fast food... cheap and not cheap

ok, the first time i went to mcdonalds here to get a quick meal (i'm not a fan of mcdonalds nor the way it makes me feel after eating it, bleh, but it can be a necessary evil) i was blown away by how expensive it was.


fast food as we envision it up in the states is NOT the same thing down here in brazil.


to elaborate on that, i tend to view fast food as a CHEAP and fast way to get a meal. of course there are more expensive places in the fast food industry in the states than others, but still... i'm not going to taco bell expecting to drop 20 or 30 bucks on just myself, unless i'm severely depressed and want to put myself into a food coma.


the thing is brazil has had their own version of fast food (they way we view fast food) for a long time. their version of is salgados... aka empanadas, pastel, pão de queijo, etc. this is where you go to get a quick and cheap meal. here you will spend anything from 1 real to 3 reais for a salgado. cheap.


mcdonalds, bobs, and other equivalents are viewed as something of a treat down here in brazil. people would NEVER live off of mcdonalds and/or other chain fast food restaurants as its just too expensive. for a combo meal at mcdonalds you can spend anywhere from 12 to 18 reais. (read my post on how your real spends)


for the same price, you could have a kings meal at a restaurant by the kilo.


in the states you would rarely hear the argument of not eating at fast food because its too expensive, unless of course you live off it. the argument is more of a health based one. here... its just expensive.


remember, if you want a cheap meal on the quick, hit up a pastelaria, padaria, empanaderia, or something in the same vain. its there that you'll start to see the prices and quickness of a fast food type establishment that you're accustomed to.