Everything is more expensive where I am but local mexican restaurants have stayed the most reasonable (more so than chains). Chain-wise I think subway is still pretty affordable.
It’s cheaper to go to our local Mexican place than to Taco Bell. My wife gets the two chalupa combo. And to switch from chicken to ground beef, the combo is $13. Her standing #4 at the Mexican place is $8.75.
When Taco Bell was advertised the $5 box, all the local ones had it at $5.99. Now it’s $8.99. There’s one Taco Bell about 20 miles away that actually does follow the advertised prices. But it’s not worth driving that far.
It amazes me that Taco Bell isn’t still cheap, considering the quality of their ingredients.
I actually enjoyed Taco Bell, precisely because it was cheap, fast, comparatively healthy with vegan options, and open late. Essentially since COVID they have raised prices insanely (NY Metro soft tacos are almost $4, speciality ones reach $8+tax(so $9) per taco), they are no longer as quick despite all of them essentially being Kiosks with a food assembly line in the back now, they have taken away vegan options and some of their fresh veggies like pico de gallo / played with their menu items too much how many limited drop food items can you do a year?, and many are no longer open late. Taco Bell could have ended up like in the Demolition Man film, but COVID ruined any love I had for the brand.
Almost all of the taco bells near me still have the $6 box, and when I’ve traveled the majority on the road still have it too. I’m guessing all the ones near you have a shared owner who’s raised the price.