounder with Cheese | 520 | 547 (Cuarto de Libra) | 530 | 525 (Royal Cheese) |
| Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese | 740 | 758 (Cuarto de Libra Doble) | 778 | – |
All values are kcal per burger, checked on November 12, 2026. US: Nutrola and Eat This. Spain: CarmenAI, FatSecret España and Fitia. Mexico: FatSecret México. France: FatSecret France.
McDonald’s calories table compared as a chart: the Big Mac and five other burgers in the US, Spain, Mexico and France. The Hamburger stays between 250 and 258 kcal everywhere, the Big Mac runs 530 to 544 kcal in Spain, Mexico and France (no confirmed US figure), and the Double Quarter Pounder tops out at 778 kcal in Mexico. Quarter Pounder means the Cuarto de Libra in Spain and Mexico and the Royal Cheese in France. Mexico’s Cheeseburger also has a conflicting 409 kcal entry. Sources: Nutrola, Eat This, CarmenAI, Fitia and FatSecret, checked November 12, 2026. (800 × 500) (Chart: Burger Breton, CC BY 4.0, data from Nutrola, Eat This, CarmenAI, Fitia, FatSecret España, FatSecret México and FatSecret France (checked 2026-11-12), rendered with QuickChart)
Lowest-calorie burgers at McDonald’s
The plain Hamburger is the lowest-calorie burger at McDonald’s in every market I checked, at 250 to 258 calories. It is 250 in the US, 253 in France and 258 in both Spain and Mexico. FatSecret México weighs it at 101 grams.
Hamburger and Cheeseburger
The Cheeseburger adds about 50 calories to the Hamburger in the US, Spain and France: 300 in the US and France, 306 in Spain. Mexico is the one I could not settle. FatSecret México has two entries for the Hamburguesa con Queso, one at 323 kcal for 115 grams and one at 409 kcal.
McDouble and Double Cheeseburger calories
The McDouble has 400 calories and the Double Cheeseburger has 450 in the US. Abroad, the Double Cheeseburger barely moves: 457 kcal in Spain, 450 kcal in Mexico (163 grams) and 442 kcal in France. You can rebuild the US original at home with our McDouble copycat recipe, or try the McDonald’s Daily Double copycat recipe.
Big Mac calories by country
A Big Mac has 544 kcal in Spain, about 540 kcal in Mexico and about 530 kcal in France. The US count is still unconfirmed. Spain’s figure is the best supported, with CarmenAI, Fitia and FatSecret España all at 544 kcal. In Mexico, FatSecret gives 540 kcal for a 212-gram Big Mac and Fitia gives 550. In France, FatSecret gives 530.
My reading: outside the US, the Big Mac is remarkably stable, 530 to 550 kcal across three countries and three databases. The US problem is the sources, not the burger: three published numbers (550, 580 and 590) and no official page I could read. For what the same burger costs from one country to the next, see our Big Mac Index 2026: Big Mac price by country.
Quarter Pounder with Cheese calories
The Quarter Pounder with Cheese has 520 calories in the US, 530 kcal in Mexico and 547 kcal in Spain, where it is sold as the Cuarto de Libra. FatSecret México puts the Mexican version at 195 grams. France sells its equivalent as the Royal Cheese, listed at 525 kcal.
Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese
The Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese is the most caloric core burger in the US at 740 calories. Spain’s Cuarto de Libra Doble comes in at 758 kcal. Mexico’s Cuarto de Libra Doble con Queso tops them both at 778 kcal for 275 grams, the highest figure I found for Mexico.
McDonald’s calories in Mexico: McPollo and McNífica
Mexico’s menu has two burgers the US menu does not: the McPollo at 516 kcal and the McNífica at 539 or 577 kcal. FatSecret México lists the McPollo at 207 grams. For the McNífica it has two conflicting entries, 539 kcal for 262 grams and 577 kcal for 254 grams. Neither can be settled until McDonald’s México, operated by Arcos Dorados, publishes a figure I can read.
A breaded chicken burger on a sesame bun with fries and ketchup at a McDonald’s in Mexico City, August 2014. The photo does not name the burger. On today’s Mexican menu, FatSecret México lists the McPollo chicken burger at 516 kcal for 207 g. (2448 × 3264) (Photo: LuisQuiroz1618, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:McDonald%C2%B4s\_chickenhamburgertakeninMexicoCity\_August\_2014.JPG)
Mexico is also the only market where I found portion weights for most burgers. That lets you compare them fairly, per 100 grams.
| Burger (Mexico) | kcal | Portion | kcal per 100 g |
|---|---|---|---|
| McPollo | 516 | 207 g | 249 |
| Big Mac | 540 | 212 g | 255 |
| Hamburguesa | 258 | 101 g | 255 |
| Cuarto de Libra con Queso | 530 | 195 g | 272 |
| Hamburguesa Doble con Queso | 450 | 163 g | 276 |
| Cuarto de Libra Doble con Queso | 778 | 275 g | 283 |
McDonald’s calories per 100 grams in Mexico: McPollo 249 kcal, Big Mac 255, Hamburguesa 255, Cuarto de Libra con Queso 272, Hamburguesa Doble con Queso 276 and Cuarto de Libra Doble con Queso 283. By weight, the Big Mac is no denser than the plain Hamburger; the double-patty burgers are the densest. Our calculation from FatSecret México’s kcal and portion weights, checked November 12, 2026. (800 × 450) (Chart: Burger Breton, CC BY 4.0, calculated from FatSecret México data (checked 2026-11-12), rendered with QuickChart)
This table changed how I see the Big Mac. Gram for gram, it is no denser than the plain Hamburger. It is simply bigger. The double-patty burgers are the densest, which fits the second-patty rule from the US ranking. If you are in Mexico City and want a burger beyond the chains, read our guide to the best burgers in Mexico City.
A McDonald’s on the ground floor of a historic building at the corner of Tacuba and Bolívar streets in Mexico City’s Centro, photographed in September 2008. Mexico’s menu adds the McPollo (516 kcal) and the McNífica (539 to 577 kcal) to the burgers sold in the US. (1600 × 1200) (Photo: Thelmadatter, Public domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:McDonaldsTacubaBolivarDF.JPG)
McDonald’s calories in France: 280 Original, CBO and Royal Cheese
France’s heaviest regular burger in the data I found is the 280 Original at 772 kcal for 220 grams, ahead of the CBO at 659 kcal. The Royal Cheese has 525 kcal. All three figures come from a single source, FatSecret France. McDonald’s France publishes an official nutrition PDF, but I could not read it and its version date is unknown, so treat these numbers as provisional.
McDonald’s calories in France, ranked: Hamburger 253 kcal, Cheeseburger 300, Double Cheeseburger 442, Royal Cheese 525, Big Mac 530, CBO 659 and 280 Original 772. These are provisional figures from a single source, FatSecret France, checked November 12, 2026. (800 × 450) (Chart: Burger Breton, CC BY 4.0, data from FatSecret France (checked 2026-11-12), rendered with QuickChart)
Two burgers on a tray at a McDonald’s in France in May 2013: a breaded chicken burger with cheese, lettuce and tomato in its box, and a baguette-style sandwich with a beef patty, next to a cup printed in French. These are not the burgers in our ranking. Today, France’s heaviest regular burger in our data is the 280 Original at 772 kcal for 220 g. (1600 × 1200) (Photo: Arnaud 25, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:McDonald%27s\_hamburgers\_005.jpg)
Limited-time burgers in Spain
Spain’s highest burger count I found is the McExtreme Pulled Pork Doble at 1,086 kcal. It comes from a single user-built database, though, and the burger may no longer be sold. Fitia also lists the Big Mac BLT at 753 kcal, the Tutti Pepperoni at 724 kcal and the McCrispy Korean BBQ at 682 kcal. All four look like limited-time items, so I keep them out of the main table. For what is actually new on McDonald’s menus this year, see our verified list of new McDonald’s burgers in 2026.
Why McDonald’s calories change by country
McDonald’s calories change by country because the burgers are not built to one global spec: portions and recipes vary by market. The numbers show it. Spain’s Cuarto de Libra carries 547 kcal against 520 for the US Quarter Pounder with Cheese, and Mexico’s double version weighs 275 grams. Same name, different burger, so a calorie figure is only useful with its country attached.
How I built this ranking
I compiled every figure from nutrition databases and articles that report McDonald’s data, and checked each one on November 12, 2026. McDonald’s official pages in Spain, Mexico, France and the US returned errors when I tried to read them, so no figure here was read directly on an official sheet. Where two sources disagree, I show both numbers rather than pick one.
Sources: Nutrola, which cites the McDonald’s USA nutrition calculator (unreadable on November 12), Eat This, CarmenAI, Fitia Spain, FatSecret España, FatSecret México and FatSecret France. For the chain’s history and figures, read our McDonald’s brand profile. For the price side of the menu, see our report on the 2026 burger value wars.
McDonald’s calories FAQ
Which McDonald’s burger has the fewest calories?
The plain Hamburger has the fewest calories of any McDonald’s burger: 250 in the US, 253 in France and 258 in Spain and Mexico.
What is the highest-calorie burger at McDonald’s?
In the US, the Double Quarter Pounder with Cheese is the highest-calorie core burger at 740 calories. In Mexico it is the Cuarto de Libra Doble con Queso at 778 kcal, and in France the 280 Original at 772 kcal. Spain’s McExtreme Pulled Pork Doble is listed at 1,086 kcal, but that figure has a single source and the burger may no longer be on the menu.
How many calories are in a Big Mac?
A Big Mac has 544 kcal in Spain, about 540 kcal in Mexico and about 530 kcal in France. US sources give 550, 580 or 590 calories, so I am not stating a US figure until it can be read on McDonald’s official calculator.
How many calories are in a Quarter Pounder with Cheese?
A Quarter Pounder with Cheese has 520 calories in the US, 530 kcal in Mexico and 547 kcal in Spain, where it is called the Cuarto de Libra.
Why do McDonald’s calories differ between countries?
McDonald’s calories differ between countries because portions and recipes vary by market: Spain’s Cuarto de Libra has 547 kcal against 520 for the US Quarter Pounder with Cheese. Always check the figure for the country where you order.
