cheapest cheese – A new NetCredit analysis of medium cheese pizza prices across 180 U.S. cities finds Little Caesars as the cheapest among 10 major chains, with a medium cheese pizza averaging $10.27—46% less than Pizza Hut and Domino’s.
For pizza shoppers trying to stretch their budgets, the numbers are stark: Little Caesars is emerging as the cheapest stop for a medium cheese pizza—at least according to a new national pricing study.
In the study. credit union NetCredit analyzed where Americans could buy the cheapest (and most expensive) cheese pizzas across the country. From the 10 most popular pizza chains in the United States. Little Caesars landed at the top. with an average medium cheese pizza costing $10.27. NetCredit found that price is 46% cheaper than competitors Pizza Hut and Domino’s.
The pricing work wasn’t done in one city or a single delivery app. NetCredit says it checked the price of a medium cheese pizza on GrubHub and DoorDash for each chain in 180 U.S. cities. The cities included the top 100 U.S. cities and three of the most populous cities in each state.
NetCredit’s list of the 10 cheapest pizza chains for a medium cheese pizza starts with Little Caesars at $10.27. followed by Papa Murphy’s at $12.38 and Mod Pizza at $12.45. Hungry Howie’s came in at $16.46, then Papa John’s at $16.65. Marco’s Pizza averaged $17.54. while Pizza Hut and Domino’s were tied for the high end of the “cheapest” set. at $19 and $19.33 respectively. Godfather’s Pizza averaged $20.03, and Chuck E. Cheese rounded out the group at $20.33.
The gaps widen when the study shifts from chains to geography. NetCredit found the top three states for the cheapest cheese pizza are Indiana ($13.95), Alabama ($14.04), and Michigan ($14.32). When broken down by city, Houston had the cheapest pizza price at $14.42, according to the study.
On the other end, the most expensive states were Hawaii ($19.70), California ($18.85), and Alaska ($18.60), NetCredit found. At the city level, San Diego had the most expensive medium cheese pizza at $20.76. San Jose, California, followed at $20.02, and Los Angeles ranked next at $19.84.
A single thread runs through the results: the same “medium cheese pizza” can vary dramatically depending on where you order, and those differences stack on top of the chain-to-chain price spread that puts Little Caesars at the front and the pricier markets—like San Diego—near the top.
For shoppers looking to reduce the sticker shock. NetCredit offered several practical suggestions: order one larger pizza instead of two smaller ones; look for coupons on the pizza restaurant’s website; buy sides and drinks separately. since they can often cost more when ordered directly from the pizza restaurant; and make your own pizza at home.
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