There’s a reason that McDonald’s is in over 100 countries with over 38,000 restaurants. It’s consistent, familiar, and an easy meal. When you’ve spent so many days making decisions on where to go, what to see and not knowing what’s around the corner a familiar sight is a welcome one.
For the first few trips, we scoffed at those who lowered themselves to eating there. I mean there are so many other choices that you can’t get at home – why would you choose McDonald’s?! It was actually our children that helped us discover why…comfort food is comforting.
Kids don’t always strive to try new foods everyday; chicken nuggets and fries will always hit the spot. Of equal importance to us is a predictable bathroom. They always have a western toilet and a sink with soap. We like to think our needs are simple.
We have now embraced this and make sure we go to a McDonald’s in every country we can. Did you know that there is a McArabia? There is – you will find it in Cairo and is very tasty.
And if you want to avoid the classic items there are gems around the World, such as one of my favourites: the McLobster found right here in the Maritimes of Canada. In Italy we tried two different sandwiches the Parmigiano and Chicken Pecorino accompanied by the Hot Devil Salsa.
There’s even the Big Mac Index. This scale was invented by The Economist in 1986 designed to show whether currencies are at their ‘correct’ level. In the July 2025 edition, The Economist is reporting that The British pound is 13.5% overvalued against the US dollar.
A Big Mac costs £5.09 in Britain and US$6.01 in the United States. The implied exchange rate is 0.85. The difference between this and the actual exchange rate, 0.75, suggests the British pound is 13.5% overvalued.
The most overvalued currency? Switzerland’s of course, while the Egypt Pound is the most undervalued.
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