Terms of use

Last updated: 4 September 2026

Who operates this site

Big Mac Time Machine (the "site") is operated by Afterwork Studios, LLC ("we", "us"). By using the site you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, please stop using it. Questions go to admin@afterwork-studios.com.

The site is free, and provided as-is

There is nothing to buy, no account to create and no service level. We may change, move or withdraw any part of the site, or the whole of it, at any time and without notice. The site is provided "as is" and "as available", without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including any warranty of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, accuracy or non-infringement.

About the numbers

Every figure on this site is a historical estimate for general interest. Prices are U.S. national annual averages, not what any particular shop charged. Years between documented anchor points are interpolated and flaggedest.; some series (Coca-Cola in particular) are explicitly low-confidence, and pre-1980 grocery anchors come from secondary compilations. The methodology page explains how each number is derived and cites its source.

Nothing here is financial, investment, tax or economic advice, and it is not a substitute for official statistics. Where a number matters, go to the primary source we cite. In accordance with the BLS Public Data API terms of service, "BLS.gov cannot vouch for the data or analyses derived from these data after the data have been retrieved from BLS.gov."

Using the site

You may use the site for personal, educational and editorial purposes, including sharing links and screenshots with attribution to Big Mac Time Machine. Please do not use it to break the law, misrepresent the figures as official statistics, or interfere with the site's operation (automated scraping at a rate that degrades service, attempts to circumvent security, and similar).

The site's software, design, text and the compiled price series are © Afterwork Studios, LLC, all rights reserved. Nothing here grants a licence to copy, redistribute or build on them. The underlying facts are a different matter: U.S. federal statistics are in the public domain, and the Big Mac Index data from 2000 onward comes from The Economist underCC BY 4.0. Both are available from their original publishers, cited on the methodology page.

Trademarks

Big Mac is a registered trademark of McDonald's Corporation and Coca-Cola is a registered trademark of The Coca-Cola Company. All trademarks belong to their respective owners and are used here strictly for nominative, historical and price-comparison purposes. Big Mac Time Machine is an independent project and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by McDonald's Corporation, The Coca-Cola Company or any other entity named on the site.

Third-party links and advertising

Source citations link to external sites we do not control and are not responsible for. The site is supported by advertising served by Google; the advertisements and the sites they lead to are the responsibility of the advertiser, not us. Cookies and ad personalisation are described in the privacy policy.

Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Afterwork Studios, LLC is not liable for any indirect, incidental, consequential or special damages, or for any loss arising from reliance on figures presented on this site or from its unavailability. Some jurisdictions do not allow certain exclusions, so parts of this section may not apply to you.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the United States and of the state in which Afterwork Studios, LLC is formed, without regard to conflict-of-law rules.

Changes

Any change to these terms will be posted on this page with a new "last updated" date.

Contact

Afterwork Studios, LLC · admin@afterwork-studios.com